# Hunting Laws



## lil goose (Oct 16, 2009)

Does anyone know if you are hunting on private property are you allowed to shoot off your vehicle or is it illegal? For instance you are parked way out in a hay field standing in the bed of the truck using the roof for a rest legal or not? Thanks Goose


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

I'd recommend you call the ODNR and ask. If you do, please post their reply.


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

I would call DNR to be safe but in the situation you described I wouldn't see why not. At that point the "vehicle" isn't operational and serves the same purpose as any other shooting stick/rest, and they are legal.

Mr. A


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## bassbuster065 (Apr 28, 2010)

No not legal that is considered hunting from a vehicle. Even if you are touching the vehicle with the vehicle turned off.


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## FISNFOOL (May 12, 2009)

It is illegal. Note: A powercraft is a watercraft with a motor.

Ohio Administrative Code » 1501:31 Division of Wildlife
Effective: 07/01/2014

1501:31-15-02 General hunting and trapping provisions.

(B) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt, shoot, shoot at, kill, take or attempt to take any wild bird or wild quadruped from or by means, aid, or use of any aircraft, or any motor-driven conveyance or its attachments. Shooting wild animals, except migratory game birds, is permitted from farm machinery when being used in normal farm operations. It shall be lawful to hunt small game and furbearers, except migratory game birds, mink, muskrat, river otter and beaver from a powercraft if the motor has been completely shut off and the powercraft has come to rest. This rule does not apply to persons who are mobility impaired and who possess a valid electric powered all purpose vehicle permit issued by the division of wildlife for use on a wildlife area, while on a wildlife area.


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## wis2ohio (Jan 20, 2012)

What if you are hunting groundhogs does this still apply?


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Yes, any animal (quadruped) unless a farm vehicle.


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

Your feet must be on the ground. I know people who have gotten tickets for innocent enough mistakes along these same lines.


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

supercanoe said:


> Your feet must be on the ground. I know people who have gotten tickets for innocent enough mistakes along these same lines.


+1 supercanoe!

Per Debbie and the legal department at the Ohio Department of wildlife; 1(800)WILDLIFE:

You cannot hunt from inside the vehicle at all. For trucks, this also includes standing in the bed. 

You are permitted to hunt using the vehicle as a rest. Her statement was as long as your feet are on the ground you are not considered in the vehicle. (So long as you are not shooting through the passenger compartment.) 

So now we know.

Mr. A


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

hey goose
that's a very good question. im no expert but I would say standing inside the bed would not be legal. but I would check with the odnr just to make sure. I personally don't see anything wrong with using your truck for hunting as long as its parked and your not in the cab of the truck.

I was hunting one very cold winter day and found an old car body in the woods and got inside to get out of the weather. I got my deer from inside the old car body. I just figured if the car wasn't in running condition it should be ok. but I could have been wrong.
sherman


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

lil goose said:


> If you have ever seen what the muzzle blast does to a vehicle hood or roof when someone shoots over it you probably would choose not to try it. I would not be suprised if you were standing in the bed of a truck and shot a shotgun or high caliber rifle using the roof as a rest, and shooting forward, that the windshield might blow. Try that one first off of your buddy's truck.
> A lot of powerful crap happens for a pretty large radius and a fair distance out when a big bore gun goes off.


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

You sure as hell can...
1841836]ORC 2923.16 Improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.
you can IF...
(2) Division (A) of this section does not apply to a person if all of the following circumstances apply:

(a) The person discharges a firearm from a motor vehicle at a coyote or groundhog, the discharge is not during the deer gun hunting season as set by the chief of the division of wildlife of the department of natural resources, and the discharge at the coyote or groundhog, but for the operation of this section, is lawful.

(b) The motor vehicle from which the person discharges the firearm is on real property that is located in an unincorporated area of a township and that either is zoned for agriculture or is used for agriculture.

(c) The person owns the real property described in division (F)(2)(b) of this section, is the spouse or a child of another person who owns that real property, is a tenant of another person who owns that real property, or is the spouse or a child of a tenant of another person who owns that real property.

(d) The person does not discharge the firearm in any of the following manners:

(i) While under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse;

(ii) In the direction of a street, highway, or other public or private property used by the public for vehicular traffic or parking;

(iii) At or into an occupied structure that is a permanent or temporary habitation;

(iv) In the commission of any violation of law, including, but not limited to, a felony that includes, as an essential element, purposely or knowingly causing or attempting to cause the death of or physical harm to another and that was committed by discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle.

Sent from my Event using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

Mr. A said:


> +1 supercanoe!
> 
> Per Debbie and the legal department at the Ohio Department of wildlife; 1(800)WILDLIFE:
> 
> ...


Looks like RJohnson442 has the best answer as it is in writing. I don't believe Debbie answered my question wrong because I did not tell her if it was private property or not.

Mr. A


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## FISNFOOL (May 12, 2009)

RJohnson442 said:


> You sure as hell can...
> 1841836]ORC 2923.16 Improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.
> you can IF...
> (2) Division (A) of this section does not apply to a person if all of the following circumstances apply:
> ...


That may have changed. The law you quoted was last Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.190, HB 495, §1, eff.* 3/27/2013*. 


