Ohio Deer Season 2026-27: Gun, Archery and Muzzleloader Dates
Ohio deer, Oct. 26, 2026
Open now
Archery (disease surveillance area)
Archery
Next to open
Nov. 21
Deer season dates
| Season | Zone | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery (disease surveillance area) | Disease surveillance area | Sept. 12, 2026 to Feb. 7, 2027 | Open now |
| Archery | Statewide | Sept. 26, 2026 to Feb. 7, 2027 | Open now |
| Early Gun (disease surveillance area) | Disease surveillance area | Oct. 10, 2026 to Oct. 12, 2026 | Closed |
| Youth Gun | Statewide | Nov. 21, 2026 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Opens in 26 days |
| Gun | Statewide | Nov. 30, 2026 to Dec. 6, 2026 | Opens in 35 days |
| Bonus Gun | Statewide | Dec. 19, 2026 to Dec. 20, 2026 | Opens in 54 days |
| Muzzleloader | Statewide | Jan. 2, 2027 to Jan. 5, 2027 | Opens in 68 days |
Gun season and bonus weekend
The deer gun season runs seven days, Nov. 30, 2026 to Dec. 6, 2026, starting the Monday after Thanksgiving. A two-day bonus gun season for all hunters follows on Dec. 19, 2026 to Dec. 20, 2026. The youth gun season comes first, on the weekend of Nov. 21, 2026 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Legal firearms for deer
During the gun and youth gun seasons:
- Shotguns 10 gauge or smaller, firing one ball or one rifled slug per barrel. Rifled shotgun barrels are allowed with slugs.
- Straight-walled cartridge rifles from .357 to .50 caliber.
- Handguns with a barrel of at least 5 inches, firing straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger.
- Muzzleloading rifles .38 caliber or larger and muzzleloading shotguns 10 gauge or smaller.
- Shotguns and straight-walled rifles may hold no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined.
During the muzzleloader season, only muzzleloading rifles .38 caliber or larger and muzzleloading shotguns 10 gauge or smaller firing one ball are allowed. For archery, longbows need a draw weight of at least 40 pounds and crossbows at least 75 pounds, with broadheads at least 3/4 inch wide.
Ohio limits deer rifles to straight-wall cartridges statewide. See the rules for every state on the straight-wall cartridge states page.
County bag limits
- One antlered deer statewide, regardless of where or how it is taken.
- Defiance, Paulding and Warren counties: three deer. These limits were increased for 2026-27.
- Athens, Meigs and Washington counties: two deer, no more than one antlerless, following the 2025 epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) outbreak.
- Disease surveillance area: a season limit of six deer.
- Limits for the remaining counties are listed in the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations.
Disease surveillance area
Ohio manages chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a disease surveillance area that, for 2026-27, includes all of Allen, Hardin, Marion and Wyandot counties and specific townships in Crawford, Delaware, Hancock, Morrow and Union counties. It was expanded this season to add all of Allen County, Van Buren Township in Hancock County and Holmes Township in Crawford County.
- Archery opens early, on Sept. 12, 2026, and an early gun season runs Oct. 10, 2026 to Oct. 12, 2026.
- CWD sampling is required for every deer harvested in the area on Oct. 10-11 and Nov. 30-Dec. 1. On other days, testing is voluntary.
- Baiting and hunting over bait are prohibited. Food plots, crops and natural plants are allowed.
- A whole carcass or high-risk parts cannot leave the area unless they meet the carcass rules or go to a certified taxidermist or processor within 24 hours.
Permits
- Either-sex permit: valid for antlered or antlerless deer.
- Deer management permit: antlerless deer only, valid on private land and public hunting areas.
- New for 2026-27: a discounted package of two deer permits for Ohio residents ages 18 to 64, priced at $43.89, valid for antlered or antlerless deer.
- Permits are available until Feb. 7, 2027.
Hunter orange
During the youth gun, gun and muzzleloader seasons, every deer hunter must visibly wear a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls in solid or camouflage hunter orange, whatever implement they use.
Legal hunting hours
Deer may be hunted from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Game check
Every harvested deer must be tagged and checked, either online at ohiogamecheck.com or in the HuntFish OH app, which works without a cell connection.
Frequently asked questions
When is gun season in Ohio?
The deer gun season runs Nov. 30, 2026 to Dec. 6, 2026, with a bonus gun weekend Dec. 19, 2026 to Dec. 20, 2026. The youth gun season is Nov. 21, 2026 to Nov. 22, 2026.
When does bow season start in Ohio?
Archery season runs Sept. 26, 2026 to Feb. 7, 2027 statewide. In the disease surveillance area it opens earlier, on Sept. 12, 2026.
When is muzzleloader season in Ohio?
The muzzleloader season runs Jan. 2, 2027 to Jan. 5, 2027.
How many deer can I take in Ohio?
One antlered deer statewide, no matter where or how it is taken. Each county also has a bag limit: three deer in Defiance, Paulding and Warren counties, and two deer, no more than one antlerless, in Athens, Meigs and Washington counties. The disease surveillance area has a season limit of six deer.
Can I hunt deer with a rifle in Ohio?
Yes, during the gun and youth gun seasons, with a straight-walled cartridge rifle from .357 to .50 caliber.
What are legal hunting hours for deer in Ohio?
From 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Deer season in other states
Texas · Pennsylvania · Michigan · Wisconsin · Georgia · New York · Missouri · Minnesota · Indiana · Virginia · North Carolina · Kentucky · Tennessee · Alabama. Compare every state on the deer season dates by state page.
Duck seasons are on the Ohio duck season page.
Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife: 2026-27 seasons approved by the Ohio Wildlife Council, Sept. 25, 2026 release, Sept. 10, 2026 disease surveillance area release, 2026-27 hunting regulations and Getting Started: Deer Hunting.
Verified on Oct. 24, 2026.
Always check the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations for your county before hunting.