Public Hunting Lands
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Season	|Opening	|Closing	|Area	|Restrictions	|Allowable Equipment
Archery Season	Oct. 5	Jan. 31			Longbow: minimum draw weight 40 lb. Crossbow: draw weight not less than 75 lb.,nor more than 200 lb.
Gun Season	Dec. 2	Dec. 3	Zone R	Antlered or antlerless deer	10, 12, 16, 20, 28, or .410 gauge shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition); or muzzleloading rifle .38 caliber or larger; or handgun with 5-in. minimum length barrel,using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger, or longbow, crossbow (draw weight limitations same as above).
	Dec. 2	Dec. 8	Zone A	Antlered or antlerless
	Dec. 2	Dec. 8	Zone B	Antlered or antlerless
	Dec. 2	Dec. 8	Zone C	Antlered or antlerless
Statewide Primitive Season	Dec. 27	Dec. 30			Longbow,crossbow (draw weight limitations same as for archery season), muzzleloading rifle .38 caliber or larger, or muzzleloading shotgun of 10, 12, 16, 20, 28, or .410 gauge using one ball per barrel.

Limits

Hunters may only take one antlered deer per year regardless of how, when, or where taken. A hunter may not take more than three deer in the state during the entire deer 2002-2003 season unless hunting within an urban deer unit or Division of Wildlife controlled hunt with an urban deer permit.

If you kill an antlered deer, any other deer permit must be used for antlerless deer only. Antlered deer are deer with antlers 3 inches or longer in length; antlerless deer include deer without antlers and deer with antlers less than 3 inches in length. There are restrictions on when and where these deer may be harvested and the permits that may be used. Read more...

Deer Hunting Hours

Hours for deer hunting are one half hour before sunrise to sunset for the Special Season at the 3 primitive weapons deer hunting areas, Deer Gun Season, and Statewide Primitive Weapons Season. Archery season hours are one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset. See sunrise/sunset charts below...

License Requirements

A hunting license is required, regardless of age, to hunt all legal game in Ohio. Additional permits may be required to hunt specific game animals. More information...

• All first-time hunters must pass a hunter education course before purchasing a hunting license.
• Hunters age 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
• Hunters are required to carry a valid hunting license,permit(s),and stamp(s)when hunting.
• To purchase a hunting license the applicant must:
  1. present a previously held hunting license,
  2. present evidence of having successfully completed a hunter education course,or
  3. state on the application that he or she is 21 years of age or older and has previously held a hunting license.

Permit Requirements

To hunt deer, you must have an annual hunting license and a Special Deer Permit. Then you may also purchase Urban Deer Permit(s) if you wish to take additional deer in one of the Urban Deer Units. More information....

Special Deer Permit

This permit may be used statewide to take either an antlered or antlerless deer, depending on the hunting zone and season. It may be used during any of the deer hunting seasons, for controlled hunts or in designated Urban Units. No person may use more than two Special Deer Permits per license year. Hunters having used their two Special Deer Permits can only use Urban Permits for antlerless deer in Urban Units and Division of Wildlife controlled hunts. More information...

Urban Deer Permit

You must purchase a Hunting License and a Special Deer Permit to be eligible to purchase Urban Deer Permits. Urban Deer Permits are valid for antlerless deer only. The Urban Permit can be used only in areas designated as Urban Units or during a Division of Wildlife controlled hunt. A hunter may use no more than four Urban Deer Permits during the 2002-2003 season.

Urban Permits may be used to take antlerless deer at Division of Wildlife Controlled Hunts and in Urban Units only. (Any deer tagged with a Special Deer Permit applies to the zone bag limit, not the Urban Unit bag limit.) Only three Special Deer Permits may be used in a license year regardless of where the deer are taken.

The designation of an Urban Deer Unit in no way supersedes existing firearms or archery regulations, or community prohibitions on hunting. It is the responsibility of the hunter to check with local authorities and obey all existing local ordinances and regulations. Hunters must obtain written permission before hunting on private land. More information...

Western Ohio Sunrise/Sunset	Eastern Ohio Sunrise/Sunset

	E-mail your photos to ODNR or mail to 1952 Belcher Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43224
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See Ohio's world-record buck
Early Bowhunting Results

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Get the landowner’s permission to hunt. See permission form...
Buy your hunting license and deer permit early.
Plug your shotgun.
Make sure you meet hunter orange requirements.
Know how to attach your temporary tag.
No walkie talkies while hunting.
Know your ATV laws.
Know the season dates and bag limits.
Do not litter. Pick up your empty shells.
Follow proper check station procedures.

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Treestand Safety Surveys show that about 30% of hunters have experienced accidents or falls while in their stands. Read the guidelines. Watch the video.

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Field Dressing Your Deer

Click here for full details

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