The 2010-11 waterfowl hunting season dates have been approved by the Ohio Wildlife Council and are the most liberal regulations allowed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

The waterfowl hunting seasons are set to open Oct. 16 in both Ohio’s north and south zones. Hunters 15 years of age and younger will have the opportunity to enjoy a special statewide season Oct. 2-3.

The duck hunting season in the North Zone is Oct. 16 through Nov.14, followed by a late portion that opens Nov. 20 through Dec. 19. In the South Zone, duck season is open Oct.16-31, followed by a late portion that opens Dec.11 and runs through Jan. 23, 2011.

The daily bag limit for ducks is six, which may not include more than four mallards (no more than one may be female), three wood ducks, one black duck, two redheads, two scaup, one canvasback, two pintail, and one mottled duck. The daily bag limit for mergansers is five, of which no more than two may be hooded. The daily bag limit for coots is 15. Possession limits after the first day are twice the daily bag limit.

In the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone, the goose season is Oct. 16 through Nov. 14 followed by a second segment that opens Nov. 20 and runs through Jan. 2, 2011. The goose season for the remainder of the North Zone is Oct. 16 through Nov. 28, with a second segment that runs from Dec. 18 through Jan. 16, 2011. In the South Zone, goose season is Oct. 16 through Nov. 7 followed by a second segment that opens Dec. 11 and runs through Jan. 30, 2011.

The daily bag limit for Canada geese is two. Light geese (snows, blues, Ross’) have a daily bag limit of 10, and white-fronted geese and brant have a daily bag limit of one. The possession limit for brant and geese is twice the daily bag limit after the first day.

Licensed falconers may hunt in the north, south and Lake Erie Canada Goose zones whenever these zones are open to waterfowl hunting; in addition properly licensed falconers may hunt ducks and coots statewide from Feb. 5, 2011 through March 4, 2011 and geese from Feb. 5-18, 2011.

People planning to hunt waterfowl are required to answer several questions for the Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey when purchasing their hunting licenses. A state wetland habitat stamp endorsement and a valid and signed federal duck stamp are required when hunting waterfowl, in addition to an Ohio hunting license. The 2010-11 hunting licenses and wetland stamps are on sale now and remain valid through Feb. 28, 2011.

Copies of this season’s waterfowl hunting regulations, which include maps of the zones (Publication 295, Waterfowl Hunting Seasons), will be available online at wildohio.com or by late September to hunters at all license agent outlets.



Deer Hunting 101

It’s a fact; the more you know about deer, the easier you’ll be able to make important decisions as a hunter. And as an educated hunter you’ll be able to better analyze the deer sign you see before you on the ground, or understand what a deer is doing or possibly going to do next, as you observe from afar.

Another important process as an educated hunter will be that you are better able to track and recover a deer after a firearm shot or release of the arrow when you begin thinking like a deer. You can also better understand the “what happened” details when dealing with deer in our forests and fields. Being an educated hunter offers many rewards.

The good news is that now you have options when it comes to learning about deer, and these programs definitely beat the “school of hard knocks.” I know I’ve been going at it for better than 40 years and am still amazed at how little I know. For some hunters, their education is reading magazines, and this approach generally lays a basic knowledge about deer.

Some hunters also take elaborate field notes that are studied to track important dates, moon phases and observations, and other details on deer behavior as they understand it. Other hunters read books, do online research, and attend hunting shows to sit in on seminars from so called experts.

Education and understanding follows several routes and has several degrees of impact. Some estimates are that you retain 20 percent of the information you read, 60 percent of the details you observe, and more than 80 percent of the information that you participate in as a hands-on exercise.

This is the reason high schools and colleges have science labs and mandatory attendance. Your degree of deer education will definitely affect your hunting abilities.



New-age wisdom

Nearly any student in today’s classroom can tell you that books have been replaced by computers as an important source of learning. Some classes that students once had to attend and struggle to sit through are now offered online. In recent times, computers and online education technology have increased greatly in acceptance and use. Hunters have also accepted the computer challenge. If you look deep enough, hunter education courses and some biology classes are now offered online.

There are also educational audio CDs or DVDs that will impart useful deer knowledge to the user. These are not to be confused with hunting DVDs that simply retell the details of broadcast hunting trips. Learning is limited with TV shows that are meant to entertain.

