With Christmas just a day away, hunters can plan one final trip into the woods with their guns – muzzleloading guns that is.

Saturday, December 23, 2000

With Christmas just a day away, hunters can plan one final trip into the woods with their guns – muzzleloading guns that is.

The four-day blackpowder deer season, as it’s better known, will open Wednesday and remain open through sunset Dec. 30, said Bryan James, local wildlife officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

"Hunters who still have not harvested two deer this year can take advantage of muzzleloading season," James said. "Hunters are allowed to harvest a buck and a doe or two does. So if they haven’t bagged their limit, this may be their chance."

The increase in numbers of deer has prompted the doubling of this year’s bag limit, he added.

ODNR officials estimated Ohio’s deer population had grown to 475,000 prior to hunting season.

Last year, hunters harvested 12,334 deer during the blackpowder season.

"The weather plays an important role in the success hunters have during muzzleloading season," James said.

Division of Wildlife officials said they are estimating more than 125,000 hunters will hunt deer during muzzleloading season.

"They can use a .38 caliber or larger," James said. "They can also use a muzzleloading shotgun of .410- through 10-guage and they can only use one barrel if it’s a double barrel."

Hunters can also use a longbow or crossbow during blackpowder season, he added.

"They need to keep in mind they still have to wear the hunter orange," he said. "They must be visibly wearing a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls that are either solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange."

A hunter orange cap or hat alone no longer satisifies Ohio’s legal requirements, he added.

Legal hunting hours will remain one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, James said.

"Deer must be checked in by 8 p.m. of the day after harvest," he said."Deer taken on the last day must be checked in at a deer station by 8 p.m."