Central Ohio – Wildlife District One
While on patrol at Indian Lake State Park on Memorial Day weekend, State Wildlife Officer Brian Motsinger, assigned to Union County, contacted anglers along the spillway. Officer Motsinger, along with State Wildlife Officer Adam Smith, assigned to Logan County, and Wildlife Officer Supervisor Brad Kiger, contacted a subject who did not have a valid fishing license. The suspect was issued a summons for fishing without a license and paid $210 in fines and costs.
While on patrol, State Wildlife Officer Brady Stevens, assigned at-large in central Ohio, received a call about a fox kit that had fallen into a window well and was unable to escape. Officer Stevens responded and used a landing net to reach the fox and lift it to ground level. The fox was unharmed and ran to the nearby woods.
Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two
State Wildlife Officer Charles McMullen, assigned to Sandusky County, patrolled the Sandusky River in Fremont during the white bass run. He contacted two anglers who were struggling to catch fish. Officer McMullen suggested several local hotspots and offered tips. Later that day, Officer McMullen encountered the same anglers at one of the spots he had recommended. They showed him a stringer of white bass and were thankful for the help.
State Wildlife Officer Michele Butler, assigned to Erie County, received information on two white-tailed deer that were game checked in Erie County and three deer that were checked in Lorain County. Upon further investigation, Officer Butler discovered that the hunter harvested all five deer in Lorain County, exceeding the county’s bag limit of three deer. The hunter was charged with two counts of exceeding the county bag limit and was found guilty in Vermilion Municipal Court. The suspect was ordered to pay $250 in restitution and $782 in fines and court costs.
Northeast Ohio – Wildlife District Three
State Wildlife Officer Jason Warren, assigned to Lake Erie, was on patrol at the Edgewater Park boat ramp in Cleveland when he observed a vehicle in the parking lot with its headlights on and an empty boat trailer attached. Officer Warren noticed that the vehicle was running and the doors were unlocked. Officer Warren was eventually able to contact the owner of the vehicle, who was trolling for walleye with a friend who had forgotten to shut the car off after launching the boat. With the owner’s consent, Officer Warren secured the vehicle so the individuals could continue fishing.
Prior to the opening of the 2025 spring wild turkey hunting season, State Wildlife Officer Ryan Pawlus, assigned to Lake County, and State Wildlife Officer Matt Madgar, assigned to Geauga County, received a Turn In a Poacher report regarding a hunting without permission complaint. A sportsman observed a blind set without permission on private property. After an initial response, the officers returned to the location on the opening day of the turkey season. The officers observed an individual with a firearm trespass from a neighboring property and enter the blind. The suspect was contacted and issued summonses for hunting without permission and hunting without a valid turkey permit. Call 1-800-POACHER (762-2437) to report wildlife crimes in Ohio.
Southeast Ohio – Wildlife District Four
In June, State Wildlife Officer Ted Witham, assigned to Jackson County, observed a group of anglers fishing at Jackson Lake State Park. Officer Witham contacted the anglers to conduct a fishing license compliance check. One angler did not have a valid fishing license and was issued a citation for the violation. The individual pleaded guilty in Jackson Municipal Court and was ordered to pay $235 in fines and court costs.
In early summer, State Wildlife Officer Breyer Ehrnfield, assigned to Belmont County, responded to a call about a white-tailed deer fawn along a roadway that appeared to be injured. Officer Ehrnfield arrived at the scene and eventually found the fawn stuck in a culvert. Officer Ehrnfield caught the fawn and dried it off. The fawn appeared unharmed and was released in nearby woods.
Southwest Ohio – Wildlife District Five
State Wildlife Officer Alex Almeter, assigned to Greene County, responded to a call of an individual in distress at Spring Valley Wildlife Area. During recent flooding, the individual had been injured and became stranded on the Little Miami River. Officer Almeter deployed a throw rope and a PFD to safely guide the individual across the river. State Wildlife Officer Isaiah Gifford, assigned to Clinton County, assisted.
After the conclusion of the 2024-25 white-tailed deer hunting season, State Wildlife Officer Mark Schemmel, assigned to Auglaize County, discovered a harvest record that contained conflicting information. Officer Schemmel contacted the hunter and discovered the individual harvested a deer and continued to hunt before recording the harvest information on a permit or game-checking the deer. Shortly after harvesting the first deer, the hunter harvested a second deer prior to obtaining a valid deer permit. The suspect was cited for the violations and paid court costs and fines totaling $304 through Auglaize County Municipal Court.
