OHIO — The Ohio Wildlife Council approved the 2025-26 hunting and trapping seasons in Ohio. 

Here are the dates:

Deer hunting seasons

Only one antlered deer may be taken during the 2025-26 hunting season. Here are the dates for the 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 council also decided to increase the deer limit on public hunting areas from one to two deer. Deer management permits will also be allowed to be used to hunt or take deer from public hunting areas. Those permits are valid statewide for antlerless deer until Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. 

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

 

Chronic wasting disease surveillance

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.

 

There will be 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

 

Waterfowl hunting seasons

 

  • Early Goose: Sept. 6 to Sept. 14, 2025
  • Early Teal: Sept. 6 to Sept. 14, 2025
  • Youth, active military, and veterans waterfowl: Oct. 4 to Oct. 5, 2025
  • Goose Lake Erie Marsh Zone: Oct. 18 to Nov. 2, 2025; Nov. 15, 2025, to Feb. 2, 2026
  • Goose North Zone: Oct. 18 to Oct. 26, 2025; Nov. 15, 2025, to Feb. 9, 2026
  • Goose South Zone: Oct. 18 to Oct. 27, 2026; Nov. 16, 2025, to Feb. 9. 2026
  • Ducks Lake Erie Marsh Zone: Oct. 18 to Nov. 2, 2025; Nov. 15 to Dec. 28, 2025
  • Ducks North Zone: Oct. 18 to Oct. 26, 2025; Nov. 15, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026
  • Ducks South Zone: Oct. 18 to Oct. 27, 2025; Dec. 13, 2025, to Jan. 31, 2026

A full list of 2025-26 hunting and trapping season dates can be found here.

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