Large mammals including deer and predators such as wolves and bear were wiped out in Ohio during the nineteenth century by hunting and deforestation. By 1904, there were no deer in Ohio. White-tailed deer were reintroduced to Ohio via a government stocking program in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Since their re-introduction to Ohio, deer have been very successful. They are found in every county in Ohio, both deep in the state forests, in local parks, and suburban fields and groves. Today, the deer population in Ohio exceeds 750,000.





Growth of the deer population has created problems and opportunities. Natural predators of deer have been eliminated from the state allowing deer populations to grow unchecked. Large deer herds in parks have demolished plants and small trees. Deer damage local farm crops and are involved in over 23,000 deer / car crashes each year. In 1943 a limited hunting program was established. Ohio hunters take over 200 thousand deer each year and generate more than $10 million in deer permit revenue for the state.

Deer hunting is permitted on certain public lands on limited dates with a proper permit. This includes parts of Wayne National Forest, most state forests, select parts of select state parks, most state wildlife areas, and select county parks.

The ODNR occasionally has limited hunts at state parks and nature preserves to control deer population – small numbers of permits are issued usually by lottery.

In our TrekOhio Guide to Parks & Preserves (see menu tabs on top of page), we have listed parks by county and we indicate which parks allow hunting. Please see the park web site for specific limitations. Hunters must comply with all state and local hunting regulations.

Dates for Ohio 2018 / 2019 White-tailed Deer Season

Archery: Sept. 29, 2018 – Feb. 3, 2019

Youth Gun: Nov. 17-18, 2018

Gun: Nov. 26 – Dec. 2, 2018; Dec. 15-16, 2018

Muzzle-loader: Jan. 5-8, 2019

Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset for all deer seasons.

weeks -9 -6 days 0 -3 hours 0 -7 minutes -4 -2 seconds 0 -1 Countdown to Ohio Deer Gun Season

The ODNR Booklet, Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2018-2019 (PDF), includes a section that lays out all of the hunting regulations relevant to deer hunting. Below is an excerpt from page 6 of that booklet (to see a large version, right click on the image and open the link in a new tab):

Updates

12/17/2018 – Nearly 10,000 Deer Checked during Ohio's Two-Day Gun Hunting Season Ohio’s hunters checked 9,625 white-tailed deer during Ohio’s 2018 two-day deer-gun hunting season, Dec. 15-16, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). During last year’s two-day December deer-gun season, 14,115 deer were harvested.

12/3/2018 – More than 60,000 Deer Checked During Ohio’s Weeklong Gun Season Despite enduring some poor weather, hunters in Ohio checked 60,557 white-tailed deer during the 2018 weeklong deer-gun season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Last year, hunters checked 72,814 deer over the same period.

11/27/2018 – Hunters Brave the Elements on First Day of Ohio's Deer-Gun Season

11/19/2018 – Ohio's Young Hunters Harvest more than 6,500 Deer During Youth Gun Season – News & Announcements Ohio’s young hunters had a successful weekend and checked 6,563 white-tailed deer during the two-day youth gun season, Nov. 17-18, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). During last year’s youth gun season, 4,958 white-tailed deer were checked.

7/7/2018 – Ohio Deer Summary (PDF): 2017-18 Season Summary, 2018-19 Preview, & Survey Results

2/16/2018 – Public Invited to Comment on Ohio’s 2018-2019 Hunting Season Proposals Ohioans are invited to offer public comment regarding the proposed and future hunting, trapping and fishing regulations at open houses scheduled across the state. The open houses will be held on Saturday, March 3, between noon and 3 p.m., and online comments will be accepted from now through Sunday, March 4.