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OHIO WILDLIFE COUNCIL APPROVES WATERFOWL SEASON DATES COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio hunters will enjoy a 60-day duck season and a six-duck
bag limit, the same number of days to hunt ducks as last year. The 2004-2005
waterfowl season dates have been approved by the Ohio Wildlife Council and
are the most liberal regulations allowed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service.
"Waterfowl hunting should be good throughout Ohio this year due to good
habitat conditions in Canada where most of our migrating ducks and geese
nest. Also, the numbers of our resident waterfowl such as wood ducks and
Canada geese are good and should provide some good hunting," said Steven A.
Gray, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of
Wildlife.
According to the Division of Wildlife, waterfowl hunting seasons are set to
open October 16 in Ohio's North Zone and October 23 in the South Zone.
Hunters 15 years of age and younger, will have their own special season
statewide October 9 and 10.
The duck-hunting season (except pintails and canvasbacks) in the North Zone
is October 16 through November 28, with a second split season opening
December 18 through January 2, 2005. The North Zone season for pintails
opens October 16 and runs through November 14. Canvasbacks can be hunted
from November 15 through November 28 with a second split season opening
December 18 through January 2, 2005 in the North Zone.
In the South Zone, duck season (except pintails and canvasbacks) is open
October 23 through November 7, with a second split season opening December
18 through January 30, 2005. The South Zone season for pintails and
canvasbacks will be December 18 through January 16, 2006.
The daily bag limit for ducks is six, which may not include more than four
mallards (only one of which may be female), one black duck, one pintail, two
wood ducks, two redheads, one canvasback, three mottled ducks, or three
scaup. Possession limits after the first day are twice the daily bag limit. In the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone, the goose season is October 16 through
October 24, with a second split season opening December 8 and running
through January 2, 2005. The goose season for the remainder of the North
Zone is October 16 through November 28, with a second split season December
8 through January 2, 2005. In the South Zone, goose season is October 23
through November 17 with a second split December 18 through January 30,
2005.
The daily bag limit for Canada geese is one in the Lake Erie Goose Zone, and
two in the remainder of the state. Light geese (snows, blues, Ross') have a
daily bag limit of 10, and white-fronted geese and brant have a daily bag
limit of two. The possession limit for brant and geese is twice the daily
bag limit after the first day.
The Special Late Canada Goose Season is January 16 through February 4, 2005.
Areas open to the Special Late Canada Goose Season will include all of
Fulton, Henry, Seneca and Huron counties; those portions of Lucas county
west of I-280 and I-75 north to the Ohio/Michigan border; the portion of
Allen County north of U. S. Route 30; Summit County south of 1-80 and the
portion of Geauga County north of U. S. Route 6. No special late season
permits are required.
People planning to hunt waterfowl are required to answer several questions
for the Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey when purchasing their
hunting license. A state wetland habitat stamp endorsement and a valid and
signed federal duck stamp are required in addition to a hunting license when
hunting waterfowl. The 2004-2005 hunting licenses and wetland stamps are on
sale now and remain valid through February 28, 2005.
Legal shooting hours for all waterfowl will be one-half hour before sunrise
to sunset.
Copies of final approved waterfowl regulations (Publication 295, Waterfowl
Hunting Regulations) will be available to hunters from all license vendors,
on-line at ohiodnr.com and at Division of Wildlife district offices in
Akron, Athens, Columbus, Findlay, or Xenia, or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.
Source: ODNR
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