Ohio hunting seasons
Season dates for 2026-27, straight from the Ohio Division of Wildlife regulations — starting with what you actually want to know.
Open right now in
Ohio
Deer Opens Sep 12 29 days away Turkey Opens Oct 1 48 days away Duck Opens Sep 5 22 days away Dove Opens Sep 1 18 days away
Dates checked against the Ohio Division of Wildlife regulations Aug 14, 2026.
Deer season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Early Gun | Disease surveillance area | Oct 10 – Oct 12 |
| Gun One week starting the Monday after Thanksgiving, then a bonus weekend in December. | Statewide | Nov 30 – Dec 6; Dec 19 – Dec 20 |
| Archery Crossbows, longbows, compounds and recurves are all legal the whole season. | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 – Feb 7, 2027 |
| Early Archery Extra time in the CWD surveillance area — check the current county list before you hunt. | Disease surveillance area | Sep 12, 2026 – Feb 7, 2027 |
| Muzzleloader | Statewide | Jan 2 – Jan 5 |
| Youth Gun | Statewide | Nov 21 – Nov 22 |
Turkey season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Season Shotguns with shotshells only — archery equipment is not allowed in the fall. One bird of either sex. See the open counties map. | Select counties | Oct 1 – Oct 25 |
| Spring Season The 2026-27 regulations list spring turkey as "to be announced" and say the dates should be out by January 2027. | Statewide | Not set yet |
Duck season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Early Teal Blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal only. | Statewide | Sep 5 – Sep 13 |
| Regular Season Waterfowl zone boundaries are new for 2026-27 — check the zone map before you pick a spot. | Zone A | Oct 17 – Nov 1; Nov 14 – Dec 27 |
| Regular Season Waterfowl zone boundaries are new for 2026-27 — check the zone map before you pick a spot. | Zone B | Oct 17 – Oct 25; Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027 |
| Regular Season Waterfowl zone boundaries are new for 2026-27 — check the zone map before you pick a spot. | Zone C | Oct 17 – Oct 25; Dec 12, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 |
| Youth Waterfowl Season Hunters 17 and under, statewide on public and private land. | Statewide | Oct 3 – Oct 4 |
| Military Waterfowl Season Active-duty military and veterans. | Statewide | Oct 3 – Oct 4 |
Dove season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Season Mourning and Eurasian collared doves. Sunrise to sunset, and lead shot is allowed. Dove field maps are posted at wildohio.gov. | Statewide | Sep 1 – Nov 8; Dec 12, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027 |
Draw & application deadlines
Coming up: Controlled turkey hunt applications — closes Mar 31, 2027.