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, 2025, to Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026
Youth gun: Saturday, Nov. 22 to Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025
Gun: Monday, Dec. 1 to Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025; Saturday, Dec. 20 to Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025
Muzzleloader: Saturday, Jan. 3 to Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026
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, 2025.
The county bag limit decreased to two deer in Defiance and Paulding counties.
The Chronic Wasting Disease 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, 2025, to Sunday Feb. 1, 2026
Early gun: Saturday, Oct. 11 to Monday, Oct. 13, 2025
