Ohio’s season dates approved for the fall 2025 hunt

Columbus — The Ohio Wildlife Council approved 2025-2026 hunting and trapping seasons for white-tailed deer, migratory birds, small game, and furbearers during its regularly scheduled meeting on April 30, according to the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Deer hunting seasons

The 2025-26 deer hunting season dates are similar to last year. As in years past, only one antlered deer may be taken during the 2025-26 hunting season. Ohio’s statewide deer seasons:

• Archery: Saturday, Sept. 27 to Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026

• Youth gun: Saturday, Nov. 22 to Sunday, Nov. 23

• Gun: Monday, Dec. 1 to Sunday, Dec. 7; Saturday, Dec. 20 to Sunday, Dec. 21

• Muzzleloader: Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 to Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026

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The Ohio Wildlife Council also voted to increase the antlerless deer limit on public hunting areas from one to two deer, as well as allow deer management permits to be used to hunt or take deer from public hunting areas. Deer management permits are valid statewide for antlerless deer until Sunday, Dec. 21.

The county bag limit decreased to two deer in Defiance and Paulding counties.

The chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance area includes all of Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties; Auglaize, Bath, Jackson, Monroe, Perry, and Richland townships in Allen County; Bucyrus, Dallas, and Tod townships in Crawford County; Marlboro, Troy, and Oxford townships in Delaware County; Delaware and Madison townships in Hancock County; Westfield Township in Morrow County; and Claibourne and Jackson townships in Union County.

Additional deer hunting opportunities in the disease surveillance area:

• Early archery: Saturday, Sept. 13 to Sunday Feb. 1, 2026

• Early gun: Saturday, Oct. 11 to Monday, Oct. 13

The Ohio Wildlife Council also approved hunting and trapping seasons for migratory birds, small game, and furbearers. Find the full list of 2025-26 hunting and trapping season dates at wildohio.gov.

Fall wild turkey hunting is open from Wednesday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 26. The season limit is one wild turkey. Season dates for spring 2026 wild turkey hunting will be announced later this year, according to the Division of Wildlife.

Grouse hunting is open from Friday, Nov. 7 to Sunday, Nov. 30. The daily limit is one grouse.

Ohio Wildlife Council

The Ohio Wildlife Council is an eight-member board that considers all Division of Wildlife proposed rules and regulations. Council meetings are open to the public.

Individuals interested in providing comments are asked to call 614-265-6304 at least two days prior to the meeting to register. All comments are required to be three minutes or less.

The next regularly scheduled council meeting is on July 16 at 6 p.m. at the Division of Wildlife’s District 1 headquarters, 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus.