Ohio · 2026-27
Shooting hours in Ohio
For deer (all deer seasons), Ohio legal shooting hours run 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset — the Ohio Division of Wildlife rule is quoted below. Sunrise and sunset shift every day and with every county, so the lookup here turns the rule into your exact minutes.
Legal light for
Deer (all deer seasons)
Franklin County · Aug 21, 2026
Legal start
—
sunrise − 30 min
Legal end
—
sunset + 30 min
Hunting from exact coordinates instead
These minutes apply the statewide rule at your chosen spot — they can’t see zone, season, or species exceptions. Always verify in the current Ohio Division of Wildlife regulations before you hunt — rules change annually. Rule checked against Ohio Division of Wildlife Aug 20, 2026.
The rule, straight from the regs
“Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.”
— 2026–27 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations, checked Aug 20, 2026
The official times
Exceptions the regs call out
The window above — 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset — is the rule for deer (all deer seasons). These run on different clocks:
- Fall wild turkey
- Fall wild turkey hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset (2026–27 regulations).
- Waterfowl and migratory birds
- Waterfowl hours are set under the federal migratory bird frameworks — use the Ohio migratory bird regulations, not the deer rule. Official page.
Opening day, worked out
Gun opens Nov 30, 2026 in Ohio. In Franklin County that morning, sunrise is 7:33 AM — so legal light starts at 7:33 AM − 30 min = 7:03 AM EST. Sunset is 5:07 PM, so the day ends at 5:07 PM + 30 min = 5:37 PM EST. A county line east or west moves those minutes, and the Ohio Division of Wildlife official times are the ones that count — check them before you go.
More Ohio, more states
The whole Ohio board · Deer season in Ohio · Straight-wall cartridge states
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