Hunting seasons for ring-necked pheasant, cottontail rabbit, and bobwhite quail will open in Ohio on Friday, Nov. 7.

Cottontail rabbit hunting continues through Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. Ring-necked pheasant hunting is open through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015. The pheasant and rabbit seasons are closed during the 2014 statewide deer-gun hunting season, Dec. 1-7.

Bobwhite quail season continues through Sunday, Nov. 30. Quail hunting is open in 16 counties in southern Ohio: Adams, Athens, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Highland, Jackson, Meigs, Montgomery, Pike, Preble, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Warren.

• Rabbits, pheasants, and quail may be hunted from sunrise to sunset. The daily bag limit for all three species is four rabbits, two pheasants (roosters/males only), and four quail.

• Cottontail rabbit hunting restrictions were removed in the snowshoe hare protected area in Geauga and Ashtabula counties. Snowshoe hares are protected as a state-endangered species, and it is illegal to kill them in Ohio. Rabbits and hares look very similar, but hares are generally larger than rabbits with longer legs and ears. Snowshoe hares have a thick white coat in the winter that helps them blend in with the snow. In the spring, they shed their winter coat and grow a thin brown summer coat.

• The ODNR Division of Wildlife releases pheasants in select hunting areas throughout the state. This year releases will take place Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 (prior to small-game youth hunting weekends), Thursday, Nov. 6 (prior to opening day), Friday, Nov. 14, and Wednesday, Nov. 26.

• Additional hunting information is contained in the 2014-2015 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. The regulations are available where hunting licenses are sold, at wildohio.gov or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE (1-800-945-3543).