Deer archery season begins Saturday

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s popular deer archery hunting season begins on Saturday, September 28, and according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, deer are Ohio’s most sought-after game animal and an important food source for families across the Buckeye State.

Ohio has an extensive archery season that is open Saturday, September 28, through Sunday, February 2, 2025. Hunters may use crossbows, compound Bowhunting continues to be popular in Ohio, as shown by the record 100,951 deer taken during the 2023-24 archery season. Overall, hunters checked 213,928 deer in 2023-24.

October and November are the most popular months for hunting because of increased deer activity during their breeding season. More than two-thirds of all deer harvested in the 2023-24 season were checked in October and November.

Ohio has additional deer hunting options to accompany the archery season. The two-day youth gun season is Saturday and Sunday, November 16-17. The statewide seven-day gun season begins on Monday, December 2 and continues through Sunday, December 8. An additional two-day gun season for all hunters is December. 21-22, followed by late-season muzzleloader hunting Jan. 4-7, 2025.

Hunters are required to have a valid hunting license and deer permit before heading into the field. Hunting licenses and deer permits can be purchased on the free HuntFish OH mobile app. App users can also view maps of public hunting areas, see the current hunting regulations, view sunrise and sunset times, and check game without a cellular connection. The app is available for Android and iOS users.