A Deer Hunter’s Do’s And Don’ts Part 1
Charles E. Boyk Law Offices, LLC would like to provide you with some information about deer hunting to keep you and your family & friends safe this hunting season. Here are some things to keep in mind this hunting season.
A Deer Hunter CANNOT do any of the following:
- Hunt or take a deer with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells. This means you may not hunt with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler
which limits the capacity of the gun to three shells. The filler must be such that it cannot be removed without disassembling the gun. - Hunt with any rifle during the deer gun, the youth deer gun, the Early Muzzleloader hunts (Salt Fork Wildlife Area, Wildcat Hollow, and Shawnee State Forest), and the statewide muzzleloader seasons other than a muzzleloading rifle .38 caliber or larger.
- Hunt or take a deer with a gun or possess a loaded firearm while going to and from deer hunting during the deer gun, youth deer gun, and the statewide muzzleloader seasons, at any time other than 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset. NOTE: Muzzleloading firearms are considered unloaded when the cap is removed or priming powder is removed from the pan or when the battery is removed from electronic systems.
- Carry a handgun while hunting deer during the early muzzleloader season (on designated areas), the statewide muzzleloader season, and archery season; have more than one firearm while hunting deer; carry
a handgun being used during hunting in a concealed manner. - Use a muzzleloading handgun for deer hunting.
- Hunt deer with a longbow having a draw weight of fewer than 40 pounds, or with a crossbow having a draw weight of fewer than 75 pounds. Expandable and mechanical broadheads are legal. Poisoned or explosive arrows are illegal.
- Carry a firearm while deer hunting with a longbow or crossbow.
- Have attached to a longbow or crossbow any mechanical, electrical or electronic device capable of projecting a beam of light.
- Use dogs to hunt deer. Leashed dogs may be used to track wounded deer.
- Possess shot shells containing shot during the deer gun season, unless waterfowl hunting when the season is open or as explained in number nine of the previous section.
- Hunt coyote or boar between sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise during deer gun season.
- Use any device capable of transmitting or receiving a person’s voice to aid in the hunting or taking of deer.
- Pursue wounded deer or other wild animals or recover dead deer or other wild animals from private property without the written permission of the landowner. See Page 36.
- Carry the deer permit of another person.
- Receive or possess a deer or parts of a deer unless such deer or deer part is tagged as required or unless the deer or part of a deer has a statement showing when and where legally taken, the date received, and from whom received; or a Division of Wildlife tag, seal, or certificate or other proof of ownership which shows the deer was killed by a motor vehicle in Ohio; or an official tag or seal and valid nonresident license issued by another state if taken from outside Ohio; or certificate of ownership or receipt issued by a wildlife officer. Shed antlers, if found, do not require a certificate of ownership or
receipt by a wildlife officer. - Construct, place or use a permanent-type tree stand, or to place spikes, nails, wires or other metal objects into a tree to act as steps or to hold a tree stand on public hunting lands. It is also unlawful to make any of these changes to trees on private property without first getting the permission of the landowner or the landowner’s authorized agent. Tree stands and deer blinds must be removed from public hunting areas by the last day of the deer archery season.
We obtained this information from the Ohio DNR website under wildlife.