Hunting, Fishing and Boating

(i) HUNTING LICENSE & RESOURCES:
**Hunting in Ohio is seasonal and regulated to protect wildlife populations, so it is important that you understand the current Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and buy your hunting license and permits. Review the current Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations by downloading the regulations booklet below (in English or Spanish). You will also find all hunting and trapping season dates in the regulations, as well as license and permit information..

(ii) FISHING LICENSE & RESOURCES:
**OHIO FISHING REGULATIONS: You can go fishing year-round, but it's important to be aware of Ohio's fishing regulations. The laws can be different for fishing specific waters and catching certain fish species. Review the current Ohio Fishing Regulations and find a list of license options by downloading the regulations booklet.

(iii) PUBLIC SHOOTING RANGES & BUY PERMITS:
**The MRMA provides public shooting ranges so Ohio's sportsmen and sportswomen have safe places to practice with their hunting implements. Safe shooting environments and knowledgeable range attendants foster an attitude of firearms safety and respect, where shooters can develop the knowledge and skills necessary to practice safe firearms use and take the next step to attend a hunter education class and become a hunter..

Regulatory Permits

(iv) COMMERCIAL WILDLIFE PERMITS:
**AQUACULTURE PERMITS Aquaculture (Class A and B) Permits are issued annually by the ODNR, Division of Wildlife online and through our District and Sandusky Fisheries and Enforcement Unit offices. Please refer to the Aquaculture Law Digest for information on the Aquaculture (Class A and B) permits.
CAPTIVE WHITE-TAILED DEER PROPAGATION "Captive white-tailed deer" means legally acquired deer that are held in private ownership at a facility licensed under ORC 943.03 or 943.031 and under ORC 1533.71 or 1533.721 and OAC 1501:31-19-04.
This license allows you to hold legally acquired deer in captivity and sell the deer and carcasses. This license is not required of persons who possess a Wild Animal Hunting Preserve license. The license is void when you no longer have captive white-tailed deer or if it has been revoked.
All white-tailed deer carcasses sold for food must be properly tagged as provided for in ORC 1533.74.
COMMERCIAL BIRD SHOOTING PRESERVE: A "Commercial Bird Shooting Preserve" is an area of land where game birds are released and hunted by shooting, as authorized by a commercial bird shooting preserve license obtained under ORC 1533.71, 1533.72, 1533.73, 1533.77 and OAC 1501:31-31-02.
Commercial Bird Shooting Preserve Permits are areas, approved by the Division of Wildlife, for year-round hunting of game birds legally acquired or propagated. A hunting license is not required to hunt approved game birds on these areas, other than wild turkeys. The permit has an annual fee of $200. A minimum of 500 game birds must be released on the preserve annually.

(v) OIL & GAS PERMITS:
**BONDING/INSURANCE FOR OIL & GAS WELLS
BONDING Applicants must comply with all bonding requirements to insure the plugging and restoration of a well(s) by submitting one of the following types of bond:
• One well: $5,000
• Two or more wells: $15,000 (blanket bond)
You may choose from one of the following options:
• A surety bond issued by an insurance company licensed to do business in the State of Ohio. (Form 2);
• An official bank or certified check (cash bond);
• A certificate of deposit issued by any bank organized or conducting business in the State of Ohio. The certificate should be issued in the company/individual name and assigned to the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management (see assignment form.) The Division requires both the original certificate of deposit and original assignment; or
• An irrevocable letter of credit issued from an Ohio bank.
INSURANCE All owners of wells, except exempt domestic well owners, must maintain liability insurance coverage of not less than $1 million bodily injury coverage and property damage for wells located in non-urban areas or $3 million bodily injury coverage and property damage for well(s) located in urban areas, or $5 million bodily injury and property damage for owners of horizontal wells. The Division requests proof of insurance at the time of registration.
Proof of insurance must be furnished by submitting an insurance company Certificate of Insurance, and must be resubmitted upon expiration of the certificate.

(vi) MINING INDUSTRY PERMITS:
**COAL AND INDUSTRIAL MINERALS E-PERMITTING The Division of Mineral Resources Management utilizes an electronic processing system (EPS) for submittal of coal and industrial minerals (IM) permit applications.
Coal mining applicants and operators must have an approved Centralized Ownership and Control File to get an account for the Electronic Processing System (EPS). Industrial Minerals mining applicants only need to submit an EPS Account Request.
MINING PROCEDURE DIRECTIVES Procedure directives and guidelines clarifying regulations related to mining in Ohio.
Procedure directives and guidelines are developed and used by the Division of Mineral Resources Management Agency (MRMA) as a means of clarifying regulations related to mining in Ohio. Procedures are developed to interpret how MRMA addresses rule implementation that affects the mining industry. Guidance documents or guidelines are used when guidance is developed by MRMA to explain how industry is to submit application documents to the division, or as a means of describing current criteria or science-related data that is subject to change and interpretation.

(vii) LAKE ERIE COASTAL PERMITS:
**SUBMERGED LANDS LEASE A Submerged Lands Lease is a mechanism by which Ohio authorizes the development or improvement of Lake Erie.
The territory of Lake Erie includes Lake Erie's water, the lands beneath the water, and the resources living in the water, and is held in trust by the state of Ohio for the benefit of its citizens.
A Submerged Lands Lease is required for areas that are occupied by docks, marinas, boat ramps, erosion control structures, water intakes, utility lines, and any other structures or fills that extend beyond the natural shoreline of Lake Erie. Sandusky Bay and Maumee Bay are included in that area.
Leasing submerged lands enables the state to manage Lake Erie, accommodate various private and public uses, and help protect the rights of littoral property owners.
The state, acting as a trustee for all Ohioans, allows public land and natural resources to be used for recreation, public infrastructure, private enterprise, and in the case of Lake Erie, protection of littoral property from flooding and erosion..