The 2014 hunting law states otherwise. See Ohio Administrative Code » 1501:31 Division of Wildlife
*Effective: 07/01/2014*

1501:31-15-02 General hunting and trapping provisions.

(B) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt, shoot, shoot at, kill, take or attempt to take any wild bird or wild quadruped from or by means, aid, or use of any aircraft, or any motor-driven conveyance or its attachments. Shooting wild animals, except migratory game birds, is permitted from farm machinery when being used in normal farm operations. It shall be lawful to hunt small game and furbearers, except migratory game birds, mink, muskrat, river otter and beaver from a powercraft if the motor has been completely shut off and the powercraft has come to rest. This rule does not apply to persons who are mobility impaired and who possess a valid electric powered all purpose vehicle permit issued by the division of wildlife for use on a wildlife area, while on a wildlife area.

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501%3A31-15


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

Thats the orc for this years 13-14 hunting regs. I pulled that info about a month ago look in my past threads about coyote spotlighting. You stated general hunting rules. 
This is the only legal way to shot from a vehicle. Being EXEMPT if ALL applies to you. 

Sent from my Event using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## FISNFOOL (May 12, 2009)

Thanks RJohnson442,

But I would still be concerned. The section you quoted is a defense to the charge of Improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.

But the section is in conflict with what was stated by the ODNR in post 13 and what an officer told me about the section I quoted when I was checked. I was with the land owner and we were told the section I quoted applies to the both of us. The section I quoted says it applies to ANY PERSON. And that is what the officer told us.

This is what made the difference.
(a) The person discharges a firearm from a motor vehicle at a coyote or groundhog, the discharge is not during the deer gun hunting season as set by the chief of the division of wildlife of the department of natural resources, *and the discharge at the coyote or groundhog, but for the operation of this section, is lawful.*


I'll send an email to the ONDR and post the answer I get back. That way I can print the email.

I'll send both sections in the question.

*UPDATED*

This is the question I sent along with the two sections. 

To [email protected] 
Hello,

There seems to be a conflict in the laws I can find about using a vehicle to hunt. One section states states it can not be done, another section gives an exemption. Can a landowner etc, use a vehicle to hunt as describe in section 1841836]ORC 2923.16 Improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.? Or does, "(a) The person discharges a firearm from a motor vehicle at a coyote or groundhog, the discharge is not during the deer gun hunting season as set by the chief of the division of wildlife of the department of natural resources, *and the discharge at the coyote or groundhog, but for the operation of this section, is lawful.*" mean, 1501:31-15-02 General hunting and trapping provisions, applies to everyone?

Thanks
John


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## FISNFOOL (May 12, 2009)

I received the email response from the ODNR. I would suggest if you hunt from a vehicle, you print this and carry it with you since the officer in my area did not know about it, others may not know too.

*FROM:* [email protected]

*Subject:* RE: Hunting from a vehicle question

Ohio Revised Code &#8220;trumps&#8221; Administrative Code, therefore, a person that meets the requirements spelled out in ORC 2923.16 may shoot groundhogs and coyotes from a vehicle as long as they are in compliance with the restrictions set forth in that section.

WildInfo Law

Ohio Division of Wildlife

1-800-WILDLIFE

www.wildohio.gov 



1841836]ORC 2923.16 Improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.
you can IF...
(2) Division (A) of this section does not apply to a person if all of the following circumstances apply:

(a) The person discharges a firearm from a motor vehicle at a coyote or groundhog, the discharge is not during the deer gun hunting season as set by the chief of the division of wildlife of the department of natural resources, and the discharge at the coyote or groundhog, but for the operation of this section, is lawful.

(b) The motor vehicle from which the person discharges the firearm is on real property that is located in an unincorporated area of a township and that either is zoned for agriculture or is used for agriculture.

(c) The person owns the real property described in division (F)(2)(b) of this section, is the spouse or a child of another person who owns that real property, is a tenant of another person who owns that real property, or is the spouse or a child of a tenant of another person who owns that real property.

(d) The person does not discharge the firearm in any of the following manners:

(i) While under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse;

(ii) In the direction of a street, highway, or other public or private property used by the public for vehicular traffic or parking;

(iii) At or into an occupied structure that is a permanent or temporary habitation;

(iv) In the commission of any violation of law, including, but not limited to, a felony that includes, as an essential element, purposely or knowingly causing or attempting to cause the death of or physical harm to another and that was committed by discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle.


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## lil goose (Oct 16, 2009)

Thanks for all of your help!! I also called the Akron division 3 office and talked to Dan and i asked him "can you use a truck for a rest to shoot ground hogs?" His answer was as long as you are on private property you can us a vehicle for a rest. From what i took from it the key is private property. So that is good enough answer for me. I wasn't going to ask all the different scenerio's possible. So as long as you are not road hunting i don't believe there will be an issue!! Thanks again, Goose!!


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## Ring (Dec 7, 2013)

RJohnson442 said:


> Thats the orc for this years 13-14 hunting regs. I pulled that info about a month ago look in my past threads about coyote spotlighting. You stated general hunting rules.
> This is the only legal way to shot from a vehicle. *Being EXEMPT if ALL applies *to you.
> 
> Sent from my Event using Ohub Campfire mobile app



thats the problem... you have to be the land owner 


hmmmm... if you "lease" the land, are you a land "owner"?


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