Ohio’s deer-gun season opens Nov. 28 following the Nov. 19 and 20 youth deer gun season. For hunters and others with last minute questions about Ohio’s deer-gun hunting seasons, special call center hours will be available at (800) 945-3543.
Wildlife staff will be available between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Nov. 19 and 20 for youth deer-gun season; between noon and 5 p.m. Nov. 26 and 27; from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 28 to Dec. 2; and from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 3 for deer-gun season. The hotline will be closed Thanksgiving Day.
During the deer-gun seasons, deer can be hunted with a shotgun, a muzzleloader .38 caliber or larger, a handgun .357 caliber or larger, specific pistol-cartridge rifles or bows from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4, and Dec. 17 and 18.
Details about deer hunting rules are contained in the 2016-2017 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations.
Only either-sex permits may be used after Sunday, Nov. 27, unless hunting in an ODNR Division of Wildlife authorized controlled hunt. Deer bag limits are determined by county, and a hunter cannot exceed a county bag limit. The statewide bag limit is six deer. Hunters may harvest only one buck in Ohio, regardless of method of take or location. Hunting hours for all deer seasons are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Portions of Holmes and Wayne counties remain as a Disease Surveillance Area (DSA) 2015-01 in the ongoing Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance efforts. Hunters who take deer within DSA 2015-01 are required to bring their deer to a carcass inspection station for disease testing.
The two locations for the 7-day gun and 2-day muzzleloader seasons are the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) garage, 1800 South Washington Street, Millersburg; and Industrial Park, 8254 County Road 245, Holmesville. Both stations will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 28-Dec. 4, Dec. 17-18 and Jan. 7-10. Other states may have regulations or restrictions on the importation of deer carcasses from Ohio.
Additional information about rules regarding hunting in the Disease Surveillance Area, CWD or statewide hunting regulations is available at www.wildohio.gov.
Individuals can again anonymously call toll-free to report wildlife violations. The Turn-In-a-Poacher (TIP) hotline is available 24 hours a day at (800) 762-2437.