Ohio is a great place for hunting and trapping, and the history goes back a long time. The ODNR was founded in 1949 to deal with the declining fish populations in Ohio’s inland lakes and streams. If you want to learn more about the history of Ohio hunting and trapping, keep reading.
White-tailed Deer
Deer in Ohio used to be rare because there were no hunting laws so their populations declined a lot in Ohio. The ODNR started to make laws against hunting them in 1943. A very short, buck only “season” was held. But no one wanted a small buck only, so no one hunted them and their population increased a lot in the next few years. Then other states started to do the same thing.
Waterfowl
In the early 1900s the amount of waterfowl was dwindling a lot and Ohio knew that it wasn’t going to be around for future generations to enjoy. The steps towards better waterfowl management came into place in 1903, and was established by Theodore Roosevelt. He knew that they needed to protect them so they didn’t go extinct.
Small Game
In the past years the enthusiasm for hunting small game and furbearers dwindled because no one wants to hunt them anymore. It used to be a big thing but now it’s not and some people make a living off of it. There are farms that raise them up and let you go out and hunt them. So if you see a farm like them go there and help them out by going and hunting there fields.
