OHIO

OHIO
Fish Ohio date changes
The Ohio Wildlife Council voted to move Ohio's free fishing days from the first Saturday and Sunday in June to the first Saturday and Sunday in May, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Next year's free fishing days will be May 3 and 4, 2003.
The council also passed two other rules of note. The first rule prohibits anglers from selling fish they catch from any waterway in the state where an Ohio fishing license is required. The second rule bans the possession, import or live sale of snakehead fish in Ohio.
Snakehead fish are native to Asia and Africa and received national attention due to a population of northern snakeheads in Maryland. Voracious predators, they have the potential to disrupt sensitive fishery ecosystems. Snakeheads can survive out of water for several days.
PYMATUNING
Horsepower meetingplanned for Nov. 21
Ohio and Pennsylvania will hold a public meeting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 21 at Pymatuning Valley Primary School, 191 W. Main St. (Route 6) in Andover, Ohio, to gather comments regarding a proposed increase in horsepower limits on Pymatuning Lake in Ashtabula County.
Portions of the lake lie in both states. Currently, an agreement between the two states prohibits the use of boat motors larger than 10 horsepower. Officials from both states are considering increasing that limit to 15, 18, or 25 horsepower, which would allow boats to move off the 14,000-acre lake more quickly in adverse weather conditions, officials say.
Both Ohio and Pennsylvania are requesting public comments on the proposed horsepower increase. Persons wishing to express their views either for or against the change are invited to attend the meeting or submit written comments to: Pymatuning State Park, Attn: Horsepower Limits, P.O. Box 1000, Andover, Ohio 44003-1000 . Or, they can email comments to ohiostateparks@dnr.state.oh.us .
Persons seeking additional information should call Phil Vichosky at Pymatuning State Park, (440) 293-6030.
PENNSYLVANIA
EHD confirmed in deer
Pennsylvania Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management Director Calvin DuBrock today announced that test results from one deer found dead in Franklin Township, Greene County, proved that its death was caused by epizootic hemorrhagic disease. This marks the first time the disease has been confirmed in Pennsylvania.
EHD also was confirmed earlier this year in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. "Hunters need to know that, according to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, EHD cannot be contracted by humans," DuBrock said.
EHD is a common disease in white-tailed deer populations of the United States, and is contracted by the bite of insects called "biting midges." In northern states, EHD usually kills the animal within five to 10 days, but is not spread from deer to deer by contact. While EHD is not infectious to humans, deer displaying severe symptoms of EHD may not be suitable for consumption.
Residents are urged to continue to report unusual deer sightings by calling the region's toll-free number (877 877-7137).
Licenses remaining
The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced that, based on a survey of county treasurers, 24,489 antlerless deer licenses remain in the following seven counties: Allegheny (11,000); Bucks (4,243); Chester (500); Delaware (3,486); Montgomery (3,700); Philadelphia (293); and Washington (1,267).
All other counties have exhausted their antlerless license allocations. Beginning Monday, hunters may apply over-the-counter for unsold antlerless licenses in those counties with remaining allocations.
Stocking on schedulefor trout program
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock 20 lakes in 15 counties across the state with 23,900 adult trout as part of the 2002 Winter Trout Stocking Program.
The stockings will begin the week of November 4 and continue into December. A total of 14,640 rainbow trout account for the largest percentage of the winter-stocked trout. Rounding out the program are 5,160 brook trout and 4,100 brown trout.
Extended trout season rules apply: anglers are permitted to keep up to three trout (combined species) of seven inches or greater daily. Anglers can get the latest updates on winter stockings from the Commission's web site at www.fish.state.pa.us