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

 

 

 

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 boundary between the north and south zones will be interstate 70 from the Ohio-Indiana line to the Ohio-West Virginia line. All lands and waters north of this boundary, exclusive of the lake Erie marsh zone, will be designated the north waterfowl zone, all lands and waters south of this boundary will be designated the south waterfowl zone.

 

The lake Erie marsh zone shall be all land and water within the boundaries of the area bordered by interstate 75 from the Ohio-Michigan line to interstate 280 to interstate 80 to the Erie-Lorain county line extending to a line measuring two-hundred yards from the shoreline into the waters of lake Erie and shall include the waters of Sandusky bay and Maumee baya 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 200 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 200 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 17, 201515, 2016 through November 1, 2015October 30, 2016 and

from  November  14,  201512,  2016  through  December

27,  201525,  2016;

coots, mergansers and ducks may be hunted in the north zone from October 24, 201522, 2016 through November 8, 20156, 2016 and from November 21, 201519, 2016 through January 3, 20161, 2017; coots, mergansers and ducks may be hunted in the south zone from October 24, 201522, 2016 through

November 8, 20156, 2016 and from December January 31, 201629, 2017.

19, 201517, 2016 through

(3)     Brant and geese may be takenhunted in the north zone from October 24, 201522, 2016 through November 8, 2015November 6, 2016, from November 21, 201519, 2016 through January 3, 2016January 1, 2017 and from January

14,   20167,   2017   to

January   31,   2016February   11,   2017,   excepting

Pymatuning lake where geese or brant may not be hunted after January 30, 2017. Brant and geese may be takenhunted in the south zone from October 24, 201522, 2016 through November 8, 20156, 2016 and from December 1, 2015November 24, 2016 through January 31, 2016February 11, 2017. Brant and geese may be takenhunted in the lake Erie marsh zone from October 17, 201515, 2016 through November 1, 2015October 30, 2016, from November 14, 201512, 2016 through December 27, 201525, 2016 and from January 14, 20167, 2017 through January 31, 2016February 11, 2017 .

(4)    It shall be lawful for properly licensedLicensed falconers tomay hunt ducks, geese, mergansers and coots statewide from February 20, 2016 through March 5, 2016 and statewide whenever within the lake Erie marsh, north or south zones when the respective zone areis 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 one may be female;

(b)   Three wood ducks;

(c)   One black duck;

(d)  Two redhead ducks;

(e)   Two pintail ducks;

(f)  One mottled duck;

(g)   Three scaup;

(h)   Two One 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 three may be female;

(b)   Nine wood ducks;

(c)   Three black ducks;

(d)  Six redhead ducks;

(e)   Six pintail ducks;

(f)  Three mottled ducks;

(g)   Nine scaup;

(h)   Six Three canvasbacks.

(C)    It shall be unlawful for any person in any one day to take more than any of the following: three Canada geese; onethree brant; onethree white-fronted geese; 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; threenine brant; three 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 fifteen years of age or younger to hunt, take, and possess ducks, mergansers, geese and coots on October 3 1and 4, 20152, 2016 statewide. All persons fifteen 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)    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.

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

Effective:                                                             07/01/2016

Five Year Review (FYR) Dates:                         02/16/2016 and 07/01/2021

CERTIFIED ELECTRONICALLY

Certification

04/22/2016

Date

Promulgated Under:                           119.03

Statutory Authority:                           1531.06 , 1531.08 , 1531.10

Rule Amplifies:                                  1531.06 , 1531.08 , 1531.10

Prior Effective Dates:                         9/16/82 (temp), 9/20/83 (temp), 9/20/84 (temp),

9/19/85 (temp), 12/12/85 (emer), 9/20/86 (temp),

9/20/87 (temp), 9/25/88 (temp), 9/26/89 (temp),

9/26/90 (temp), 9/30/91 (temp), 9/30/92 (temp),

10/11/92 (temp), 9/29/93 (temp), 10/1/94 (temp),

9/30/95 (temp), 9/20/96 (temp), 9/20/97 (temp),

9/20/98 (temp), 9/28/99 (temp), 10/4/00 (temp),

10/19/02 (emer), 11/13/02, 10/18/03, 10/8/04 (emer),

11/22/04, 10/1/05 (emer), 11/18/05, 10/20/06 (emer),

11/27/06, 7/1/07, 9/1/07 (emer), 11/8/07, 9/1/08 (emer), 11/24/08, 9/1/09 (emer), 9/1/10 (emer), 11/4/10, 9/1/11 (emer), 11/10/11, 8/30/12 (emer),

11/12/12, 9/1/13 (emer), 11/24/13, 8/28/14 (emer),

9/18/14 (emer), 11/7/14, 8/31/15 (emer), 11/9/15