Grant meeting set for Jan. 3
FREMONT - Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca Joint Solid Waste District has scheduled a required meeting for 10 a.m. Jan. 3 for its first round of the Competitive Funding Grant Program in 2013.
The meeting is to take place at the OSS office, 1875 E. State St., Fremont. Eligible participants are required to attend the meeting prior to submitting an application.
The grant program's main priority is to set up recycling programs for educational institutions, non-profit organizations, townships, cities and villages in Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca counties.
Applicants may register by calling (419) 334-7222 or (888) 850-7224.
Scenic Rivers program
getting NW?Ohio manager
COLUMBUS Christina Kuchle has been hired to manage Ohio's Scenic Rivers Program in northwest Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft.
She is scheduled to begin her duties in January.
The goal of the Ohio Scenic Rivers Program is to protect Ohio's remaining high-quality streams. In the northwest Ohio region, designated scenic and recreational rivers include portions of the Maumee and Sandusky rivers.
In her new position, Kuchle is to prepare proposed management plans and facility development recommendations for scenic rivers in northwest Ohio. Her role also is to include providing landowner assistance and education, conducting public project reviews and training staff.
Kuchle has a bachelor's degree in natural resource conservation management from the University of Kentucky, where she was the recipient of a fellowship through the Gaines Center for the Humanities as well as a Chellgren undergraduate research fellowship.
Seneca County hunters get
139 deer during final weekend
Hunters in Seneca County harvested 139 deer last weekend during the final weekend of deer-gun season, down from 159 in 2011, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
In area counties, hunters in Crawford took 102 (91); Hancock, 77 (147); Huron, 195 (198); Sandusky, 54 (60); Wood, 70 (76); and Wyandot, 117 (160).
Statewide, hunters checked 14,365 deer last weekend, a decline of 14.3 percent from 2011, when hunters harvested 16,766 deer. In 2010, hunters bagged 20,916 deer over the same period.
"The overall size of the deer herd is smaller, and the harvest is aligned with that decrease," said Mike Tonkovich, ODNR Division of Wildlife deer project leader.
Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer checked were Coshocton, 489; Tuscarawas, 483; Muskingum, 474; Licking, 444; Harrison, 390; Belmont, 387; Guernsey, 382; Carroll, 375; Ashtabula, 372; and Knox, 356.
Archery season remains open through Feb. 3, and the statewide muzzleloader season is Jan. 5-8.
Pheasant workshop planned
COLUMBUS Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, in cooperation with Ohio Outdoors-Woman Inc. and Cherrybend Pheasant Farm, is hosting a one-day pheasant hunting workshop March 16.
A random drawing is to take place to select 20 participants. Registration must be received by Jan. 10 to enter the random drawing to take place Jan. 11.
The program is to be at Cherrybend Pheasant Farm, 2326 Cherrybend Road, Wilmington.
The event costs $50, which includes classroom instruction, guide fees, firearms, ammunition, clay targets and lunch. Participants must provide proof of completion of a hunter education course and possess a valid Ohio hunting license.
Registrations are available at www.wildohio.com by clicking on the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman tab.
Poachers pay for deer
in Brown County violations
COLUMBUS Two poachers from Mississippi and a third from Louisiana received fines and license revocations in a Brown County court Dec. 5 for wildlife violations that included spotlighting and killing white-tailed deer with a rifle, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
Michael Brown, 43, of Bastrop, La., Robert Lins, 47, of Lucedale, Miss., Caleb Skelton, 32, of Wiggins, Miss., and two juveniles were apprehended Nov. 20 for wildlife violations in Aberdeen.
Skelton was convicted of spotlighting, shooting deer from a motor vehicle, failure to tag deer and killing deer with a rifle. He was sentenced to 240 days of suspended jail time, ordered to pay $7,196.39 in restitution, a $50 fine, a $601 bill to retrieve his vehicle and additional court costs. He forfeited seized deer, a .243 rifle and a .30-06 rifle.
His hunting license was revoked for five years.
Lins was convicted of spotlighting, shooting deer from a motor vehicle, failure to tag deer and killing deer with a rifle. He was sentenced to 240 days of suspended jail time, ordered to pay $1,923.77 in restitution, a $50 fine and additional court costs. He forfeited seized deer and a .270 rifle.
His hunting license was revoked for three years.
Brown was convicted of hunting deer with a rifle and hunting without a permit. He was sentenced to 90 days of suspended jail time, ordered to pay a $750 fine and additional court costs.
His hunting license was revoked for one year.
A hunter may kill only one buck during Ohio's deer season. Hunting deer with a rifle and hunting deer at night is illegal in Ohio.
To report a hunting or fishing violation, call (800) POACHER. Callers may remain anonymous.
Hunters donate 1,405 deer
COLUMBUS Hunters have donated 1,405 white-tailed deer to Ohio food banks to benefit those in need during the 2012 deer hunting season, according to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The donations delivered about 70,250 pounds of venison and 281,000 meals for needy Ohioans. Venison donations are to be accepted through the end of the deer-archery season, Feb. 3.
FHFH collected about 104,400 pounds of venison, or 417,600 meals, from 2,088 deer last season. In 2010-11, donations totaled about 125,150 pounds of venison, or 500,600 meals, from 2,503 deer.
The Division of Wildlife collaborates with FHFH to assist with the processing costs associated with donating venison to a food bank.
Ohio has 80 participating meat processors and 32 FHFH local chapters. Anyone interested in becoming a local program coordinator or a participating meat processor can go to www.fhfh.org. The website includes a list of coordinators, program names and the counties they serve.
