hio hunters have the opportunity to participate in a new antlerless-only deer muzzleloader season Oct. 12-13, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
It is legal to hunt antlerless deer statewide with a muzzleloader or bow during the two-day season. No bucks may be harvested regardless of hunting implement. Antlerless deer include deer without antlers and deer with antlers less than 3 inches in length. All hunters are required to wear a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls that are either solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange.
Hunters will be able to use antlerless permits and either-sex permits during the two-day season. Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
This muzzleloader hunt encourages early antlerless harvest. Reducing the deer population early in the hunting season means that more resources will be available for the surviving herd later in the winter. Harvesting does early should make for a more intense rut by encouraging buck movement.
A new tagging procedure administered by the ODNR Division of Wildlife requires hunters to make their own game tag to attach to a deer. Game tags can be made of any material (cardboard, plastic, paper, etc.) as long as it contains the hunter's name, date, time and county of the kill. Go to the Deer Hunting Resources page at wildohio.com for more information on changes to the game check process.
All hunters must report their deer harvest using the automated game-check system. Hunters have three options to complete the game check:
• Online at ohiogamecheck.com;
• Call 877-TAG-ITOH (824-4864);
• Visit a license agent. A list of agents can be found at wildohio.com or by calling 800-WILDLIFE.
Game-check transactions are available online and by seven days a week, including holidays. Landowners exempt from purchasing a deer permit, and other people not required to purchase a deer permit, cannot use the 877-TAG-ITOH option.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife remains committed to properly managing Ohio's deer populations through a combination of regulatory and programmatic changes. Progress toward reducing locally abundant herds can be expected. Strides have been made to reduce deer herds in many counties closer to target levels.
Ohio hunters are encouraged to hunt more does this season to help the needy in their area. The ODNR Division of Wildlife is working with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate their deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as funding for the effort lasts. More information about this program can be found online at fhfh.org.
Deer hunting in Ohio continues to be a popular activity for many who enjoy the outdoors. Ohio hunters checked 218,910 deer during the 2012-2013 season. Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation's Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
