Ohio's muzzleloader deer season opens Saturday and continues through Tuesday, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
As many as 265,000 hunters are expected to hunt deer during muzzleloader season. Legal hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to sunset.
Deer hunters must possess the proper permits. Regardless of zone, method of taking or season, hunters may take only one antlered deer.
Deer must be checked in by 11:30 p.m. the day of harvest. They are no longer required to take deer to a check station for physical inspection.
Instead, hunters have three options to complete the new automated game check: online at www.wildohio.com; by telephone at (877) 824-4864, which is not available to landowners who do not have permits; and at licensed agents, which can be found at www.wildohio.com.
Small game, furbearer and waterfowl seasons also will be open during the muzzleloader season. During those overlapping four days, small game hunters and deer hunters must wear a visible solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange coat, jacket, vest or coveralls.
Additional hunting regulations and maps of deer zones are contained in the 2011-12 Ohio hunting regulations.
The free publication is available where hunting licenses are sold and from the Division of Wildlife by calling (800) WILDLIFE or online www.wildohio.com.
