OHIO HUNTING Deer-gun season opens Monday

More than 400,000 hunters are expected to be hunting come a half-hour before sunrise on Monday.
COLUMBUS -- Ohio's most popular hunting season begins Monday when more than 400,000 hunters take to the field for the statewide deer-gun season.
"Deer-gun season is definitely Ohio's big week for hunters," said Steven A. Gray, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. "Anticipation and excitement run high for deer hunters, and we're looking to set a new record this season."
The hours
The deer-gun season will be open each day from Monday through Dec. 5, from a half-hour before sunrise to sunset. With a pre-hunting season population estimate of 700,000 white-tailed deer, the Division of Wildlife anticipates a kill of 140,000 to 145,000 deer during the weeklong hunt. Many nonresident hunters choose Ohio as a deer hunting destination for both quality of deer and hunting accessibility. Ohio has more than a million acres of land open to public hunting. In the last 10 years, the ODNR Division of Wildlife has added more than 65,000 acres to this total.
According to the Quality Deer Management Association's Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young Record Book White-tailed Deer: 1991-2000, Ohio ranks fourth nationally in combined Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young entries.
Boone and Crockett scores
During Ohio's 2002-03 deer hunting season, Ohio Boone and Crockett scorers recorded 11 deer racks scoring more than 200 points each. In comparison, Pennsylvania has only five deer in the Boone and Crockett record book scoring over 200 since 1950.
Ohio is divided into three deer hunting zones. A limit of one deer may be taken in Zone A (28 counties). Hunters may take a second deer in Zone B (34 counties) by purchasing an additional deer permit. A total of three deer may be harvested in eastern and southeastern Ohio's Zone C (26 counties). Hunters may purchase up to four urban deer permits to take antlerless deer only within the urban deer zones. Urban deer zones are located around Columbus, Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Toledo, Dayton and Cincinnati.
What else is required
Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season. A deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license.
Additional hunting regulations and maps of the state's deer zones are contained in the "2004-05 Ohio Hunting Regulations." This free publication is available wherever hunting licenses are sold, online at ohiodnr.com or by calling (800) WILDLIFE.
The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Deer hunting contributes an estimated $266 million to Ohio's economy each year and helps to support thousands of jobs.
Venison is a delicious and nutritious meat that's low in fat and cholesterol. It is the No. 1 wild game served by hunters in Ohio.
Deer hunters also contribute thousands of pounds of venison to organizations that help feed less-fortunate Ohio residents through special programs.