1501:31-7-06. Seasons and limits on ducks, brant, geese, mergansers, and coots

(A) Throughout the state, it shall be unlawful for any person to hunt, kill, wound, take, or attempt to take or to possess any of the birds specified in this rule except as provided in this rule or other rules in the Administrative Code. For the purpose of this rule, the state will be divided into the north zone, south zone, and lake Erie marsh zone for the hunting of ducks, brant, mergansers, coots, and geese.

The lake Erie marsh zone shall be all land and water within the boundaries of the area bordered by a line starting at the intersection of interstate 75 at the Ohio-Michigan state line and continuing south to interstate 280, then south on I-280 to the Ohio turnpike (I-80/I-90), then east on the Ohio Turnpike to the Erie-Lorain county line, then north to lake Erie. The zone boundary follows the lake Erie shoreline at a distance of two hundred yards offshore. The zone boundary follows the shoreline west toward and around the northern tip of Cedar Point amusement park, then continues from the westernmost point of Cedar Point toward the southernmost tip of the sand bar at the mouth of Sandusky bay and out into lake Erie at a distance of two hundred yards offshore continuing parallel to the lake Erie shoreline north and west toward the northernmost tip of Cedar Point national wildlife refuge, then follows a direct line toward the southernmost tip of Wood Tick peninsula in Michigan to a point that intersects the Ohio-Michigan state line, then follows the state line back to the point of the beginning.

The north zone will be that portion of the state, except the lake Erie marsh zone, north of a line extending east from the Indiana state line along U. S. highway 33 to state route 127, south along SR 127 to SR 703, south along SR 703, including all lands within the Mercer wildlife area, to SR 219, east along SR 219 to SR 364, north along SR 364, including all lands within the St. Mary's fish hatchery, to SR 703, east along SR 703 to SR 66, north along SR 66 to U. S. 33, east along U. S. 33 to SR 385, east along SR 385 to SR 117, south along SR 117 to SR 273, east along SR 273 to SR 31, south along SR 31 to SR 739, east along SR 739 to SR 4, north along SR 4 to SR 95, east along SR 95 to SR 13, southeast along SR 13 to SR 3, northeast along SR 3 to SR 60, north along SR 60 to U.S. 30, east along U.S. 30 to SR 3, south along SR 3 to SR 226, south along SR 226 to SR 514, southwest along SR 514 to SR 754, south along SR 754 to SR 39/60, east along SR 39/60 U.S. to SR 241, north along SR 241 to U.S. 30, east along U.S. 30 to SR 39, east along SR 39 to the Pennsylvania state line.

The south zone will be all portions of the state not included in the lake Erie marsh zone or the north zone.

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt ducks, brant, geese, coots, and mergansers at any time except from one half hour before sunrise to sunset during the open season.

(2) Coots, mergansers and ducks may be hunted in the lake Erie marsh zone from October 10, 2020 through October 25, 2020 and from November 7, 2020 through December 20, 2020; coots, mergansers and ducks may be hunted in the north zone from October 24, 2020 through November 1, 2020 and from November 7, 2020 through December 27, 2020; coots, mergansers and ducks may be hunted in the south zone from October 24, 2020 through November 1, 2020 and from December 5, 2020 through January 24, 2021.

(3) Brant and geese may be hunted in the north zone from October 24, 2020 through November 1, 2020, from November 7, 2020 through December 27, 2020 and from January 2, 2021 through February 6, 2021. Brant and geese may be hunted in the south zone from October 24, 2020 through November 1,2020 and from November 12, 2020 through February 6,2021. Brant and geese may be hunted in the lake Erie marsh zone from October 10, 2020 through October 25, 2020, from November 7, 2020 through December 20, 2020 and from January 2, 2021 through February 6, 2021.

(4) Licensed falconers may hunt ducks, geese, mergansers and coots within the lake Erie marsh, north or south zones when the respective zone is open to goose hunting.

(B) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than six ducks per day or possess at any time after the second day more than eighteen ducks, except as hereinafter expressly provided.

(1) The daily bag limit of six ducks shall not include more of the following species than:

(a) Four mallard ducks of which no more than two may be female;

(b) Three wood ducks;

(c) Two black duck;

(d) Two redhead ducks;

(e) One pintail ducks;

(f) One mottled duck;

(g) One scaup during the first fifteen days of the open season for ducks in each zone as designated in paragraph (A) of this rule or two scaup during the last forty-five days of the open season for ducks in each zone as designated in paragraph (A) of this rule;

(h) Two canvasback.

(2) The possession limit of eighteen ducks after the second day shall not include more of the following species than:

(a) Twelve mallard ducks of which no more than six may be female;

(b) Nine wood ducks;

(c) Six black ducks;

(d) Six redhead ducks;

(e) Three pintail ducks;

(f) Three mottled ducks;

(g) Three scaup during the first fifteen days of the open season for ducks in each zone as designated in paragraph (A) of this rule or six scaup during the last forty-five days of the open season for ducks in each zone as designated in paragraph (A) of this rule;

(h) Six canvasbacks.

(C) It shall be unlawful for any person in any one day to take more than any of the following: three in the aggregate of Canada geese, brant, or white-fronted geese of which no more than one may be a brant; or ten snow, blue, or Ross' geese singly or in the aggregate.

