Ohio 2026-2027 Game Season Info – Species Lists & Hunting Times

Planning a trip afield in the Buckeye State this year? This guide pulls together the big stuff hunters actually need: exact 2026–2027 dates, top species, permit basics, deer bag-limit notes, waterfowl zones, and where to look for public access. We’ve also kept it beginner-friendly, because let’s be honest—state rule books can feel like they were written by a committee in a windowless room. If you like comparing regulations across the country, you can also browse state-by-state hunting season guides.

Ohio Hunting Season Overview 2026-2027

The biggest news for 2026–2027 is that deer dates are now set, waterfowl runs on the newer three-zone framework, fall turkey stays shotgun-only, and deer management permits can be used throughout the deer dates on both private ground and public areas for antlerless deer. There are also county-level deer bag-limit changes worth noting, plus an expanded chronic wasting disease surveillance area with extra early opportunity in affected places.

If you’ve ever sat through a frosty late-November morning in farm country, you already know timing matters here. A one-week shift can mean greener bean fields, frozen marsh edges, or a completely different deer movement pattern.

Quick Summary Table: Key Species, Dates & Methods

🦌 All Big Game: Archery, Gun & Muzzleloader

For big game, deer is the main show here.

Deer Dates and Permit Basics

Deer Tags, Limits, and Zones

• You may take only one antlered deer total, no matter where or how it’s taken.
• Statewide bag limit is six deer, but county limits still apply.
• Deer management permits are for antlerless deer only and can now be used throughout the deer dates on both public and private ground.
• Bag limits rose to three deer in Defiance, Paulding, and Warren counties.
• In Athens, Meigs, and Washington, the limit is two deer, with no more than one antlerless.
• The chronic wasting disease surveillance area has a special six-deer limit and includes all of Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties, plus named townships in Crawford, Delaware, Hancock, Morrow, and Union counties.

What About Bear and Elk?

At the time of this guide, the state does not list an open public bear or elk pursuit in the 2026–2027 framework. Also worth noting: feral swine may not be hunted under current rules.

🦃 Turkey Dates: Fall, Spring & Youth

• Fall turkey: Oct. 1–25, 2026 in 70 counties
• Method restriction: Fall birds may be taken only with a shotgun using shot
• No fall archery: That option is not allowed
• Spring 2027: To be announced
• Youth spring 2027: To be announced

Turkey Tag Notes

• Fall birds require a fall turkey permit
• Spring birds require a spring turkey permit
• If you’re already planning next spring, keep an eye on late summer and early fall announcements, because that’s when turkey frameworks are usually clarified

🦝 Furbearer Dates

• Fox, raccoon, skunk, opossum, weasel: Nov. 10, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027
• Mink and muskrat trapping: Nov. 10, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027
• Lake Erie marsh trapping: Nov. 10, 2026 – Mar. 15, 2027
• Beaver and river otter trapping: Dec. 26, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027
• Coyote: No closed date
• Woodchuck: No closed date

If you’re new to fur work, double-check whether you need a standard license alone or a fur taker permit too—most trappers will.

🐦 Upland Birds Dates

Youth Upland Weekends

• Rabbit, pheasant, chukar, quail youth dates: Oct. 24–25, 2026 and Oct. 31 – Nov. 1, 2026

🐇 Upland Animals Dates

Squirrel is still one of the best entry points for brand-new hunters. Low pressure, plenty of action, and you learn quickly whether you enjoy still-hunting or moving slowly through timber.

🎯 Other Small Game Dates

🛫 Migratory Birds Dates

🦆 Ducks, Scaup, Mergansers & Geese

Ducks, Coots, and Mergansers

Geese and Brant

Scaup Note

The official statewide chart reviewed for this article does not break out separate scaup dates on its own line; instead, ducks/coots/mergansers are published together by zone. If ODNR later issues a species-specific waterfowl note, that newer posting should control.

