Dove and squirrel hunting seasons open Sept. 1 statewide, as do several ­— if less popular — waterfowl hunting opportunities followed by early goose and teal becoming fair game Sept. 5.

August 27, 2026 Country Life, Top Headlines

• Let the hunting begin! – Ohio Ag Net | Ohio’s Country Journal 
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By Dan Armitage

For many Ohio hunters, the fall fun is underway. Early September marks the start of Ohio’s 2026-27 hunting seasons, with squirrel and mourning dove opening on Sept. 1. Several waterfowl hunting seasons open on that Tuesday as well, when rail, gallinule (aka moorhen), and snipe become fair game. On Sept. 5, the early goose season and early teal seasons begin, continuing through Sept. 13 statewide.

Of all those, dove hunting is my favorite. Not only is it the first chance to hear my gun go “boom” at live game since spring turkey season, but it’s one of the few hunting experiences where it’s often “the more the merrier” when it comes to keeping the feathered targets on the move and in the air. The other group hunting I enjoy is gun season deer drives. I am first and foremost an archery hunter when it comes to whitetails, which begins Sept. 26, but there’s something about the group effort of a well-organized deer drive that I consider fun as heck.    

Free wing shoots

Speaking of wing shooting, the Seneca County chapter of Pheasants Forever is offering free clay shoots on the Tuesdays of Sept. 1 and Oct. 6. The shooting is open to adults and kids from 5-6 p.m., and shotgun shells in 12 and 20 gauges will be provided. The free shot will be held at the Sandusky River Coon Hunter grounds at 7575 S. Twp Road 135 in Tiffin. Call Don Hunter (!) at 567-278-1551 for details.

David Hannant

Dire update after bird flu detected in fox – Yahoo News Australia

Tue 25 August 2026 at 11:16 pm GMT-7

2 min read

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A suspected case of the deadly new bird flu strain has been detected in another mammal in South Australia – prompting a dire warning from wildlife experts for another iconic Australian animal.

Following the first confirmed case in a seal, authorities in South Australia now suspect that an urban red fox has contracted H5N1 bird flu.

Found in Adelaide, the fox is one of five new suspected cases reported in SA today, although the other four were all in bird species.

Samples from each of the animals are now being sent to the national testing facility in Geelong for confirmation.

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The other samples were taking from an Australian raven in Robe, a little penguin in Southend, a pacific gull on Kangaroo Island and a crested tern at Coonalpyn.

However, it is the fox which has caused the most concern, with wildlife experts warning it poses a stern risk to other scavenging animals.

Rob Brewster, rewilding manager at the Invasive Species Council, warned this could mean Tasmanian devils may also find themselves in the line of fire.

“Finding bird flu in a fox is a serious warning about what this virus could mean for Australia’s scavenging animals,” he said.

“Quolls and Tasmanian devils will all scavenge dead wildlife, potentially putting them directly in the path of this virus as bird deaths increase.

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“The problem on mainland Australia is we don’t have many native scavengers left.”

He warned that foxes and feral cats were likely to become “superspreaders”, calling for their numbers to be controlled.

“We cannot stop H5 bird flu moving through wild populations, but governments can control many of the other pressures wildlife is facing,” he added.

The warnings come as bird flu continues to spread across Australia, now affecting several native birds as well as migratory ones.

There has been more than 300 “infection events” recorded nationwide, with South Australia having the most confirmed, with 195.

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It also comes after the SA government announced a vaccine program was being rolled out in the state, beginning at Cleland Wildlife Park, around 18km east of Adelaide.

Announced on Tuesday, the scheme will see around 100 native birds at the attraction vaccinated – including magpie geese, Australian pelicans and red-tailed black cockatoos.

“Protecting South Australia’s unique wildlife is a priority and this vaccination program is an important step in safeguarding vulnerable native bird species from the threat of H5 bird flu,” primary industries and regional development minister Clare Scriven said.