Ohio's Youth Deer-Gun Hunting Season Set For November 17-18

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio’s youth deer-gun hunting season will be held Saturday and Sunday, November 17-18, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

“This is a great opportunity to get our young hunters outdoors and spending quality time with their families,” said David M. Graham, chief of the division.

Young hunters killed 8,315 deer during the 2006 two-day season. More than 40,000 young hunters are expected to participate in the upcoming hunt.

Click 'Read More' for the entire press release.

More than 8,000 young hunters have taken advantage of Ohio’s new apprentice hunting license. This new license allows novice hunters, both adults and youth, to sample the experience of hunting under the mentorship of a licensed adult, prior to completing a hunter education course. The apprentice license was developed as part of a nationwide effort called “Families Afield,” designed to remove barriers that prevent hunters from passing along the hunting heritage.

Hunters who wish to share their success can submit a photo of themselves and the deer they killed on this year’s hunt. Go to wildohio.com on the Internet and click on Photo Gallery. The photo submission process is easy and posted photos may be e-mailed to a friend.

The youth deer-gun season is open statewide. Hunters may take one deer of either sex during this season, in accordance with existing bag and deer-zone limits. Plugged shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns and bows are legal. All participants must wear hunter orange, possess a valid Ohio hunting license and deer permit, and be accompanied by a non-hunting adult in the field.

All other regularly scheduled hunting seasons will continue during the two-day youth season. However, other hunters, including deer-archery hunters, are required to wear hunter orange during this period.

This year, Ohio’s deer-gun season runs November 26 through December 2, with an additional weekend December 15-16. Details regarding Ohio's various hunting seasons, including those exclusively for young hunters, can be found in the 2007-08 Ohio Hunting Regulations or by visiting wildohio.com.