Ohio & Mahoning Valley - Ohio's white-tailed deer gun hunting season is about to begin.

According to a press release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Youth season for hunters under the age of 18 will be Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19.

The following week, the weeklong gun season open to all hunters kicks off Monday, November 27 and will last until Sunday, December 3. The deer gun weekend will take place December 16 and 17.

Last year, hunters harvested 96,610 deer including 71,932 deer taken during the seven-day gun season, which usually kicks off the Monday after Thanksgiving.

During last year's youth weekend, 9,515 deer were checked by hunters age 17 and younger and another 15,163 in the December gun weekend. The three-year average for deer harvested in the gun season is 92,108.

Legal hunting implements during the seasons include shotguns, straight-walled cartridge rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns and archery equipment. Ohio's deer muzzleloader hunting season is January 6 through 9, 2024.

During any of the seasons, hunters are required to wear orange. For more information on regulations for any of these seasons, click here. 

As a reminder, deer management permits are only valid until November 26. During the guns seasons, Ohio hunters will need an either-sex permit, unless exempted.

These permits are available on the HuntFish OH app, at license vendors and online.

All deer harvested in Ohio are required to be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System. This gives the Division of Wildlife a long-term data set that aids wildlife biologists in monitoring deer health, distribution and relative abundance. 

Hunters can check game by using the HuntFish OH app, calling 1-877-824-4684, calling 1-866-703-1298 (landowner operator-assisted; fees apply) visiting a licensed sales agent or clicking here.

The Division of Wildlife posts deer harvest numbers every Wednesday throughout the hunting season and a final report is available upon the conclusion of the season.