Central Ohio – Wildlife District One
State Wildlife Officer Austin Levering, assigned to Knox County, spoke to the Apple Valley Garden Club about Ohio’s wildlife history and how conservation has played a crucial role in restoring many of our fish and wildlife species. Officer Levering also talked about nuisance white-tailed deer and other species, and how to handle conflicts with wildlife. He provided examples of how to deter deer from eating garden and landscape plants, as well as how to inspect your home for areas where wildlife could enter. The information was appreciated by all in attendance.
State Wildlife Officer Matt Teders, assigned to Madison County, and State Wildlife Officer Brady Stevens, assigned at-large in central Ohio, responded to a report of an individual intentionally running over a Canada goose nest with a golf cart. The officers located a suspect and determined the individual unlawfully killed geese. The suspect was charged for taking geese during the closed season.
Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two
During the 2024-25 white-tailed deer gun hunting season, State Wildlife Officer Jason Porinchok, assigned to Putnam County, observed a hunter wearing only a hunter-orange hat. Hunters are required to wear an orange vest, coat, jacket, or coveralls during deer gun hunting seasons. Officer Porinchok contacted the hunter and issued a citation for not wearing the required hunter orange. The hunter paid a $125 fine in addition to court costs in Putnam County Court.
State Wildlife Investigator Kelsey Brockman received information regarding an individual who was operating as a fishing guide on Lake Erie without a fishing guide license or the required Coast Guard Merchant Mariner credentials. With the assistance of other officers, Investigator Brockman performed a vessel safety check when the individual returned from a charter trip and did not find the required safety gear. The individual was found guilty of operating as a fishing guide without a proper license and paid $6,000 in fines and restitution. The suspect received a three-year fishing license revocation and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 135 days suspended pending three years of no similar violations.
Northeast Ohio – Wildlife District Three
In January, State Wildlife Officer Nick Turner, assigned to Harrison County, received multiple complaints from landowners regarding dogs with tracking collars chasing coyotes on their property. Officer Turner determined that a group of hunters was responsible and found that they had allowed their dogs to chase coyotes across multiple properties without landowner permission. The members of the hunting party were charged with hunting without permission, found guilty in Harrison County Court, and were each ordered to pay $200 in fines.
State Wildlife Officer Marino Pellegrini, assigned to Portage County, responded to a report of a wild turkey inside a home. Upon arrival, he saw a large hole in a window where a turkey had flown inside, shattering the glass. The residents trapped the bird in a bathroom. Officer Pellegrini captured the bird and released it in the nearby woods.
Southeast Ohio – Wildlife District Four
State Wildlife Officer Tyler Fields, assigned to Scioto County, investigated an out-of-state suspect for unlawfully harvesting two antlered white-tailed deer during the 2024-25 hunting season. The suspect was found to have harvested two antlered deer during the gun season, more than the legal limit of one antlered deer per license year. Officer Fields issued summonses for taking more than one antlered deer in a license year and hunting without a valid nonresident deer permit. The suspect was found guilty and ordered to pay $130 in court costs, a $50 fine, and $500 in restitution. One of the antlered deer was forfeited.
