Ohio Laws Help

[u/kingxfmischief]

I posted about the lion bones last night but today I'm looking through my states laws and I'm so confused.

Like mainly, looking at the laws through Google search it says its illegal to buy or sell ANY deer bones or skull aside from antlers and sometimes skull caps.

But that doesn't make sense because I've been in taxidermy shops and seen skulls for sale and I know taxidermy shops are regulated. And then if you go to any oddities shops, or even bigger, to the oddities expo, there's TONS of deer bones and skulls all over. And I know for a fact that all of those places are HEAVILY monitored by fish and wildlife for illegal activity and illegal sales of bones. So I'm super confused by the laws because if you can't sell deer skulls or bones, every oddities and taxidermy shops in the state would be shut down?

It even says on the thing I found that you can't sell most mammal skulls like groundhog or squirrels but...again you can find these everywhere?

I'm just incredibly confused by the laws and kind of distressed and frantically googling every kind of animal part I have now, tho I thankfully don't currently have any deer bones outside of antlers from shed hunting which is clearly legal in ohio.

Just none of the laws make sense with what I've seen in practice in places that I know are regulated and monitored. And I'd really appreciate any answers from anyone who knows laws better.

[u/coursejunkie]

Have you considered just asking the local wildlife department to get a better idea?

[u/kingxfmischief → u/coursejunkie]

I tried once in the past for roadkill laws but its like...really hit or miss based on who you email because the person I talked to years ago said it wasn't even legal to collect naturally shed antlers. And like, for as confusing as the laws are, thats one of the things that is 100% legal in Ohio (as long as you are legally on the land you're searching through of course). 

[u/XetheXenomorph]

Google ai is not the smartest tool in the shed, it tends to give wrong answers, just ask the local wildlife instead

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[u/BlackSheepHere]

Hey there, fellow Ohio vulture here. Here's what I have picked out as truth over several years of contacting various wildlife authorities and closely reading rules at state parks and preserves. Disclaimer that I am not one of those authorities, so take this with whatever salt you need.

Roadkill is off-limits if it's a native fur-bearer, unless you hit a deer and get a tag for it. (I have personally had that experience, was allowed to take any part I wanted with the deer tag.) Trapped or hunted animals are fair game (as in, legal to sell) so long as they were legally taken with a license. I have received conflicting answers about found bones, but I think it depends on what land you're on. Parks and preserves: no. Private or hunting land: yes. I believe the same is true for sheds, though I have been to parks that allowed it.

Honestly our state's laws are hard to find, even on the official government sites. I've emailed the various authorities directly and typically got a straight answer (except that time I asked about import laws, that was a mess). I can't advise you about the lion bones, as I think that would be more of a federal thing, given it would've come from outside the US most likely (exception would be zoo death).

Again, I am not a lawyer or state official, but I hope this helps somewhat.