(A) The hunting of animals or fowl within the municipality is prohibited. No person shall hunt, kill or attempt to kill any animal or fowl by the use of firearms or any other means, except as follows:
(1) The limited hunting of white-tailed deer by crossbow or long bow may be permitted within the city under the following terms and conditions:
(a) The Mayor or his designated representative may, in his sole discretion, issue a Municipal Deer Control Permit to a qualified archer applicant as a corollary to and following the issuance by the ODNR of its own Deer Damage Control Permit to allow only bow-hunting (long bow and crossbow) of white-tailed deer;
(b) The permit is limited to areas of not less than five contiguous acres by state-licensed hunters proficient in the use of bow and arrow, on such forms and subject to such rules and regulations as the Mayor or his designated representative may prescribe;
(c) Hunting shall be conducted from an elevated platform only;
(d) Written permission from the property owner(s) has been obtained;
(e) Qualified archer shall be defined as an individual having obtained an approval/certification from an approved archery proficiency test site, a valid Ohio hunting license, if applicable, and all other state requirements;
(f) Compliance with all laws, rules and regulations of the city and state is required;
(g) All applicants shall agree, in writing, to defend and indemnify the city for any negligent acts committed by the applicant;
(h) Any other requirements as deemed necessary to preserve and protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents as determined solely by the Mayor or his designated representative;
(i) The Mayor or his designated representative is hereby authorized to promulgate any and all rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provision of this section and all other rules and regulations necessary to insure public health and safety;
(j) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the killing of rats and other undesirable rodents authorized to be killed by the Mayor or his designated representative using means for such killing which are also authorized by the Mayor or his designated representative.
(B) Whoever violates any provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree and shall be subject to the penalty provided in § 202.99.
(Ord. 23-15, passed 12-7-2015; Ord. 32-16, passed 6-6-2016)