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January 8, 2025, press release from the the Ohio Department of Natural Resources: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Hunters checked 13,476 white-tailed deer from Saturday, Jan. 4 to Tuesday, Jan. 7 during Ohio’s muzzleloader hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. This total accounts for all deer taken with muzzleloaders or archery equipment during the annual four-day season. Last year, hunters checked 12,714 deer during the muzzleloader season. Over the last three years, hunters bagged an average of 13,081 deer in the same timeframe.

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November 7, 2024, Press Release from the Allen Soil and Water Conservation District: Winter is right around the corner and many homeowners are taking advantage of the unseasonably warm temperatures to complete autumn yard maintenance before the ground freezes. This includes the last-minute application of fertilizer onto lawns.It’s important to remember that a lawn or garden that is fertilized should be tested every three years. For a little amount of time, postage, and a small processing fee, a lot of helpful information about one of the most significant assets on your property can be learned. Soil testing is essential because over-fertilizing is so easy to do since many don’t give it much thought when applying it. However, excess fertilizer is washed into our rivers and streams every time it rains. Once it gets to the river, it causes algae problems, robs oxygen from the water, and is a leading contributor of poor water quality. Statistics show that those who put fertilizer on their yards tend to do at eight times the amount farmers put on crop fields.

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October 31, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources: COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Wildlife Council voted to approve changes to site-specific regulations for walleye, saugeye, and sauger fishing as well as to set the spring 2025 wild turkey hunting season during its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 30, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.  The council approved amendments to Ohio’s inland fishing regulations that will begin on Jan. 1, 2025. The 15-inch minimum length requirement for walleye, saugeye, and sauger was removed on Acton Lake, Alum Creek Lake, Atwood Lake, Buckeye Lake, Caesar Creek Lake, Ferguson Reservoir, Findlay Reservoir 1, Findlay Reservoir 2, Indian Lake, Metzger Reservoir, Piedmont Lake, Pleasant Hill Lake, Rocky Fork Lake, Seneca Lake, and Tappan Lake. In addition, the Ohio Wildlife Council approved adding a 15-inch minimum length requirement for walleye, saugeye, and sauger at Mosquito Creek Lake and LaDue Reservoir. 

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October 18, 2024, Press Release from the Allen Soil and water Conservation District: The cooler weather has arrived and many homeowners around the county are raking up leaves, cutting back perennials, and just generally prepping yards, and gardens for the long winter ahead. But what few people realize is that caring for the soil should be a part of the autumn yard routine. Soil testing is especially essential if fertilizer is used. Over-fertilizing is so easy to do that many don’t give it much thought when applying it. Excess fertilizer is washed into our rivers and streams every time it rains. From there it causes algae problems, robs oxygen from the water, and is a leading contributor of poor water quality.

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October 8, 2024, Press Release from Ohio Department of Natural Resources: COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife will release 14,400 ring-necked pheasants at public hunting areas in late October and November. Releases will begin Saturday, Oct. 19 during Ohio’s youth small game hunting season. Pheasant hunters should note that pheasant hunting is open only to hunters with a controlled access permit at Urbana Wildlife Area, Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area, and Coldwater Creek Nature Corridor. Select pheasant hunting fields on Kokosing, Pickerel Creek, Parkersburg, Funk Bottoms, East Fork, Pater, and Fallsville South wildlife areas, as well as Hancock County Wildlife Area 5, require a controlled access permit on all Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15; the Wednesday before Thanksgiving; and Thanksgiving Day.

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October 2, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s wild turkey poult index, a metric used to estimate nest success and poult survival for the bird, was slightly above the 10-year average at 2.9 poults per hen in 2024, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The Division of Wildlife relies on public reports of wild turkeys and their young, called poults, in July and August of each year to estimate nest success and poult survival. The annual poult index can serve as an indicator of wild turkey population trends and inform harvest regulations in future years. Turkey brood success is largely influenced by weather conditions, habitat, and predation.