Ohio Deer Hunting Season

Ohio is a state that has a fantastic deer hunting season in the fall and winter. Below is a description of deer hunting in Ohio.

Species of Deer to Hunt

Ohio may not have mule deer, but there are plenty of whitetails to hunt. Deer live in all counties and areas of the state, and each year, more than 200,000 whitetails are harvested by hunters.

Methods to Hunt Deer in Ohio

In Ohio, several different methods are used to hunt deer. Early season there is a special archery season, where you can use one of several bow and arrow techniques to kill a deer. Typically, stand hunting is used for whitetails, but you can also try spot and stalk. Later in the season, the general tags open up. This allows for rifle hunting, and is the most popular. Spot and stalk is very common while rifle hunting, as is using calls or decoys. There are also shotgun seasons for those who wish to use that particular weapon type.

Permits and Seasons

Both a valid license and tag are required to hunt deer in Ohio. You must acquire an Ohio hunting license first. This may requires either taking a hunters education class or signing up for an apprentice hunting permit. This license costs $19.00 for residents, and $125.00 for non-residents. Then you have to buy the deer tag. General tags cost $24 dollars. If you wish to hunt in a controlled zone, there may be a fee for putting in for the draw.

Seasons vary by hunt type and area. The archery season opens in September and runs all the way into February. Muzzle loader seasons are in October and January. There is a special youth hunt for two days in November. The general rifle season (which is the most popular) opens in November and runs into December.

Other Laws and Regulations

In Ohio, it is only legal to hunt from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset. Also, after you harvest a deer, you must submit a mandatory hunter report online. In Ohio, it is legal to take several deer per season, depending on the zone you are in. In the southern part of the state, you may harvest as many as six per season.

Where you can Hunt

The vast majority of deer hunting in Ohio must be down in the southern half of the state. The northern half does have deer hunting, but they are less populous there, and the better seasons are found in the south. Ohio has very little public land for hunters to use. Less than 3% of the state is publicly owned. However, you are allowed to hunt on private property as long as you have the permission of the owner of the land.

Ohio is a fantastic state to do some deer hunting. If you’d like to see more about the state’s deer hunting, check out the Ohio DNR hunting pages, where you can see the latest in deer hunting season dates and laws.