Ohio’s deer gun season opens Monday, November 30, 2026, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, and runs through Sunday, December 6, with a bonus gun weekend on December 19 and 20. This page has every 2026-27 deer season date, what the license and permits cost, what you can legally hunt with, the three-round rule, the orange rule, how game check works, and a checklist to run through before opening morning. Dates and rules come from the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s 2026-27 regulations and the deer rule that took effect July 6, 2026. Laws and dates can change, so double-check the current regulations at wildohio.gov as the season gets close.
Ohio deer season dates, 2026-27
| Season | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Saturday, September 26, 2026 to Sunday, February 7, 2027 | Bow and crossbow. Stays open through every gun season. |
| Youth gun | Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, 2026 | Hunters 17 and younger. All gun season rules apply, and a youth’s deer counts toward their county and statewide limits. |
| Deer gun | Monday, November 30 to Sunday, December 6, 2026 | The main week: shotgun slugs, straight-wall rifles, muzzleloaders and legal handguns. |
| Bonus gun weekend | Saturday and Sunday, December 19 and 20, 2026 | Same rules as deer gun season. |
| Muzzleloader | Saturday, January 2 to Tuesday, January 5, 2027 | Muzzleloading rifle or shotgun only, .38 caliber or larger. |
Two things northeast Ohio hunters sometimes mix up. The early October gun days (October 10 to 12) apply only inside the chronic wasting disease surveillance area in west-central Ohio (Allen, Hardin, Marion and neighboring counties), not to Lorain, Medina or Cuyahoga counties. And archery stays open during gun week, but during the youth gun season, deer gun season and muzzleloader season everyone hunting any animal except waterfowl has to wear hunter orange, archery hunters included.
Licenses, permits and what they cost
You need two things: an Ohio hunting license and a deer permit for each deer. Buy them online at wildohio.gov or through the HuntFish OH app, and keep them on your phone or printed. Current prices from the 2026-27 regulations:
- Resident hunting license: $19.00 for one year. Youth (17 and under) $10.00. Multi-year and lifetime licenses are also sold.
- Either-sex deer permit: $31.20 resident adult, $16.00 youth, $12.00 senior. Valid statewide September 26, 2026 to February 7, 2027, for an antlered or antlerless deer.
- Deer management permit: $15.00 adult, $8.00 youth or senior. Antlerless deer only, and only in the counties and dates where it is allowed, so check the bag limit map before you buy one.
- Apprentice license: $19.00 adult, $10.00 youth, for anyone who has not yet taken hunter education and will hunt with a licensed adult.
Bag limits in Lorain County and nearby
Statewide you may take one antlered deer per license year, no matter where or how. Beyond that, the limit is set by county. For 2026-27 Lorain, Medina, Erie, Huron, Ashland and Lake are three-deer counties: no more than three deer per license year from that county, using three either-sex permits, three deer management permits or any combination. The statewide total is six deer across all counties. On public hunting areas no more than two antlerless deer may be taken per license year. If you hunt a different county, look it up on the Division of Wildlife’s bag limit map, because the two-deer counties have the extra rule that only one deer may be antlerless.
What you can hunt with during gun season
- Shotgun: 10 gauge to .410, firing a single projectile (slug) per barrel. No metal-cased shells.
- Straight-walled cartridge rifle: any straight-walled cartridge from .357 to .50 caliber. That covers .350 Legend, .400 Legend, .450 Bushmaster, .360 Buckhammer, .45-70 Government, .444 Marlin and the .44 Magnum and .357 Magnum carbines. Bottleneck rifle rounds such as .223, .243, .308, 6.5 Creedmoor and .30-06 are not legal for deer in Ohio.
- Muzzleloader: rifle or shotgun, .38 caliber or larger, single projectile per barrel.
- Handgun: straight-walled cartridge, .357 Magnum or larger, single barrel at least five inches long.
- Three rounds, total. Shotguns and straight-walled rifles may be loaded with no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined. If your rifle came with a five- or ten-round magazine, hunt with a three-round magazine or a limiter.
Still choosing a rifle? Our straight-wall deer rifle guide compares .350 Legend, .400 Legend and .450 Bushmaster and lists what is on the rack. As of early October we have more than 180 straight-wall rifles listed in rifles, including Ruger American Generation II rifles in .350 Legend, .400 Legend and .450 Bushmaster on the counter in Grafton, and 30-plus straight-wall ammo listings in stock.
Hunter orange, hours and game check
- Orange: during youth gun, deer gun, bonus gun and muzzleloader seasons you must visibly wear a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls in solid or camouflage hunter orange. It applies statewide and to everyone hunting anything except waterfowl.
- Hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
- Game check: every deer must be reported. Complete the game check and get your confirmation code by noon the day after the kill, or by 11:30 p.m. on the last day of a season. Do it online, in the HuntFish OH app or by phone, and write the code on your tag.
- Sunday hunting is allowed in Ohio, and both gun weekends fall on it.
Pre-season checklist
- License and permits bought, either-sex permit in hand for your first deer, and the county limit checked for anywhere you plan to hunt.
- Rifle or slug gun sighted in with the exact load you will hunt. Straight-wall rifles are honest to about 200 yards; most Lorain County shots are inside 100. Our gunsmith can bore-sight, mount a scope and check torque if you are short on range time.
- Three-round magazine or limiter installed and tested.
- Enough ammo: one box to confirm zero, one for the season. Straight-wall ammo sells through in November, so buy it in October.
- Hunter orange that is actually visible: vest or coat, not just a hat.
- Knife, drag rope, gloves and tags. Half Face Blades and Brotherhood Blades field knives are on the wall in the shop.
- Game check saved on your phone before you leave the truck, because signal in the woods is not a given.
Looking for public hunting land within a drive of Lorain County, or a rut forecast? Buckeye Hunter Hub is an Ohio-run site with public land maps, season forecasts and a community of Ohio hunters, and it is worth a look before you pick a spot.
Quick answers
When is Ohio gun season in 2026?
November 30 through December 6, 2026, plus the bonus weekend of December 19 and 20. Youth gun season is November 21 and 22.
When is Ohio muzzleloader season?
January 2 through January 5, 2027.
Can I hunt deer in Ohio with an AR-15?
Only if it is chambered in a legal straight-wall cartridge such as .350 Legend or .450 Bushmaster, and only with three rounds loaded. A 5.56 or .300 Blackout AR is not legal for deer.
How many deer can I take in Lorain County?
Three for the 2026-27 season, with one permit per deer, and only one of your deer statewide may be antlered.
Do I need to wear orange during archery season?
Not normally, but yes whenever a gun or muzzleloader season is open at the same time, including the youth gun weekend and the bonus gun weekend.
Need a rifle, slugs, a three-round magazine or a scope mounted before opening day? Stop by D&A Armory at 34990 Royalton Rd in Grafton, call 440-669-3914, or read the straight-wall rifle guide first.
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