| COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2024-25 Ohio hunting and trapping season dates for white-tailed deer, waterfowl, and other migratory game birds, furbearers, small game, and additional species were proposed to the Ohio Wildlife Council on Wednesday, Feb. 7, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The Division of Wildlife also proposed removing the trumpeter swan from the state’s threatened species list. A complete list of proposed rule changes and proposed hunting and trapping seasons dates for 2024-25 are available at wildohio.gov. Everyone who would like to comment on Division of Wildlife proposals can do so online at wildohio.gov from Feb. 10-March 13. A statewide hearing on all proposed rules will be held on Wednesday, March 20. Deer hunting proposals
The wildlife council also heard a proposal to allow deer management permits to be valid until Dec. 22, 2024, the last day of the bonus deer gun hunting weekend. Currently, deer management permits are only valid until the day before the statewide seven-day gun season. Bag limit increases from two to three deer were proposed in six counties: Butler, Clinton, Fayette, Greene, Madison, and Pickaway. Deer bag limit increases are designed to slow herd growth and increase hunting opportunities. A proposed bag limit map is available at wildohio.gov. Wednesday’s proposals also included expanding the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) disease surveillance area of Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties to include Auglaize and Jackson townships in Allen County. A CWD-positive deer was discovered in Allen County in 2023. Additionally, the Division of Wildlife proposed reducing the number of mandatory CWD testing days for deer taken within disease surveillance areas from 14 to four. If approved, hunters within the disease surveillance area would be required to submit samples for testing during the first two days of the early disease surveillance area gun season (Oct. 12-13) and the first two days of the weeklong deer gun season (Dec. 2-3). The Division of Wildlife will continue to offer voluntary testing drop-off locations and monitor for CWD within and around the disease surveillance area. Hunters in the expanded disease surveillance area will have additional opportunities to harvest deer, if approved:
Additional hunting proposals The fall wild turkey hunting proposal would establish the season, open in 70 counties, as Oct. 1, 2024 to Oct. 27, 2024. The proposed season limit is one bird. The Division of Wildlife proposed a reduced ruffed grouse hunting season from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1, 2024, in 17 southern and eastern counties: Adams, Athens, Belmont, Gallia, Guernsey, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Washington. The proposed daily limit is one bird. Another proposal would reclassify the state’s river otter trapping zones. Ohio currently has river otter bag limits split between A, B, and C zones, although no counties are assigned to Zone A. The proposal would rename Zone C, comprised of 22 counties and having a season bag limit of three, to Zone A. Zone B, which includes the rest of the state, would have a season bag limit of one. The total season bag limit would remain three. Trumpeter swan delisting proposal Ohio Wildlife Council The mission of the Division of Wildlife is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to find out more. |
