(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 that the limited hunting of white-tailed deer by crossbow or long bow may be permitted within the City under the following terms and conditions:
(1) The Police Chief or his designated representative may, in his sole discretion, issue a municipal deer control permit to a qualified archer applicant (engaged to assist property owners aggrieved by deer damage);
(2) Only after the issuance by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources of its own deer damage control permit or license to allow bow-hunting (long bow and crossbow) of white-tailed deer;
(3) Qualified archers may hunt in areas of not less than three contiguous acres subject to such rules and regulations as the Chief may prescribe only after written permission is obtained from the property owners;
(4) “Qualified archer” shall be defined as an individual having obtained an approval/certification from approved archery proficiency test site, valid Ohio hunting license, if applicable, and all other state requirements and paid all relevant fees for permits including municipal deer control permit fee under PCO 185.031;
(5) Hunting shall be conducted from an elevated platform only;
(6) Qualified archers shall be in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations of the City and state;
(7) All applicants shall agree, in writing, to defend and indemnify the City for any negligent acts committed by the applicant;
(8) The Chief of Police is hereby authorized to promulgate any additional rules, regulations and requirements as deemed necessary to preserve and protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents.
(b) The City may utilize firearms-trained personnel to cull white-tailed deer upon property owned or managed by the City or upon private property with permission, provided that:
(1) The Chief of Police or his designee has determined that such culling can be safely conducted on such property; and
(2) Such personnel are employed by or associated with a federal agency, state agency or local law enforcement agency; and
(3) Such culling has been approved by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
(c) Trapping. The trapping of animals or birds within the municipality is prohibited by all persons except the animal control officer or wildlife removal and control service that resident's privately contract, providing that the wildlife removal and control service shall only use humane methods/traps, where possible, that are not dangerous to the life or limb of animals to be trapped, or any persons who have any possibility of coming into contact with such traps. Any use of firearms is strictly prohibited. Wildlife removal and control services must keep current records on animals destroyed and are required to produce said records on demand by any Police Officer, Humane Agent, or animal control officer. A person holding a nuisance trapping permit issued by the Division of Wildlife of the State of Ohio shall:
(1) Notify the animal control officer or the Police Department of his name, the location and time of placement of each trap placed in the municipality prior to setting such trap;
(2) Use a box trap or a trap approved by the Division of Wildlife of the State of Ohio;
(3) Release such animal outside the City limit within 24 hours of trapping or in accordance with the State of Ohio, Division of Wildlife regulations.
(d) Poisoning. No poisoned meat or any poisonous substance shall be cast into any of the streets, public places, lots or buildings in the City for the purpose of harming, destroying or killing animals. Nuisance rodent traps are excluded.
(e) No person shall, for the purpose of hindering or preventing the lawful culling of white- tailed deer pursuant to divisions (a) and (b) hereof, knowingly engage in any of the following conduct:
(1) Block, obstruct, impede, or attempt to block, obstruct, or impede a person lawfully engaged in such culling;
(2) Erect a barrier with the intent to deny ingress or egress from the areas where such culling is lawfully being conducted;
(3) Make or attempt to make unauthorized physical contact with or in any way interfere with a person lawfully engaged in such culling; or
(4) Make or attempt to make loud noises or gestures, set out or attempt to set out or attempt to set out animal baits, scents, lures, or human scent, use any other natural or artificial visual, aural, olfactory, or physical stimuli, or engage in or attempt to engage in any other similar action or activity in order to interfere with such culling.
(f) The prohibition set forth in division (a) hereof shall not apply to deer culling population management programs sponsored by and conducted by the City of Parma on land owned or managed by the City of Parma or the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District or upon private property with permission.
(g) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the killing of rats and other undesirable rodents authorized to be killed by the Chief of Police using means for such killing which are also authorized by the Chief.
(h) Whoever violates division (a) or (c) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 698.02. Whoever violates division (d), (e) or (f) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree. If the offender has been previously convicted of violating this section, any subsequent violation of division (d), (e) or (f) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(Ord. 45-06. Passed 11-20-06; Ord. 73-16. Passed 6-20-16; Ord. 112-18. Passed 7-2-18; Ord. 125-23. Passed 10-2-23.)