Central Ohio – Wildlife District One
State Wildlife Officer Matt Teders, assigned to Madison County, observed three individuals fishing with a cast net at Madison Lake State Park. Officer Teders contacted the group to check fishing licenses and ensure compliance with bag limits. The individuals had a largemouth bass shorter than the minimum length requirement in their bucket and were using a cast net larger than the maximum size of 10 feet in diameter. The subject who caught the game fish was issued a citation for the unlawful method of take. The angler paid $150 in fine and court costs.
State Wildlife Officer Adam Smith, assigned to Logan County, responded to a call of three dead white-tailed deer in a ditch along the road. Officer Smith determined that all three deer were electrocuted after a power line from a recent storm fell close to the ground.
Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two
State Wildlife Investigator Kevin Good attended a Heroes event at Bellevue Elementary. The event featured local law enforcement officers and emergency medical service providers. Investigator Good shared information about his job and had many positive interactions with students. The students were very grateful and enjoyed learning about wildlife conservation.
Northeast Ohio – Wildlife District Three
On National Hunting and Fishing Day in September, the Leetonia Sportsman Club celebrated the 50th anniversary of Leetonia Kids Day, attracting approximately 600 youth and families. State Wildlife Officers Jesse Janosik, Thomas Frank, and Marino Pelligrini, assigned to Columbiana, Mahoning, and Portage counties, respectively; K-9 Officer Moose; State Wildlife Officer Supervisors Eric Bear and Jeremy Carter; and Communications Specialist Monika Bowman added to the day’s celebration with wildlife information, identification activities, and K-9 demonstrations. The Wild Ohio Harvest Mobile Kitchen served samples of white-tailed deer and walleye, inviting people to expand their palettes and taste what Wild Ohio has to offer.
In August 2025, State Wildlife Investigator Matthew Fisher, assigned to Lake Erie, contacted an angler at the Conneaut Boat Club in Ashtabula County. A count of the individual’s harvested fish by Investigator Fisher revealed the individual was one over the daily bag limit of six walleye. The subject was issued a summons to Conneaut Municipal Court for possessing more than the legal bag limit of walleye and paid a waiver for $125 in addition to court costs.
Southeast Ohio – Wildlife District Four
State Wildlife Officers Ted Witham, assigned to Jackson County, Tyler Fields, assigned to Scioto County, and Levi Boggs, assigned to Gallia County, worked at the 2025 Bob Evans Farm Festival in Gallia County. Approximately 3,000 people stopped by the officers’ booth to test their knowledge on Ohio native furbearing animals. On one of the show’s days, 49 buses of kids from Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky flooded the original Bob Evans Farm and learned about furs.
Southwest Ohio – Wildlife District Five
While conducting compliance checks on opening morning of the dove hunting season, State Wildlife Officers Brady Stevens, assigned to Darke County, and Logan Ambrister, assigned to Shelby County, received information that a hunter shot a killdeer, a protected bird species. The officers discovered the killdeer hidden in the bushes near the suspect. The unlawfully taken bird was seized as evidence and the suspect was issued a summons for taking or possessing a nongame bird. The individual was found guilty in Darke County Municipal Court and ordered to pay $349 in fines and court costs.
State Wildlife Officer Alex Almeter, assigned to Greene County, and Wildlife Officer Supervisor Dave Warner attended an in-person hunter education course. The course was sponsored by the Greene County Fish and Game Association, and 38 attendees completed it. Hunter and trapper education programs are designed for every age and ability and are run by some of Ohio’s best and most knowledgeable hunters and trappers. Find a course near you at wildohio.gov.
