Ohio high court upholds check of hunters

COLUMBUS -- The Ohio Supreme Court says state wildlife officers don't need to suspect wrongdoing to enter private land and check up on hunters.

Thursday's 7-0 ruling affirmed a lower court's ruling that evidence wasn't improperly gathered in the case of William Coburn of Erie County.

Coburn was on his own private land hunting mourning doves with two guests in 2006 when a state wildlife officer approached to check their hunting licenses. The officer cited all three men for exceeding their bag limit and for violating an anti-baiting provision.

Coburn argued state law requires a wildlife officer to have "good cause" before entering private land. But the high court cited another provision that says officers may do so as part of the enforcement of state fish and game laws.