Ohio Captive Hunting Statutes and Regulations

No Ban: Mammals permitted.

Statute

Ohio statutes specify that "no person shall offer for hunting or hunt any nonnative wildlife except in a licensed wild animal hunting preserve." O.R.S. §1533.721(A).

Furthermore, "no person shall operate a wild animal hunting preserve without first obtaining a wild animal hunting preserve license..." Id. The application for such license must contain "a list of which species of game and nonnative wildlife are to be released for hunting in the preserve (and) a description of the lands that are to constitute the preserve..." Id. at §1533.721(B).

In determining if the license should be granted, the chief must determine, among other things, whether "the operation of the wild animal hunting preserve does not conflict with a prior reasonable public interest." Id. at §1533.721(C)(1).

A "wild animal hunting preserve" is defined by statutes to mean "an area of land where game and nonnative wildlife, other than game birds, are released and hunted as authorized by a wild animal hunting preserve license..." Id. at §1533.70(C).

The statutes specifically prohibit "the hunting of game birds in a licensed wild animal hunting preserve," Id. at §1533.72(F), since such hunting is authorized under a different statute. "Game" is defined to include "game birds, game quadrupeds, and furbearing animals." Id. at §1531.01(R).

"No wild animal hunting preserve shall be less than eighty acres in area," Id. at §1533.731(A), and it must be surrounded by a fence at least six feet in height. Id.

"Game and nonnative wildlife (except for federally protected species and any species not listed on the license application for the preserve) that have been approved by the chief for such use, that have been legally acquired or propagated under the authority of a propagating license...and that are marked and tagged...may be released and hunted within the confines of the licensed wild animal hunting preserve between sunrise and sunset, without regard to sex, bag limit, or open season, and including Sundays, by licensed hunters..." Id. at §1533.731(B)(1).

No large carnivores of the family Felidae, however, can be released for hunting or hunted in any wild animal hunting preserve. Id. at §1533.731(B)(2).

Any person who desires to "engage in the business of raising and selling game birds, game quadrupeds, or fur-bearing animals in a wholly enclosed preserve of which he is the owner or lessee, or to have game birds, game quadrupeds, or fur-bearing animals in captivity" must obtain a license. Id. at §1533.71.

A "wholly enclosed preserve" means "an area of land that is surrounded by a fence that is at least six feet in height ... where game birds, game quadrupeds, or fur-bearing animals are raised and may be sold under the authority of a commercial propagating license..." Id. at §1533.70. 

Regulation

Ohio regulations provide the following standards for the establishment and operation of hunting preserves:

It shall be unlawful to take any wild animal from a wild animal hunting preserve by any method other than hunting with a gun, with a gun and a dog, with a bow and arrow, or with a bow and arrow and dog. Provided further, no gun larger than a ten gauge shall be used in taking any wild animal. O.A.C. §1501:31-9-07(A).

It shall be unlawful to place any type of wild animal in a wild animal hunting preserve which would not contain the animal and allow the animal to escape into the wild. Id. at §1501:31-9-07(B).

It shall be unlawful to release any wild animal from a cage or holding pen and immediately shoot or attempt to take said wild animals. Id. at §1501:31-9-07(C).

All holders of a wild animal hunting preserve license shall keep a record of the animals who are purchased or raised. Records shall also be maintained of persons taking any wild animal from the preserve. All information shall be recorded on forms supplied by the division of wildlife. Records shall be maintained for a period of two years and shall be open for inspection by division of wildlife employees during regular business hours. Id. at §1501:31-9-07(F).

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