Central Ohio – Wildlife District One
State Wildlife Officer Maurice Irish, assigned to Delaware County, and State Wildlife Officer Breyer Ehrnfield, assigned at-large in central Ohio, responded to a Turn-In-A-Poacher report of two individuals snagging fish. The officers observed a person snag a muskellunge, and another individual assisted in harvesting the fish. The officers also discovered the suspects used a lure trailed by three treble hooks. Summonses were issued for snagging sport fish and using more than three hooks, and the suspects paid $346 in fines and court costs in Delaware County Municipal Court. Report wildlife violations anonymously by calling 1-800-POACHER (762-2437).
State Wildlife Officer Brian Motsinger, assigned to Union County, contacted two anglers while on sport fishing patrol. One of the anglers informed Officer Motsinger of a lost canoe. Officer Motsinger found the address of the canoe’s last known owner with help from ODNR dispatch. Officer Motsinger contacted the owner, whose canoe had been stolen. Officer Motsinger told the owner where the canoe was located and the original owner picked up the canoe later that day.
Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two
State Wildlife Officer Matt D. Smith, assigned to Huron County, was approached by three children on bicycles in a gravel parking lot near Attica. One of the children had crashed a bike, leaving scuff marks and road rash on the child’s leg and arm. Officer Smith treated the young rider and provided band-aids for the wounds.
During the 2023-24 white-tailed deer archery hunting season, State Wildlife Officer Craig Barr, assigned to Allen County, received information about two individuals hunting without permission. A hunter had entered the complainant’s property to retrieve a buck without speaking to the landowner. State Wildlife Officer Nathan Robinson, assigned to Van Wert County, and Officer Barr contacted the hunter, who had not game-checked the buck and did not possess a valid deer permit. The hunter was charged for hunting without permission, failing to complete the game check process, and hunting deer without a permit. The suspect was found guilty in Lima Municipal Court and ordered to pay $150 in fines, $500 in restitution, and $145 in court costs. All deer parts were forfeited, and the hunter lost hunting privileges for one year.
Northeast Ohio – Wildlife District Three
State Wildlife Officers Corey Burroughs, Evan Huegel, and Aaron Brown, assigned to Holmes, Ashland, and Wayne counties, respectively, participated in the Shreve Swamp Fest. The yearly event draws a large crowd to Shreve, near Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area. The officers answered questions and talked about the marsh and its wildlife. Skulls and pelts were available for the public to learn more about native wildlife.
State Wildlife Officer Marty Cisine, assigned to Trumbull County, investigated a call regarding a trailer of household garbage that had been dumped on Grand River Wildlife Area. Office Cisine located and contacted a suspect and issued a citation for illegally dumping trash. The defendant was ordered to pay $625 in fines and serve 60 days in jail. Jail time and $250 of the fine were suspended under the condition that the individual commits no similar offense for one year. The individual involved returned to the dump site and cleaned up the litter.
Southeast Ohio – Wildlife District Four
In February, State Wildlife Officer Tyler Fields, assigned to Scioto County, and Wildlife Officer Supervisor Lee Van Allen followed up on a white-tailed deer harvest report from the 2023-24 season. The officers observed a recently harvested antlered deer in the back of a trailer at the suspect’s residence. They learned that this was the second antlered deer harvested by the hunter that season. The deer was seized, and the suspect was charged for taking more than one antlered deer in a season and hunting without a valid deer permit. The individual was found guilty in Portsmouth Municipal Court and ordered to pay $180 in fines and court costs and another $500 in restitution. The deer was forfeited to the state and the venison was donated to a food pantry.
Southwest Ohio – Wildlife District Five
In July, State Wildlife Officer Jeff Wenning, assigned to Darke County, observed an angler casting on Loramie Creek. When Officer Wenning contacted the angler, he discovered the individual was not an Ohio resident and did not possess a valid non-resident fishing license. The angler was issued a summons for fishing without a license and posted bond in the amount of $255 in Sidney Municipal Court.
State Wildlife Officer Trent Weaver, assigned to Montgomery County, State Wildlife Officer Andrew Dowdell, assigned to Butler County, and Unit Supervisor Matt Hunt, along with District Five Manager Rick Rogers, Wildlife Communications Specialist Jordan Johnson, and Intern Katie Bruns assisted with the Twin Valley Rod and Gun Club’s annual youth outdoor skills event. Staff assisted with trap, rifle, and archery shooting. Club members hosted a BB gun range and fishing pole casting contest. District Manager Rick Rogers presented a Wildlife Award from the Ohio Division of Wildlife to Floyd Weimer, who recently retired as club president after serving Twin Valley Rod and Gun Club for 49 years.