(D) It shall be unlawful for any person after the second day to possess more than any of the following: nine Canada geese; three brant; nine white-fronted geese; or thirty snow, blue, or Ross' geese singly or in the aggregate.

(E) In addition to the daily bag and maximum possession limit on other ducks, it shall be unlawful for any person to take more than five mergansers in any one day of which no more than two may be a hooded merganser, or possess after the second day more than fifteen mergansers singly or in the aggregate, except that not more than six hooded mergansers may be included in the maximum possession limit.

(F) It shall be unlawful for any person to take more than fifteen coots in any one day or possess after the opening day more than forty-five coots at any time.

(G) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess more than the daily limit of migratory game birds, or the aggregate daily bag limit, whichever applies, at or between the place where taken and one's principal or ordinary home or dwelling place, one's temporary or transient place of lodging, a migratory bird preservation facility, or a post office or common carrier facility.

(H) The following regulations in this paragraph are applicable to the Ottawa national wildlife refuge in Ottawa and Lucas counties:

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge without first obtaining a permit issued by the division of wildlife.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge without first checking into the division of wildlife checking station provided for such area.

(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to take any wild animal other than what is listed on the controlled hunt rules while hunting on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge.

(4) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge during the controlled waterfowl hunt at any time other than one half hour before sunrise to twelve noon daily on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

(5) It shall be unlawful for any person to be in a division blind on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge any time after one p.m. each day.

(6) It shall be unlawful for any person having a permit to hunt on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge to fail to check back through the division of wildlife checking station from which the permit was obtained by two p.m. on the day they hunt.

(7) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or shoot on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge except from within seventy-five yards of his assigned blind, except when permitted by authorized division personnel.

(8) It shall be unlawful for more than two hunters to occupy a division of wildlife blind on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge.

(9) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess more than twenty-five shells while hunting on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge.

(10) It shall be unlawful for any person to participate in hunting on the Ottawa national wildlife refuge more than one time during a season.

(I) It shall be lawful for persons seventeen years of age or younger to hunt, take, and possess ducks, mergansers, geese and coots on October 3 and 4, 2020 statewide in accordance with this rule. This season shall be designated as the youth waterfowl season. All persons seventeen years of age and younger must be accompanied by a non-hunting person eighteen years of age or older.

(J) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt migratory waterfowl including ducks, brant, geese, coots or mergansers on or over a baited area where a person knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited. A baited area is considered to be baited for ten days after complete removal of any bait.

(K) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt ducks, geese and brant without possessing a current valid federal migratory bird stamp that is validated by the person's signature written on the stamp in ink or for forty-five days after the date of purchase, a valid receipt for a federal electronic duck stamp or E-stamp.

(L) It shall be lawful for veterans and members of the armed forces on active duty, including members of the national guard and reserves on active duty, to hunt, take, and possess ducks, mergansers, geese and coots on October 3 and 4, 2020 statewide in accordance with this rule. For the purpose of this rule "veteran" "active duty" and "armed forces" have the same meaning as defined in 38 C.F.R 101 (2017).

(M) Provisions of this rule and rule 1501:31-7-02 of the Administrative Code shall not apply to employees of the division of wildlife or persons authorized by the chief of the division of wildlife while conducting activities as part of a management program for migratory game birds that has been approved by the chief of the division of wildlife.

(N) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code shall apply to this rule.

Effective: 7/1/2020
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 3/23/2020 and 07/01/2025
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10
Rule Amplifies: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1533.02
Prior Effective Dates: 08/31/1974 (Temp.), 09/20/1975 (Temp.), 09/10/1976 (Temp.), 02/05/1977 (Temp.), 09/22/1977 (Temp.), 09/16/1978 (Temp.), 09/16/1979 (Temp.), 09/17/1980 (Temp.), 09/16/1981 (Temp.), 09/16/1982 (Temp.), 09/20/1983 (Temp.), 09/20/1984 (Temp.), 09/19/1985 (Temp.), 12/12/1985 (Temp.), 09/20/1986 (Temp.), 09/20/1987 (Temp.), 09/25/1988 (Temp.), 09/26/1989 (Temp.), 09/26/1990 (Temp.), 09/30/1991 (Temp.), 09/30/1992 (Temp.), 10/11/1992 (Temp.), 09/29/1993 (Temp.), 10/01/1994 (Temp.), 09/30/1995 (Temp.), 09/20/1996 (Temp.), 09/20/1997 (Temp.), 09/20/1998 (Temp.), 09/28/1999 (Temp.), 10/04/2000 (Temp.), 10/01/2001 (Emer.), 11/30/2001, 11/13/2002, 10/18/2003, 10/08/2004 (Emer.), 11/22/2004, 10/01/2005 (Emer.), 11/18/2005, 10/20/2006 (Emer.), 11/27/2006, 07/01/2007, 09/01/2007 (Emer.), 11/08/2007, 09/01/2008 (Emer.), 11/24/2008, 09/01/2009 (Emer.), 09/01/2010 (Emer.), 11/04/2010, 09/01/2011 (Emer.), 11/10/2011, 08/30/2012 (Emer.), 11/12/2012, 09/01/2013 (Emer.), 11/24/2013, 08/28/2014 (Emer.), 09/18/2014 (Emer.), 11/07/2014, 08/31/2015 (Emer.), 11/09/2015, 07/01/2016, 07/01/2017, 01/01/2018, 07/07/2018, 07/01/2019