(a) As used in this section, "hunting" means pursuing, shooting, killing, following after or on the trail of, lying in wait for, shooting at or wounding wild birds or wild quadrupeds while employing any device commonly used to kill or wound wild birds or wild quadrupeds whether such acts result in such killing or wounding or not. It includes every attempt to kill or wound and every act of assistance to any other person in killing or wounding or attempting to kill or wound wild birds or wild quadrupeds.
(b) No person, except those exempted under the pertinent provisions of the Ohio Revised Code, shall hunt without a license issued by the Division of Wildlife, State of Ohio, in force at the time.
(c) No person shall act in a negligent, careless or reckless manner so as to injure persons or property in the act of hunting, pursuing, taking or killing of game or birds.
(d) No person shall hunt within 200 yards of a lawn, park, pleasure ground, orchard or other ground appurtenant to a schoolhouse, church, factory, shop, institution or dwelling, the property of another, that is not registered land, and no person shall hunt within 200 yard of a public or private roadway.
(e) Subject to the foregoing restrictions, hunting, during the hunting seasons as defined by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, shall be permitted in the following areas of the City only, south of the Norfolk Southern (Old Conrail - Southern most Norfolk Southern tracks) railroad tracks; east of Highbridge Road and continuing due south to the City limits and subject to the following limitations:
(1) Hunting in this area is confined to “Registered Land”. Registered Land means a site consisting of a minimum acreage sufficient to comply with Section 618.12(d), and such property is registered by the owner or lessee, with the Chief of Police.
A. Owners or lessees of parcels of land who desire their land to be registered land for purposes of this section shall, on an annual basis during the month of August, register such land with the Chief of Police.
B. No owner or lessee of a parcel of land that is not registered land shall permit hunting upon same.
(2) No person shall hunt, pursue or kill any game animal or game bird without having first obtained written permission from the owner or lessee of the registered land where such act takes place. Such written permission must be in possession of the hunter at all times and produced upon request of a police officer or game warden. No person shall hunt upon land that is not registered land within the context of this section.
(3) No person shall hunt with any firearm other than a shotgun within the City.
Bow hunting shall be permitted in the Lorain County section of the City south of Route 6. All the requirements of Section 618.12(e) shall apply with the exception of the following provisions. The minimum distance for bow hunting is reduced to 100 yards. The minimum acreage required for property registration is 8.26 acres.
(f) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit a property owner from hunting or trapping rodents, predatory animals or destructive animals on the owner's property in any part of the City.
(g) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 698.02.
(Ord. 2003-69. Passed 12-15-03.)