What the heck is a WOCRMS? (And why is it important to Ohio's sportsmen & women?)

by Larry S. Moore

The world is full of acronyms. What is a WOCRMS and why is it important to Ohio's sportsmen and women?

WOCRMS stands for Wild Ohio Customer Relationship Management System. It's the state of the art way for sportsmen to interact with the Division of Wildlife. It's been several years from concept, to the pilot program and now to the roll-out starting March 1. I met with Kathy Garza-Behr, District 5 Wildlife Communications Specialist, for an overview and demonstration of the new system.

She explains, "The system includes all normal purchases of hunting and fishing licenses, plus deer and turkey permits. The user can access hunter education class, sign up for Division publications, purchase the wildlife legacy stamps and gift certificates. The special hunting and fishing lotteries will also be done online. It is one-stop shopping for everything for the Ohio outdoors person."

Garza-Behr continues, "The system will collect information for each customer. It is much more efficient for the hunter and the Division. The system includes online and telephone check-in options for checking harvested game. When the hunter checks a harvest, the number on the permit is immediately tied to the hunting license number. The Wildlife Officer will know in real-time if the hunter attempts to use the tag a second time. It gives the hunter the option to check game at a station, via the telephone or through the internet."

All the legal requirements for licenses, signatures, temporary tagging and checking game remain the same. The hunter will have the temporary tag to attach to the harvested animal. The only change is the options to check by phone or internet. When checking the harvest there are boxes on the tag to record the harvest identification number which is generated by the system. This number must be retained by the hunter. Each package of processed meat must contain this number. It becomes the responsibility of the hunter to record the number and keep it to identify the harvest and any processed meat. The Ohio game check is a mandatory system. Compliance remains a matter of hunter ethics.

There are some limitations the Division had to accommodate within the system design. Landowners hunting without a license on their land cannot use the telephone harvest check. The system requires a hunting license number which landowners don't have to purchase. The landowner can check their harvest via the internet or go to a traditional check station. Additionally, the US Fish and Wildlife Service requires a Hunter Information Program (HIP) for migratory birds and waterfowl. Hunters requiring a HIP will have to call 1-877-HIP-OHIO (1-877-447-6446) to receive the HIP number. The hunter will be required to write the HIP number onto their license.

Finally the Division is required by federal law to collect the social security number. Federal law requires a social security number for any recreational license so the issue is out of the state hands. There are some provisions to allow for various religious or other orders that may not have social security numbers. Applications must be made ahead of time as the system will not have the capability to skip the social security number.

The system includes the question regarding hunter education course completion. When the user responds yes to the question, it is a legally binding answer. I've heard many people over the years tell me just answer yes it's no big deal as a way to get around the hunter education requirement. Keep in mind the new system will contain the hunter education records so it is possible to cross-reference the data. The system will also track the use of the apprentice hunting license which is limited to the purchase of three licenses.

Garza-Behr concludes, "The goal is to better serve the user and collect better data for management. We believe this provides the option to allow the hunter to stay in the field longer without worrying about driving to a check station. Some counties do not have many check stations and sometimes there are limited hours. There are lots of people who use laptops and cell phones in the truck to conduct their business. This brings that opportunity to the sportsmen."

There is a strong hunting tradition associated with every season in Ohio. The new tools do not change the tradition of family, friends or opening day. Just as sportsmen have adapted to GPS, fish finders, improved rain gear and in-line muzzleloaders, so will the new WOCRMS system change the methods used to distribute licenses and record harvest data. I've already made a note in my deer camp packing list to include the laptop pc next year!

Complete information and helpful hints are already online at the Division of Wildlife website (http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Default.aspx?tabid=20384). There are flyers with additional information available from the Division and a special flyer for the spring turkey season. I just hope I bag a turkey to use WOCRMS!

Outdoor writer and hunter education instructor Larry S. Moore is a long-time volunteer leader for Buckeye Firearms Association and winner of the 2005 USSA Patriot Award, the 2007 League of Ohio Sportsmen/Ohio Wildlife Federation Hunter Educator of the Year and the 2010 National Wild Turkey Federation/ Women in the Outdoors Hunter Education Instructor of the Year.