Looking to plan your next deer hunt? 🏹 Whether you’re an archery enthusiast, a gun season regular, or taking a young hunter out for youth weekend, here’s everything you need to know about the Ohio deer season dates for 2025–2026, including a complete breakdown of all seasons, bag limits, new regulations, and special zones.
📅 Ohio Deer Season Dates for 2025–2026
| Season Type | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Archery Season 🏹 | Sep 27, 2025 – Feb 1, 2026 | Open statewide. Legal with longbows, compounds, and crossbows. |
| Early Gun Season (DSA counties) 🚧 | Oct 11–13, 2025 | Special firearm hunt in Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance areas. |
| Youth Gun Season 👨👧👦🔫 | Nov 22–23, 2025 | For youth 17 & under with adult mentor. Statewide. |
| Regular Gun Season 🔶 | Dec 1–7, 2025 | Primary firearm week. Shotguns, straight-wall rifles, muzzleloaders. |
| Bonus Gun Weekend 🎯 | Dec 20–21, 2025 | Extra weekend for gun hunters statewide. |
| Muzzleloader Season ⚫ | Jan 3–6, 2026 | Four-day season statewide using muzzleloaders only. |
🏹 Archery Season (2025–2026)
- Dates: September 27, 2025 – February 1, 2026
- Open statewide and includes compound bows, recurve bows, and crossbows.
- Long season = more flexibility for hunters to bag a deer before winter.
- Must follow county bag limits and tag deer through Ohio’s game check system.
🚧 Special Early Gun Season in CWD Disease Surveillance Area (DSA)
🔫 Special Early Gun Season Opens In:
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- Dates: October 11–13, 2025
- Only for Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties.
- Aimed at reducing the deer population in Chronic Wasting Disease areas.
- Legal firearms same as gun season.
- Mandatory CWD testing and restrictions on carcass transport apply.
- Not available outside the designated DSA counties.
👦 Youth Deer Gun Season
🔫 Youth Gun Season Opens In:
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- Dates: November 22–23, 2025
- For hunters 17 years old and younger with a non-hunting adult.
- Legal firearms: shotguns, straight-wall rifles, muzzleloaders.
- Bag limits still apply. Perfect opportunity for mentoring new hunters.
- Hunter orange is required for both youth and adult companions.
🔫 Regular Deer Gun Season
🎯 Regular Gun Season Opens In:
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- Dates: December 1–7, 2025
- This is Ohio’s main firearm deer season and sees the highest harvests.
- Legal weapons include slug shotguns, straight-wall cartridge rifles, and muzzleloaders.
- Hunter orange clothing is mandatory.
- This season kicks off the Monday after Thanksgiving each year.
🎯 Bonus Gun Weekend
🎁🔫 Bonus Gun Weekend Opens In:
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- Dates: December 20–21, 2025
- A bonus 2-day statewide gun hunt for hunters who still have tags available.
- Same firearm rules and bag limits apply as the main gun season.
- Ideal for squeezing in another hunt before the holidays.
⚫ Muzzleloader Season
💥 Muzzleloader Season Opens In:
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- Dates: January 3–6, 2026
- Muzzleloading firearms only: .38 caliber+ rifles or 10-gauge or smaller shotguns.
- Great late-season opportunity when deer are cautious and moving differently.
- Hunter orange required.
- 4-day window, spanning Saturday through Tuesday.
🦌 2025–2026 Deer Bag Limits & Rule Changes
✅ Statewide Bag Limit
- Max of 6 deer per hunter across all seasons.
- Only 1 antlered deer allowed per hunter for the license year.
🗺️ County-Specific Bag Limits
- Each county has its own quota (typically 2 or 3 deer).
- New for 2025–2026:
- Defiance County ➡️ reduced to 2 deer (was 3).
- Paulding County ➡️ reduced to 2 deer (was 3).
🌲 Public Land Updates
- Hunters can now take up to 2 antlerless deer on public land (if within bag limits).
- Deer Management Permits (DMPs) are now usable on public land statewide.
🎟️ Antlerless Deer Permits (DMPs)
- Discounted permits for antlerless deer (doe tags).
- May now be used on both private and public land during early season.
- Only valid until a set cutoff date (usually around late November).
- Cannot be used for antlered deer.
🎒 Legal Hunting Equipment
| Season | Legal Equipment |
|---|---|
| Archery | Compound bows, longbows, recurve bows, crossbows |
| Gun | Slug shotguns, straight-wall cartridge rifles, muzzleloaders |
| Muzzleloader | Muzzleloading rifles (.38+), muzzleloading shotguns (10ga or less) |
| Youth/Gun Bonus | Same as gun season |
⚠️ Airbows are still not permitted.
💡 Always double-check weapon requirements and calibers before heading out.
🧡 Safety & Reporting Reminders
- All firearm season hunters (including youth & muzzleloader) must wear hunter orange.
- Report your harvest promptly through Ohio’s game check system.
- If hunting in the DSA, comply with CWD sample submission and transport rules.
🍂 Final Thoughts
Ohio continues to offer one of the most generous and flexible deer hunting seasons in the Midwest. With early bowhunting, multiple firearm opportunities, and now expanded public land options, 2025–2026 is shaping up to be a fantastic year to hunt. Be sure to plan according to your county bag limits, check updated maps, and follow all legal requirements.
➡️ Bookmark this page and share it with your hunting buddies so they can stay in the know for this season!
🦌 Good luck out there, and may your freezer be full!