§ 32.54 Ohio.
The following refuge units are open for hunting and/or fishing as governed by applicable Federal and State regulations, and are listed in alphabetical order with additional refuge-specific regulations.
(a) Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge—(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of migratory game bird species authorized by the State on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Hunters may enter the refuge no earlier than 1 1/2 hours before legal sunrise or state designated shooting time and must leave the refuge no later than 1 hour after legal sunset or state designated shooting time, unless otherwise stated in a permit.
(ii) We allow the use of dogs when hunting, provided the dog is under the immediate control of the hunter at all times.
(iii) We allow only nonmotorized boats in areas open to waterfowl hunting during the waterfowl hunting seasons, except that we also allow motorized boats in Lake Erie portions of the refuge, including Potters Pond.
(iv) We prohibit hunting or shooting within 150 feet (45.7 meters) of any structure, building, or parking lot.
(v) You must remove all personal property, including but not limited to boats, decoys, blinds, blind materials, stands, and platforms, brought onto the refuge at the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(vi) We prohibit the use of electronic or photographic trail monitoring devices such as game cameras.
(vii) Hunters must possess and meet all conditions of a Hunt Application/Permit (FWS Form 3-2439) or State-issued permit for all special permit hunt units.
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of upland game species authorized by the State on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) The conditions set forth at paragraphs (a)(1) (i), (ii), and (iv) through (vii) of this section apply.
(ii) We prohibit the use of buckshot for any hunting on the refuge.
(iii) We prohibit night hunting of upland game from 30 minutes after legal sunset until 30 minutes before legal sunrise the following day.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow white-tailed deer and turkey hunting on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) The conditions set forth at paragraphs (a)(1) (i), (ii), and (iv) through (vii) of this section apply, except that we allow one portable deer stand or ground blind per hunter per unit per season. We allow placement of tree stands and ground blinds after September 1 and require hunters to remove tree stands and ground blinds by the last day in February of each year (see § 27.93 of this chapter). We require deer stands and ground blinds to be labeled with the hunter's Ohio customer identification number.
(ii) You may use or possess only approved nontoxic shot shells while in the field for hunting wild turkey (see § 32.2(k)).
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow fishing from legal sunrise to legal sunset.
(ii) We prohibit the taking of turtle, frog, leech, minnow, crayfish, and mussel (clam) species by any method on the refuge (see § 27.21 of this chapter).
(iii) You must remove all boats, ice fishing structures, devices, and personal property from the refuge each day (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(b) Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge—(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of migratory game bird species authorized by the State on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Hunters may enter the refuge no earlier than 1 1/2 hours before legal sunrise or state-designated shooting time and must leave the refuge no later than 1 hour after legal sunset or state-designated shooting time, unless otherwise stated in a permit.
(ii) We allow the use of dogs when hunting, provided the dog is under the immediate control of the hunter at all times.
(iii) We allow only nonmotorized boats in areas open to waterfowl hunting during the waterfowl hunting seasons, except that we also allow motorized boats in Metzger Marsh.
(iv) We prohibit hunting or shooting within 150 feet (45.7 meters) of any structure, building, or parking lot.
(v) You must remove all personal property, including but not limited to boats, decoys, blinds, blind materials, stands, and platforms, brought onto the refuge at the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(vi) We prohibit the use of electronic or photographic trail monitoring devices such as game cameras.
(vii) Hunters must possess and meet all conditions of a Hunt Application/Permit (FWS Form 3-2439) or State-issued permit for all special permit hunt units.
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of upland game species authorized by the State on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) The conditions set forth at paragraphs (b)(1)(i), (ii), and (iv) through (vii) of this section apply.
(ii) We prohibit the use of buckshot for any hunting on the refuge.
(iii) We prohibit night hunting of upland game from 30 minutes after legal sunset until 30 minutes before legal sunrise the following day.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow hunting of white-tailed deer and turkey on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) The conditions set forth at paragraphs (b)(1)(i), (ii), and (iv) through (vii) of this section apply, except that we allow one portable deer stand or ground blind per hunter per unit per season. We allow placement of tree stands and ground blinds after September 1 and require hunters to remove tree stands and ground blinds by the last day in February of each year (see § 27.93 of this chapter). We require deer stands and ground blinds to be labeled with the hunter's Ohio customer identification number.
(ii) You may use or possess only approved nontoxic shot shells while in the field for hunting turkey (see § 32.2(k)).
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow fishing from legal sunrise to legal sunset, with the exception of the Metzger Marsh Unit which is open to fishing 24 hours per day.
(ii) We prohibit the taking of any turtle, frog, leech, minnow, crayfish, and mussel (clam) species by any method on the refuge (see § 27.21 of this chapter), with the exception of the Metzger Marsh Unit where only the take of turtles is prohibited.
(iii) The condition set forth at paragraph (b)(1)(v) of this section applies.
(iv) On the Visitor Center Pond we require individuals to abide by catch and release methods and prohibit ice fishing.
[84 FR 47675, Sept. 10, 2019, as amended at 85 FR 54137, Aug. 31, 2020; 91 FR 56355, Sept. 1, 2026]