Ohio bill would let parents and grandchildren hunt on family land without certain permits, sponsors say

Representatives Islington and Kevin Miller urged the House Natural Resources Committee to support House Bill 201, describing it as a narrow change to extend existing landowner hunting privileges.

"It is legislation that expands hunting benefits for landowners in Ohio," a sponsor testified, saying the bill would allow parents of resident landowners to continue hunting and trapping on that land after transferring title to their children without buying owner permits. The sponsors also said the measure would waive annual deer, turkey and fur-taker permit requirements for resident grandchildren under 18.

Supporters told the committee the change corrects an oddity in current law that can penalize older landowners who transfer property to relatives. "This bill seeks to rectify this by allowing for these parents of landowners to continue hunting and trapping on the land without obtaining owner's permits upon transferring their property to their children," one sponsor said.

On fiscal effects, sponsors noted the enacted operating budget raised nonresident hunting and fishing license fees. "It is expected to bring in an additional revenue of $7,400,000 annually for ODNR," they said, and argued that increase would more than offset any license or permit sales lost under HB201.

Committee members asked whether removing permit requirements would reduce harvest reporting. Representative Heiner pressed whether ODNR would still be able to track deer taken on private land; sponsors and staff confirmed that hunters would still need to check deer, so harvest data and reporting would remain in place.

The committee took testimony and asked questions; no final vote occurred during this first hearing. The bill will proceed through the committee process for further consideration and any amendments.