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So a few weeks ago on during the first week of Ohio gun season, I tagged along with a buddy to walk a piece of public hunting property not far from my house. I had never walked this particular ground but had drove past it and looked at it several times on a topo/arial map...... and thought it could be good. I had zero intentions of shooting a deer (because I has already shot my buck and I don't care to shoot does with the herd low in my area) but took my gun to shoot any coyotes I may see. Our plan was to do still hunt it slowly and in the thicker areas I would push towards him. Again, I had zero intentions of shooting a deer.
Once at the parking lot, my buddy and I got dressed and were just about to start walking away from the truck when I realized I had forgotten my deer tag and hunting license at home, on my truck window visor. I told my buddy I'de forgotten my tags and we debated if it was an actual "written law" that the tag/license must be on your person. I was fairly confident that the law only stated that you must tag a deer before immediately upon finding it and/or before moving it. I also was confident, if push came to shove, I could find a digital copy in email via smartphone because I always screen shot tag/license and email it to myself.
So after some debate, I told my buddy "We'll only be here for a minute.....I'll be alright". I hadn't so much got those words out of my mouth when the ODNR officer pulled his truck in the parking lot. Two officers got out of the truck and one officer walked up to my buddy and I, and asked for tag and license. I told them I didn't physically have it on me and asked if they could look it up electronically. The officer was very polite and said yes but he needed my drivers license. I gave him my drivers license and he called in my info via radio. Soon the dispatcher came back with confirmation that I was valid and then my buddy got checked (he had his paperwork and was also valid). That's when officer number two walked over to me and gave me stern warning that IF I HADNT BEEN STILL STANDING AT THE TRUCK (like actually hunting) he would write me a citation. He said a digital copy on my phone will work for the Ohio hunting license but the deer permit must be carried while hunting. I told him I wouldn't carry a gun then and put it in my truck. He said that was a good idea and bid farewell.
The rest of the day I was kinda salty about the whole ordeal. I was pretty confident a law about carrying your permit didn't exist. I got a book out and skimmed it over. I couldn't find the law anywhere. So I made a small post about my ordeal on a Ohio based hunting forum. It didn't take long for a few guys to find what I didn't and tell me the exact page and paragraph. Page 37 under ELECTRONIC LICENSES
So I looked it up for myself and there it was.....in black and white. Now I would still say that the law is vague and that a law can't be broken until the act of shooting a deer is committed. I mean I owned the tag, it was printed and it's valid....but not needed yet. So I say it's a debatable offense. But the kicker to the story was the picture just below the ELECTRONIC LICENSE paragraph.
Yeah....that's me. Isn't life ironic?
Once at the parking lot, my buddy and I got dressed and were just about to start walking away from the truck when I realized I had forgotten my deer tag and hunting license at home, on my truck window visor. I told my buddy I'de forgotten my tags and we debated if it was an actual "written law" that the tag/license must be on your person. I was fairly confident that the law only stated that you must tag a deer before immediately upon finding it and/or before moving it. I also was confident, if push came to shove, I could find a digital copy in email via smartphone because I always screen shot tag/license and email it to myself.
So after some debate, I told my buddy "We'll only be here for a minute.....I'll be alright". I hadn't so much got those words out of my mouth when the ODNR officer pulled his truck in the parking lot. Two officers got out of the truck and one officer walked up to my buddy and I, and asked for tag and license. I told them I didn't physically have it on me and asked if they could look it up electronically. The officer was very polite and said yes but he needed my drivers license. I gave him my drivers license and he called in my info via radio. Soon the dispatcher came back with confirmation that I was valid and then my buddy got checked (he had his paperwork and was also valid). That's when officer number two walked over to me and gave me stern warning that IF I HADNT BEEN STILL STANDING AT THE TRUCK (like actually hunting) he would write me a citation. He said a digital copy on my phone will work for the Ohio hunting license but the deer permit must be carried while hunting. I told him I wouldn't carry a gun then and put it in my truck. He said that was a good idea and bid farewell.
The rest of the day I was kinda salty about the whole ordeal. I was pretty confident a law about carrying your permit didn't exist. I got a book out and skimmed it over. I couldn't find the law anywhere. So I made a small post about my ordeal on a Ohio based hunting forum. It didn't take long for a few guys to find what I didn't and tell me the exact page and paragraph. Page 37 under ELECTRONIC LICENSES
So I looked it up for myself and there it was.....in black and white. Now I would still say that the law is vague and that a law can't be broken until the act of shooting a deer is committed. I mean I owned the tag, it was printed and it's valid....but not needed yet. So I say it's a debatable offense. But the kicker to the story was the picture just below the ELECTRONIC LICENSE paragraph.
Yeah....that's me. Isn't life ironic?
