COLUMBUS, Ohio — The 2025-26 Ohio hunting and trapping season dates that begin in the fall of this year were proposed to the Ohio Wildlife Council on Wednesday, Feb. 19, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Both white-tailed deer and waterfowl seasons were included in these proposals.
A complete list of proposed rule changes for 2025-26 hunting and trapping seasons will be available at wildohio.gov on Monday, Feb. 24. Comments for Division of Wildlife proposals are accepted online at wildohio.gov from Monday, Feb. 24 through Wednesday, March 26. A statewide hearing on all proposed rules will be held on Wednesday, April 2. If approved, the proposed rules take effect Monday, June 30, 2025.
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 2025-26 include:
- Deer archery: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, to Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026
- Youth deer gun: Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, and Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025
- Deer gun: Monday, Dec. 1 to Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025; Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, and Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025
- Deer muzzleloader: Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, through Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026
The Ohio Wildlife Council also heard a proposal to increase the antlerless deer limit on public hunting areas from one to two deer, as well as allow deer management permits to be used to hunt or take deer from public hunting areas.
Bag limit decreases from three to two deer were proposed for Defiance and Paulding counties.
Wednesday’s proposals also included expanding the Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance area to include Bath, 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.
Hunters in the disease surveillance area will have additional opportunities to harvest deer, if approved:
- Early deer archery: Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, through Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026
- Early deer gun: Saturday, Oct. 11 through Monday, 13, 2025
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, while proposed waterfowl hunting dates are slightly later. Find the full list of proposed hunting season dates 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.
Editor’s Note: 2025-26 Proposed Deer Hunting Regulations PDF
Ohio's 2025-26 Proposed Hunting and Trapping Season Dates PDF
