The first opportunity for hunters to pursue white-tailed deer in Ohio is when archery season opens September 24.
Ohio’s 2016-2017 deer seasons: Archery—Sept. 24 to Feb. 5, 2017; Youth gun—Nov. 19 and 20; Gun—Nov. 28 to Dec. 4 and Dec. 17 and 18; Muzzleloader—Jan. 7-10, 2017.
Deer hunters will find regulations similar to last year, and county bag limits and antlerless permit use remain unchanged from 2015. Overall, deer populations are slightly higher than last year, and the statewide deer harvest could increase 5 to 10 percent.
The statewide bag limit is six deer. Deer bag limits are determined by county and hunters cannot exceed a county bag limit. No more than six deer may be taken from all counties when combined. Additional Division of Wildlife authorized controlled hunting opportunities do not count against statewide or county bag limits. Hunters may harvest only one buck in Ohio, regardless of method of take or location.
Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles may have no more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined while deer hunting.
Deer hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes past sunset for all deer seasons. This includes gun and muzzleloader seasons. Additional details about deer hunting rules are contained in the 2016-2017 Ohio Hunting Regulations, available where licenses are sold or at wildohio.gov.
Licenses and permits can be purchased online.