COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife invites landowners to enroll their property in the Ohio Landowner-Hunter Access Partnership.
Enrollment in the program, which incentivizes landowners to provide access to hunters, begins June 1 and runs until July 15. Since the program’s launch in 2021, more than 15,000 acres have been enrolled.
Those interested in enrolling their property can visit the Ohio Landowner-Hunter Access Partnership page at wildohio.gov to receive more information. Landowners can receive annual payments ranging from $2 per acre for cropland to $30 per acre for perennial wildlife habitats such as grasslands, wetlands and forests. Enrollment contracts are two years, with the possibility of re-enrollment.
The program is funded, in part, by the federal Farm Bill under the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program. This bill provides funding to state and tribal agencies through a competitive grant process to implement programs encouraging hunting access on private properties.
Enrolled lands can be accessed between September and June by those with a free daily access permit. Permits are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, and reduce overcrowding on huntable lands.
Participating hunters receive a list of rules for the property prior to accessing the land, and landowners receive a notification when hunters will access their property. All hunting activities except white-tailed deer gun hunting are permitted by Ohio Landowner-Hunter Access Partnership users. Permits can be obtained at wildohio.gov or on the free HuntFish OH mobile app.
A recent survey showed that landowners enrolled in Ohio Landowner-Hunter Access Partnership are overwhelmingly satisfied with the program. More than 80% of respondents would recommend enrollment to other Ohio landowners. More than 100 parcels are currently enrolled.
Hunters and landowners can find more information about the program, including answers to frequently asked questions, on the Ohio Landowner Hunter Access Partnership page at wildohio.gov.
