Regional news

Field reports from Ohio Division of Wildlife Officers

Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two
In June 2023, State Wildlife Officer Jason Warren, assigned to Lake Erie, and State Wildlife Officer Mark Williams, assigned to Franklin County, contacted three anglers aboard a boat in Vermilion Harbor along Lake Erie. All three subjects had Pennsylvania fishing licenses, but none had a valid Ohio fishing license. The officers seized 18 walleye from the boat and issued a citation to each subject for fishing without a license. The anglers paid a combined $420 in fines and court costs in Vermilion Municipal Court.

State Wildlife Officer Austin Dickinson, assigned to Defiance County, responded to a call of a river otter that had inadvertently been captured in a trap. Officer Dickinson removed the river otter from the trap and evaluated it for injuries. Finding no injuries, he released the river otter without incident into suitable habitat.

Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two
In the spring of 2023, State Wildlife Officer Ryan Burke, assigned to Hancock County, received a complaint of an individual shooting and killing two turkey vultures.

Officer Burke located the suspect, who was found to have killed the vultures with a rifle from inside a vehicle. The individual pleaded guilty in Findlay Municipal Court and was ordered to pay $800 in fines and court costs, serve one year on probation, and complete community service. The rifle was forfeited to the Ohio Division of Wildlife.