COLUMBUS – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is announcing the beginning of Ohio’s white-tailed deer archery hunting season set for Saturday, Sept. 26. The long-running season is open until Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027. Hunters may use crossbows, compound bows, recurve bows, and longbows to pursue deer during the archery season. […]
Division of Wildlife
Posted inOutdoor
U.S. Fish & Wildlife makes example of 21-year-old Ohio poacher
Across the country, wild turkey, white‑tailed deer and other wildlife depend on strong laws and responsible people to keep them safe. At the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we need your help spreading the word about how poaching wildlife threatens America’s heritage. It takes from everyone – from wildlife, public lands and from the local […]
Posted inOutdoor
Columbus YouTube celebrities ‘Creek Kings Outdoors’ plead guilty to poaching charges
COLUMBUS – An Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife poaching investigation, conducted in collaboration with Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, resulted in a combined 40 guilty pleas from William I. Bethel, 28, of Columbus and Justin A. Booth, 23, of Columbus. The two central Ohio men were known on YouTube as […]
Posted inOutdoor
Richland County contributes to Ohio’s sandhill crane count despite inclement weather
MANSFIELD – Volunteer observers reported 344 sandhill cranes in Ohio during the 2026 Midwest Crane Count, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Locally, Richland County volunteers counted five sandhill cranes. That figure is down from 12 counted in 2025. The count was coordinated by the Division of Wildlife, Ohio Bird […]
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Ohio governor and wife enjoy Lake Erie Fish Ohio Day
PORT CLINTON — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine celebrated the 46th annual Governor’s Lake Erie Fish Ohio Day with Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz, Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker, and other leaders from the conservation and tourism industries. “Walleye fishing on Lake Erie is one of the […]
Posted inOutdoor
Fish for free across Ohio June 20 & 21
COLUMBUS – Ohio’s annual free fishing days on Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, give all residents a chance to fish at any public waterway without a license, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. This includes Lake Erie and Ohio’s public lakes, reservoirs, streams, and rivers. June 20 and 21 is the only […]
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Numbers decrease for Richland County hunters amid muddy spring turkey season
MANSFIELD — Luck was not on the side of Richland County’s spring turkey hunters, who saw their number dwindle amid a muddy season, according to statistics provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Local hunters bagged 190 birds during the spring campaign within the county’s borders. That total fell well short of the previous […]
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Governor attends Bird Ohio Day at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
OAK HARBOR — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, First Lady Fran DeWine, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife celebrated Governor’s Bird Ohio Day on Monday at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in Ottawa County. The top bird conservationists in Ohio gather annually in May at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, also known as the […]
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Richland County gunners endure slight decrease in youth turkey numbers
MANSFIELD – Richland County youth hunters faced a tough spring turkey special hunting weekend. There were 21 birds checked during the state’s special youth-only weekend on April 18 and 19. The three-year average was 27 turkeys. Youth wild turkey hunters in Ohio’s south zone checked 1,941 birds during the state’s special youth-only weekend, according to […]
Posted inOutdoor
Ohio’s spring wild turkey season is about to begin
COLUMBUS – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife has announced hunting season dates for the wild turkey, one of Ohio’s most iconic game species. Spring turkey hunting is an anticipated event for many Ohioans. During the 2025 spring wild turkey season, hunters checked 16,014 birds. Among those were 1,740 turkeys taken by […]