Antlerless deer limit increased for Ohio hunters

The Ohio Wildlife Council has approved hunting seasons for 2025-26, including an increase in the antlerless deer limit on public hunting areas.

The council has voted to allow hunters to take up to two antlerless deer on public hunting areas, up from the previous limit of one, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The council will also allow deer management permits to be used on public hunting areas. Those permits are valid statewide for antlerless deer through Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.

The 2025-26 deer hunting seasons are similar to last year, with hunters allowed to take only one antlered deer.

Statewide deer seasons include:

• Archery: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, to Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
• Youth gun: Saturday, Nov. 22 to Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025.
• Gun: Monday, Dec. 1 to Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025; Saturday, Dec. 20 to Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.
• Muzzleloader: Saturday, Jan. 3 to Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.

The county bag limit decreased to two deer in Defiance and Paulding counties.

A Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance area includes all of Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties; Auglaize, Bath, Jackson, Monroe, Perry, and Richland townships in Allen County; Bucyrus, Dallas, and Tod townships in Crawford County; Marlboro, Troy, and Oxford townships in Delaware County; Delaware and Madison townships in Hancock County; Westfield Township in Morrow County; and Claibourne and Jackson townships in Union County.

Additional deer hunting opportunities are available in the disease surveillance area:

• Early archery: Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, to Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026
• Early gun: Saturday, Oct. 11 to Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.