February 26, 2026, Press Release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources:
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2026-27 Ohio hunting and trapping season dates that begin this fall were proposed to the Ohio Wildlife Council on Wednesday, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. White-tailed deer, waterfowl, and small game hunting seasons were included in the proposals.
A complete list of proposed rule changes for 2026-27 hunting and trapping seasons will be available at wildohio.gov on Monday, March 2. Comments for Division of Wildlife proposals are accepted online at wildohio.gov from Monday, March 2 to Wednesday, April 1. A statewide hearing on all proposed rules will be held on Wednesday, April 8. If approved, the proposed rules take effect on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
Deer hunting proposals
The proposed deer hunting seasons are similar to last year. As in years past, only one antlered deer may be harvested, regardless of where or how it is taken. Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The proposed statewide deer hunting dates for 2026-27 include:
- Deer archery: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, to Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027
- Youth deer gun: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, and Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026
- Deer gun: Monday, Nov. 30, 2026 to Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026; Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, and Sunday, Dec. 20, 2026
- Deer muzzleloader: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, to Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027
The deer proposals included expanding the use of deer management permits throughout the season. Deer management permits can only be used to take antlerless deer.
Bag limits were proposed to increase to three deer in Defiance, Paulding, and Warren counties. The bag limit in Athens, Meigs, and Washington counties, areas affected by an unprecedented outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in 2025, was proposed to be two deer, no more than one of which may be an antlerless deer. The Wildlife Council also received a proposal for the season bag limit in the CWD surveillance area to be six deer.
Wednesday’s proposals also entailed expanding the Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance area to include all of Allen County, Van Buren Township in Hancock County, and Holmes Township in Crawford County.
Hunters in the disease surveillance area will have additional opportunities to harvest deer, if approved:
- Early deer archery: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, to Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027
- Early deer gun: Saturday, Oct. 10 to Monday, Oct. 12, 2026
Additional hunting proposals
The Ohio Wildlife Council received proposals for waterfowl, small game, migratory bird, and fall wild turkey hunting seasons. Most proposed season dates are similar to previous years.
Ruffed grouse hunting is proposed to be limited to controlled hunting only on four designated areas. Hunters may apply for those limited permits in July. Wild turkey hunting during the fall season is proposed to be limited to hunting only with shotguns using shotshells. No fall turkey hunting with archery equipment will be allowed.
Waterfowl hunting seasons will be split into three zones with new boundaries that were approved in 2025. Find the full list of proposed hunting season dates at wildohio.gov.
Endangered and threatened species
Additional proposals at Wednesday’s meeting outlined potential changes to Ohio’s threatened and endangered species list as part of a comprehensive five-year review.
The American barn owl was proposed to be downlisted from threatened to a species of concern after genetic testing revealed the species likely has a larger contiguous Midwest population. The blackchin shiner was also proposed to be downlisted from extirpated to endangered following its re-establishment in specific Ohio lakes.
Further changes include the proposed addition of 17 bees and 16 aquatic invertebrates that were previously unlisted to the state’s threatened and endangered list following comprehensive surveys. Find the complete list of proposed species changes at wildohio.gov.
Ohio Wildlife Council
The Ohio Wildlife Council is an eight-member board that approves 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 mission of the Division of Wildlife is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to find out more.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
