Ohio Offers Deer Hunting Season for Youth Hunters

Youth hunters have 30 more minutes after sunset to hunt

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio's young hunters have the opportunity to pursue white-tailed deer during the state's 11th annual youth white-tailed deer hunting season on Nov. 23-24, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

The youth deer-gun season is open statewide to hunters holding a valid youth hunting license and a deer permit. Deer can be hunted with a plugged shotgun using slugs, a muzzleloader .38 caliber or larger, a handgun .357 caliber or larger and bows during these two days.

Youth hunters checked 9,178 deer in 2012 and at least 8,300 deer in the two-day season every year since 2005.

New this year, hunting time is extended 30 minutes for all deer seasons, including the youth deer season. Deer can be hunted from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

All participants must wear hunter orange, possess a valid Ohio youth hunting license as well as a deer permit, and they must be accompanied in the field by a non-hunting adult. One adult may accompany no more than two youth hunters.

Youth hunters can commemorate their achievement with a First Harvest certificate, available at www.wildohio.com. Parents can upload a photo and type in the hunter's information to personalize the certificate. Hunters can also share photos by clicking on the Photo Gallery tab online.

Deer bag limits are now determined by county. The statewide bag limit is nine deer, but a hunter cannot exceed a county limit. Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of hunting method or season. A deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license. Hunters must purchase an additional permit to hunt more than one deer.

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 www.wildohio.com for more information on changes to the game check process.

All other regularly scheduled hunting seasons will continue during the two-day youth deer season. All hunters (except waterfowl hunters) are required to wear hunter orange during this time. More information can be found in the 2013-14 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and at www.wildohio.com.

Youth hunters are encouraged to hunt more antlerless deer in some areas of Ohio 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 www.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 www.ohiodnr.gov.