🌊 Other Waterfowl Dates

• Youth, military, and veteran waterfowl days: Oct. 3–4, 2026
• Early Canada and cackling geese: Sept. 5–13, 2026
• Early teal: Sept. 5–13, 2026
• Coots: Follow duck-zone dates
• Brant: Follow goose-zone dates

More Game Dates You Shouldn’t Miss

• Crow: June 5, 2026 – Mar. 7, 2027, Fridays through Sundays only
• Lake Erie marsh trapping: runs longer than many inland trapping dates, ending Mar. 15, 2027
• Controlled ruffed grouse access: limited to four designated areas
• Fall turkey method rule: shotgun with shot only
• No closed date for coyote and woodchuck
• Spring turkey 2027: still pending, so don’t pencil in last year’s pattern and assume it’ll match

🗺️ Game Units & Public Access

For mapping, the smartest starting point is the state’s interactive regulations map, which lets you zoom in on wildlife areas, regulation boundaries, and access points. Use Ohio Hunting Regulations and Areas Map before you drive anywhere new.

A few access tips that are especially useful here:

• Controlled hunt lotteries are a big deal for deer, dove, waterfowl, small game, pheasant, turkey, and trapping opportunities.
• Applications for deer, waterfowl, small game, waterfowl blind, and dove typically run July 1–31.
• Turkey controlled access applications run March 1–31.
• The Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP) can open private ground through free daily permits on enrolled properties, first-come, first-served.

🎟️ License Details: Resident, Youth, Nonresident, Short-Term & Add-Ons

Below are the currently posted prices and categories listed by ODNR.

Main License Categories

• Youth: age 17 and under
• Resident adult: age 18–64
• Nonresident adult: age 18+
• Senior resident: age 65+ born on or after Jan. 1, 1938
• Free senior resident: born on or before Dec. 31, 1937
• Apprentice: for mentored newcomers

Core Prices

Helpful License Notes

• License year runs March 1 through the last day of February
• The 3-day nonresident license is not valid for deer, turkey, or furbearers
• Waterfowl hunters also need:
  • a valid state license
  • HIP certification
  • an Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp if age 18+
  • a signed Federal Duck Stamp if age 16+

❓Short FAQ

Do I need more than one tag for deer?

Yes. You need a valid license plus the proper deer permit. If you plan to take antlerless deer, deer management permits matter. Also remember: only one antlered deer total is allowed.

Are there good public places to go?

Yes. Wildlife areas, controlled-access drawings, and OLHAP parcels can all help. In this state, access planning is almost as important as picking your dates.

Can I hunt coyotes at night?

There’s no closed date for coyote, but rifles and nighttime pursuit from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise are prohibited during deer gun and deer muzzleloader dates.

Is night raccoon or furbearer pursuit allowed?

Check the current furbearer rules carefully before heading out, especially if you’re combining methods, lights, dogs, or trapping setups.

What’s the biggest deer-rule detail beginners miss?

County bag limits. Folks see the statewide six-deer cap and assume that’s the whole story. It isn’t. County limits still govern what you can take in each place.

Can I go after wild hogs?

No. Feral swine may not be pursued under current regulations.

Prepare for Your Ohio Hunt

Here’s the practical version: if deer is your focus, mark the youth weekend, the late-November gun opener, and the January muzzleloader dates right away. If you’re in or near the disease surveillance area, those extra early September and October opportunities can be a real advantage. If ducks and geese are your thing, double-check whether you’re in Zone A, B, or C before you make travel plans—those split dates are not interchangeable, and mixing them up is the sort of mistake that ruins a perfectly good weekend before sunrise. Upland hunters should pay attention to the youth weekends and the limited ruffed grouse setup, while turkey hunters should treat spring 2027 as pending until ODNR posts it. And for access, don’t wait until the night before: lottery deadlines, wildlife-area scouting, and OLHAP daily permits all reward people who plan a little earlier than they think they need to.