Hunting and Trapping Regulations & Season Dates

Hunting in Ohio is seasonal and regulated to protect wildlife populations, so it is important that you understand the current Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and buy your hunting license and permits. Review the current Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations by downloading the regulations booklet below (in English or Spanish). You will also find all hunting and trapping season dates in the regulations, as well as license and permit information.

2022-2023 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations

2022-23 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations (English) [pdf]

2022-23 Ohio Reglamentos De Caza y Captura (Espanol) [pdf]

2022-2023 Changes 

Changes from the previous year's regulations are listed in red text in the booklet.

• Deer bag limits were updated in 18 counties. See page 6 for the deer county bag limit map.
• The definition of a crossbow was updated to include bows with differing limb and stock configurations. See page 44.
• New DSA special season. See page 13.
• The Disease Surveillance Area (DSA) was expanded to cover all of Wyandot, Hardin, and Marion counties. See page 12.
• The fall wild turkey season length was reduced. Season dates are Oct. 8 to Nov. 13 in select counties. See page 14.
• A person may hunt with a legally concealed firearm. See page 39.

Add Hunting Season Dates to Your Electronic Calendar

NOTE: Adding these dates to a Google Calendar must be done on a desktop computer. After you have added the dates to your Google calendar, you can sync your phone to show the calendar.

Ohio Deer Hunting Seasons 2022-23

Ohio Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons 2022-23

Ohio Small Game Hunting Seasons 2022-23

Ohio Trapping Seasons 2022-23

Ohio Waterfowl Hunting Seasons 2022-23

Ohio Wild Turkey Hunting Seasons 2022-23

Allowable Hunting Equipment

Ohio and federal hunting laws are presented in a summarized form. Ohio laws in their entirety can be found by consulting the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) or the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC). These laws are subject to change. It is the responsibility of the hunter to be aware of the most current laws when hunting.

White-Tailed Deer

Archery Season

• Longbow: Minimum draw weight 40 pounds. This includes compound bows and recurve bows. The arrow tip needs a minimum of two cutting edges, which may be exposed or unexposed and a minimum 3/4-inch width. Expandable and mechanical broadheads are legal.
• Crossbow: Minimum draw weight 75 pounds. The arrow tip needs a minimum of two cutting edges, which may be exposed or unexposed and a minimum 3/4-inch width. Expandable and mechanical broadheads are legal.

Gun Season and Youth Gun Season

• Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition).
• Muzzleloading rifle: .38 caliber or larger.
• Muzzleloading shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller using one ball per barrel.
• Handgun: With 5-inch minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger. The barrel is measured from the front of the cylinder or chamber to the end of the barrel.
• Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers: All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50. Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles can be loaded with no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined.
• Archery equipment: See Archery Season, above.

Muzzleloader Season

• Muzzleloading Rifle: .38 caliber or larger.
• Muzzleloading shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller using one ball per barrel.
• Archery equipment: See Archery Season, above.

Wild Turkey

• Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using shot, including muzzleloading shotguns.
• Longbow: Minimum draw weight 40 pounds. This includes compound bows and recurve bows. The arrow tip needs to have a minimum of two cutting edges, which may be exposed or unexposed, and a minimum 3/4-inch width. Expandable and mechanical broadheads are legal.
• Crossbow: Minimum draw weight no less than 75 pounds. The arrow tip needs to have a minimum of two cutting edges, which may be exposed or unexposed, and a minimum 3/4-inch width. Expandable and mechanical broadheads are legal.

Coyote

• Longbow or bow: This includes compound bows and recurve bows.
• Crossbow
• Handgun: Any caliber.
• Rifle: Any caliber.
• Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller.
• Airgun
• Rifles and night vision scopes are legal for coyote hunting; however, rifles and night hunting between 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise are prohibited during any deer gun and deer muzzleloader seasons.

Feral Swine

• Longbow or bow: This includes compound bows and recurve bows.
• Crossbow
• Handgun: Any caliber.
• Rifle: Any caliber.
• Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller.
• Airgun
• If hunted during the deer gun season, hours and legal hunting devices are the same as for deer gun season. Rifles and night vision scopes are legal for feral swine hunting; however, rifles and night hunting between 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise are prohibited during any deer gun and deer muzzleloader seasons.

Waterfowl and Migratory Birds

• Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using nontoxic shot, includes muzzleloading shotguns. In order to hunt migratory game birds, your shotgun cannot be capable of holding more than three shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler incapable of removal without disassembling the gun. Only nontoxic shot may be used to take waterfowl, rail, snipe, and moorhen (gallinule). Dove and woodcock may be taken with lead shot.
• Longbow: This includes compound bows and recurve bows.

Small Game and Furbearers

• Longbow or bow: This includes compound bows and recurve bows.
• Crossbow
• Handgun: Any caliber.
• Rifle: Any caliber.
• Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller.
• Airgun