Central Ohio – Wildlife District One
In December 2024, State Wildlife Officer Adam Smith, assigned to Logan County, worked with Natural Resources Officer Jackson Shultz, assigned to Indian Lake. While on patrol, the officers located two waterfowl hunters whose vessel had broken down at the face of the spillway. The officers freed the vessel from the spillway and towed it back to shore. Both hunters were relieved and thankful to get back to the boat ramp safely.
During the 2024-25 white-tailed deer hunting season, State Wildlife Officer John Coffman, assigned to Fayette County, located an individual on Deer Creek Wildlife Area who was target shooting in a field along an access road, and the only backstop was a wooded creek bottom that people use to hunt, trap, and fish. Officer Coffman explained that target shooting is only permitted on designated shooting areas for everyone’s safety. The suspect was issued a summons for target shooting on a wildlife area, was found guilty, and paid $125 in court costs and a $50 fine.
Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two
In October 2024, State Wildlife Officer Matt D. Smith, assigned to Huron County, received a phone call regarding waterfowl hunters along the Vermillion River. Officer Smith enlisted the assistance of State Wildlife Officer Brock Williamson, assigned to Seneca County, and State Wildlife Investigator Jason Parr. The officers heard gunshots in the area and contacted the hunters. After a lengthy investigation, multiple violations were found. One hunter was issued summonses for hunting migratory birds without a Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification, hunting ducks without an Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp, and hunting waterfowl without a federal duck stamp. Another hunter was issued a summons for allowing a youth hunter to hunt unaccompanied by an adult. One wood duck was forfeited. The first hunter was found guilty of all charges and was ordered to pay $465 in fines and court costs, serve 90 days of jail, suspended, complete two years of nonreporting probation, and forfeit hunting privileges for one year. The second hunter was found guilty and paid $226 in fines and court costs.
State Wildlife Officer Nathan Kaufmann, assigned to Richland County, and K-9 Officer May talked with the environment and natural resources law enforcement class at The Ohio State University. Officer Kaufman presented the history of the K-9 program, followed by a live demonstration of how K-9 Officer May locates evidence. The students also viewed the K-9 patrol vehicle and equipment needed for a K-9 wildlife officer.
Northeast Ohio – Wildlife District Three
On the opening day of the 2024 dove hunting season, State Wildlife Officer Jesse Janosik, assigned to Columbiana County, and State Wildlife Officer Kiri Williams, assigned at-large in northeast Ohio, patrolled Highlandtown Wildlife Area. The officers received complaints of individuals shooting killdeer, a protected nongame bird. Officers Janosik and Williams contacted the group described in the complaint. After initially finding no violations, the officers witnessed one individual shoot at a flock of killdeer. The individual was issued a summons for the attempted taking of nongame birds. The suspect was found guilty and was ordered to pay $345 in fines and court costs.
In February, State Wildlife Officer Marty Cisine, assigned to Trumbull County, participated in an awards ceremony for the fifth annual Northeast Ohio Big Buck Contest, held at Badger High School. Students who harvested a white-tailed deer in Ohio’s or Pennsylvania’s deer hunting seasons could enter the contest. Around 75 students from Joseph Badger, Bloomfield-Mespo, Matthews, and Southington schools participated, and more than 250 people attended the awards ceremony. Awards were given for the three largest deer for hunters 8-11 years old, 12-15 years old, and 16-19 years old. The top awards were presented by Trumbull County Sheriff Michael Wilson. With the generous support of more than 100 sponsors, every participant walked away with a prize.
Southeast Ohio – Wildlife District Four
In 2024, State Wildlife Officer Scot Gardner, assigned to Washington County, received calls and complaints about white-tailed deer being shot at night from a road. Officer Gardner located enough information to connect a suspect to at least three deer that had been killed unlawfully in the area. The suspect pleaded guilty in Marietta Municipal Court to charges of hunting deer outside of legal hunting hours and possessing untagged deer parts. The individual was ordered to pay $500 in restitution, $300 in fines, and $294 in courts costs, as well as forfeit hunting, trapping, and fishing privileges for three years and forfeit all evidence, including a shotgun. Finally, the defendant was sentenced to 60 days in jail, suspended, and placed on supervised probation for one year with a requirement to complete drug and alcohol abuse counseling.
In March, State Wildlife Officer Bob Nelson, assigned to Ross County, attended a career day at Huntington High School. Officer Nelson talked to high school juniors and seniors about a wildlife officer’s education requirements, hiring process, training academy, and work. Several students were interested and signed up to be added to the wildlife officer recruiting database.
Southwest Ohio – Wildlife District Five
In August 2024, a Turn-In-a-Poacher (TIP) report shared information on two individuals who were hunting doves before the start of the season at Spring Valley Wildlife Area in Greene County. State Wildlife Officer Mathew Bourne, assigned to Clark County, investigated the area and located several parts of doves along with spent shotgun shells. Officer Bourne contacted two suspects and found that they had harvested 12 doves. He issued summonses to the suspects for taking doves out of season, using shotguns capable of holding more than three rounds, and littering on state property. The suspects pleaded guilty and paid a total of $550 in fines and $623 in court costs. One suspect was sentenced to complete 10 hours of community service and serve two years of probation. The individuals were also ordered to make a $250 donation to the TIP program. The unlawfully obtained doves were forfeited to the state.
State Wildlife Officers Isaiah Gifford, assigned to Clinton County, and Mark Schemmel, assigned to Auglaize County, as well as Law Operations Manager Eric Lamb and other Ohio Division of Wildlife staff, assisted with the St. Marys State Fish Hatchery open house, attended by more than 1,000 individuals. Visitors could view the holding house with saugeye, walleye, and yellow perch in various life stages and shoot archery with provided equipment. Fish biologists displayed fish sampling equipment, including a trap net, gill net, and electrofishing boat. The biologists explained how the equipment captures fish and how the data is used to manage fish populations. The wildlife officers answered questions about Ohio’s fishing and hunting laws.
