The City of Newark Urban Deer Hunting Program was approved by Newark City Council in 2009. The program was designed and implemented for the 2010 hunting season and has been in operation since that time. The goal of the program is to reduce vehicular crashes, property damage and limit interactions with deer and the citizens within the City Limits of Newark. The Urban Deer Hunting Program is designed to be used a management tool and not a trophy hunting program. Hunters must harvest one doe within the city limits before they may be granted authorization to harvest a buck. By targeting and reducing the doe population, future deer numbers within the city should decline exponentially as a result.
To participate and hunt within the city limits of Newark, all hunters, and the property they wish to hunt, must meet specific requirements and be approved by the Division of Police in advance of any hunting activity. Hunting within the city is limited to the bow hunting of deer only and under strict regulations approved by the Director of Public Safety. Hunters wishing to participate in the program must possess a valid State of Ohio hunting license as well as one valid deer permit before seeking approval to hunt. Hunters must pass an archery proficiency test with the equipment they plan to use.
The City of Newark Deer Hunting Program follows the state archery season which is: September 28th, 2024 through February 2nd, 2025.
Hunters who wish to participate in the lottery or assigned a property to hunt that is owned or controlled by the City of Newark must have their applications and proficiency test completed and turned into the Division of Police by 5:00pm on September 13th, 2024 for consideration. Descriptions of the 5 available hunting zones are located in the Hunter Application Packet and maps are available below.
The annual hunters meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 18th, 2024 at 6:00pm at the Newark Division of Police, 39 South 4th Street, Newark, Ohio 43055.
PDF Property Owner Application Packet
PDF Hunter Application Packet and Regulations
PDF Zones 1 and 2
PDF Zones 3 and 4
PDF Zone 5
PDF Zone 6