Field reports from Ohio Division of Wildlife Officers
Central Ohio – Wildlife District One
In May, State Wildlife Officer Mark T. Williams Jr., assigned to Franklin County, observed an individual using a cast net in the Scioto River near O’Shaughnessy Dam, an area where Officer Williams had previously received complaints of sport fish unlawfully taken with a cast net. Officer Williams contacted the individual, who did not have a valid fishing license and caught eight sport fish with a cast net. The suspect was charged for fishing without a license and catching sport fish with a cast net, and the cast net and unlawfully obtained fish were seized as evidence. The individual pleaded guilty to both charges in Delaware County Municipal Court and paid $229 in fines and court costs.
In August, State Wildlife Officer John Coffman, assigned to Fayette County, and State Wildlife Officer Matt Teders, assigned to Madison County, along with other Ohio Division of Wildlife staff, operated an informational booth at the Festival Latino in Columbus. The family-friendly event celebrated Latino culture and had thousands of attendees. Officers and staff talked with visitors from all over Ohio about hunting, fishing, and Ohio’s wildlife.
Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two
State Wildlife Officer Nathan Cass, assigned to Crawford County, taught an introductory tracking class at the request of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office for their search and rescue team. Many of the sheriff’s office team members had not yet learned the skills for tracking individuals and were interested in the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s new Search, Rescue, and Tracking Team. Officer Cass, with assistance from other officers, modeled the training he provided off the basic tracking training that is provided to all Ohio wildlife officers.
Northeast Ohio – Wildlife District Three
In January 2025, State Wildlife Officers Zach Hillman and Kiri Williams, assigned to Summit and Vinton counties, respectively, responded to a Turn In a Poacher (TIP) call regarding an individual who shot multiple white-tailed deer at their residence. The officers responded to the scene and discovered untagged deer in the yard and found that the deer were harvested with a crossbow. The suspect was issued summonses for exceeding an individual county bag limit, taking more than one antlered deer, failing to complete the game check process, and possessing untagged deer. The individual pleaded guilty to four charges, paid $714 in fines and court costs, lost their hunting license for one year, and forfeited all evidence to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Please call the TIP hotline at 1-800-POACHER (762-2437) to report suspicious activity involving wildlife.
State Wildlife Officers Cory Burroughs, Eric Moore, and Mike Greer, assigned to Holmes, Medina, and Cuyahoga counties, respectively, taught an introductory archery course at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s annual Women in the Outdoors event in Millersburg. The officers have assisted with this course for the past three years and had several participants return each year to develop their skills. State Wildlife Officer Aaron Brown, assigned to Wayne County, and Officer Greer taught a class on field dressing wild turkeys the following day.
Southeast Ohio – Wildlife District Four
In May, State Wildlife Officer Ben Smith, assigned to Morgan County, contacted two anglers at Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area. Officer Smith found the anglers had harvested two largemouth bass between 14 and 20 inches long. Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area and Jesse Owens State Park have a protected slot size limit, making it unlawful to keep bass measuring greater than 14 inches but less than 20 inches long. The anglers were issued a summons to Morgan County Court, found guilty, and each paid $105 in fines and court costs.
State Wildlife Officer Tyler Fields, assigned to Scioto County, responded to a call from a private landowner near Shawnee State Forest who reported having two timber rattlesnakes in a garage. Officer Fields confirmed the identification from photos and responded to the location. He safely captured both snakes and removed them from the garage. Timber rattlesnakes, a state-endangered species, are uncommon in Ohio and are only found in select forested areas of southeast Ohio.
Southwest Ohio – Wildlife District Five
State Wildlife Officer Jason Keller, assigned to Warren County, contacted two anglers at Mounts Park and discovered a possible litter violation. Officer Keller and K-9 Officer Scout located several discarded bottle caps in thick weeds and learned the individuals had sunk bottles in the lake to dispose of them. Both individuals were charged with stream litter and found guilty in Warren County Municipal Court. The individuals paid $550 in fines and court costs.
During July and August, State Wildlife Officers in southwest Ohio contacted all rehabilitation permit holders and sub-holders for inspections. These permits are issued by the Ohio Division of Wildlife to rehabilitate injured or orphaned wildlife. The rehabbers are required to complete specialized training, meet specific caging requirements, and document their activities in various reports. During the inspections, Wildlife District Five officers contacted 128 sub-permit holders and 25 primary permit holders to check visit records, cages, and the animals being held at the time of inspection. All permit holders who were in routine permit compliance can provide wildlife care for the next year.
