Concerns raised over duck hunters along Ohio River

Libby Cunningham, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Dec. 7—JEFFERSONVILLE — Duck hunters spotted along the Ohio River in Jeffersonville are raising questions among residents.

Michael Chesser spoke during the public comment portion of Monday's Jeffersonville City Council meeting.

He said he noticed the duck hunters in the water, at the end of Spring Street, over the weekend. He said that he heard gunshots in the area, as well.

"As I was finishing a walk with the dogs, I noticed a gentleman was rowing a kayak back to what looked like straw or debris on the Ohio River," he said to the council at Monday's meeting. "And as he got back, he got out of that kayak and began handing ducks to another person, behind a duck blind on a boat."

He said he supports hunters, but feels this a public safety issue since it's so close to the walking bridge and businesses in downtown Jeffersonville.

Bronson Abrams, a conservation officer with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, told the News and Tribune hunters are allowed to hunt ducks on the Ohio River, as long as it's duck hunting season.

In Indiana, Clark and Floyd counties fall into the southern zone of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, migratory game map. The season runs from Nov. 26 until Jan. 22, 2023.

People are required to have a hunting license to participate.

He said Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, along with the IDNR, both have jurisdiction over the Ohio River.

"The one thing I would say, is that no matter what you're shooting at or if you're a hunter you're responsible for where your shot goes," Abrams said. "Being on the river, you're allowed to hunt as long as it's in season."

Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Jim Shreck echoed Abrams' sentiments and said usually Kentucky and Indiana's duck hunting seasons coincide.

As soon as a hunter enters smaller Indiana waters, they will need an Indiana hunting license, he said. People with Kentucky and Indiana hunting licenses are able to hunt water fowl on the Ohio River, as long as it's in season.

"If you want to go into Indiana, up the creeks of an embankment, you would need an Indiana license," Schreck said.

Council members heard the resident's comments at the meeting and thanked him for bringing his safety concerns to their attention.

Council members asked the city's attorney to look into the rules around duck hunting on the Ohio River.