Monday marks the start of Ohio’s traditional deer-gun hunting season and plenty of hunters will take to the forests across Lawrence County and the state.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, not only is deer hunting hugely popular for sports enthusiasts, but deer hunting is still the most effective tool for managing and maintaining a healthy deer population.

As always, knowing the rules and regulations of deer-gun season is paramount in ensuring all hunters remain safe. Here are just a few:

All hunters, in addition to his or her hunting license, must get a deer permit.

During the deer-gun season, deer can be hunted with a shotgun, a muzzleloader .38 caliber or larger, a handgun .357 caliber or larger, specific pistol-cartridge rifles or bows from Monday through Sunday, Dec. 6. Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Knowing the times hunting is allowed is extremely important for everyone’s safety and during these times, the public should remain vigilant around areas where hunters are commonly known to be.

Hunters must also wear a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls that are either solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange.

A hunter may kill no more than two deer in Lawrence County, per the limit outlined by the ODNR. Hunters must also immediately tag deer with a game tag including the hunter’s name, date, time and county of kill. The hunter must complete the game check and tagging process by noon the day after the kill.

As always, it is important for all hunters to follow the rules outlined by the ODNR and anyone who sees poaching is encouraged to contact the agency’s Turn-In-a-Poacher hotline by calling 800-POACHER. Calls can be made 24 hours a day and may be made anonymously.