Recently, however, the deer hunting arena has had two educational CDs enter the market. Cyber Deer, by the Quality Deer Management Association, is a new release that permits users to “shoot” deer from selected heights, distances and angles with a bow or firearm on the computer screen. Users can study the shot path and other details.

The real discovery comes as you zoom in and strip away the skin and look at the layers while studying your shot’s impact on the skeleton and organs. This program also cautions the student against low percentage shots. It’s not entertainment; the program is designed to teach adults and children ethical hunting and effective shot placement.

“The program covers ethical shots, and is definitely a good tool for a new hunter to learn about shot placement. The program permits entry of the hunter’s stand height in feet and other details when searching for the fine details of the shot. The CD can be ordered at www.qdma.org.

Whitetails Unlimited also has an educational CD geared toward kids that teaches about wildlife habitat. The “Youth Series CD” additionally covers deer distribution, wildlife wonders and deer talk. This organization offers many other booklets on deer. Visit www.whitetailsunlimited.com for a full overview.

Some call companies offer instructional audio CDs and DVDs that provide details on how to call and hunt deer. You’ll have to read the fine print or ask questions to be certain again that you are not purchasing repackaged TV shows. You can learn and listen, and these audio CDs are great when you take a road trip and want more to do than look out the windshield.



Class is in session

For students of hunting who want to obtain that 80 percent or more “learn-and-retain” rate, you normally must enroll in a class. The good news is that classrooms combining hands-on practice and useful information for hunters are growing.

Among your top options is a series of Deer Steward Certification courses being offered by the QDMA. The first seminar in this series is 2 1/2 days long and covers herd-, habitat- and hunter management and deer monitoring.

The second part in this series provides more on-the-ground experience and students will develop a deer management plan. These classes are held at various locations throughout the US.

There are also demonstration farms that teach about food plots and planting for deer. Some of these also give great insight into hunting tactics around food plots. A leading one is NorthCountry Whitetails (www.northcountrywhitetails.com). You have the option of visiting their demonstration farm and taking classes, or having staff visit your property.

Hunters can also learn via the various seminars held at hunting shows. Several top-rate consumer hunting shows attract informative speakers who can provide “from-the-field” insight into deer behavior and hunting.

Look at the show schedule and ask questions to determine if it’s educational or a pitch to book a hunt with an outfitter. Seminars I’ve been to have covered calling, food plots, habitat management, treestand safety and other important topics. And you’ll get to possibly see some top deer trophies on the surrounding show floor.

And while the standard hunter education courses focus mostly on firearms safety and hunting basics, several states now offer advanced hunter education courses that actually teach hunting tactics, like hanging a treestand, reading deer sign, or following a blood trail.

For young hunters, some states and hunting organizations also offer summer camps that have hunting courses. Ask questions and get answers before enrolling and dropping the bucks, dollars, that is or you could possibly learn more about butterflies and basket weaving than how to turn a deer into dinner.

The more you know, the better you can understand deer and possibly apply that knowledge when you hold a firearm or bow. Deer’s the topic, class is in session, so sit up and pay attention.



Read all you can

When it comes to deer and an education avenue for hunters wanting to learn more, there are many volumes of books about deer and the science of all things deer. If you like to read, among the most detailed books on everything deer is White-tailed Deer, Ecology and Management by the Wildlife Management Institute.

This book can be found in used book stores or on some websites, and expect to pay about $100 for the used book that is by some considered as the bible on deer. This detailed manual covers deer vocalization, restocking efforts, and many more deer details that are used by the country’s game biologists.

Another source for detailed books on deer is the QDMA Web site. You can find more than a dozen titles, and topics covering scoring deer on the hoof to food plots. One particular book, Observing and Evaluating Whitetails, focuses on antlers and gives readers and hunters a full understanding of these fascinating bones.

There are also several management and deer specific organizations that hunters can join to learn. Many of the magazines these groups distribute have pages of deer management and hunting information, but you’ll also have to wade through the advertising and “me and Joe went hunting” stories. A little entertainment always helps to keep education fun!

After you obtain an education about deer, hunting is the test. Putting your tag on a deer after the shot means you have passed the test. Good luck, archery season is only a month away.

Remember, pass it on or it will surely pass on.

Sunderlin is a freelance writer from Geneva. Reach him at djss@roadrunner.com.