The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) regulates hunting and provides detailed rules in its Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations guidebook, available on the department's website at ohiodnr.gov.
According to a post on the ODNR's Facebook page, an estimated 300,000 hunters will journey to the state's forests and fields as this year’s deer gun hunting season kicks off this weekend. Officials are reminding hunters to observe safety measures and wear orange when hunting.
Beginning with incursions from neighboring states in the early 1930s, Ohio’s deer herd has grown from about 17,000 deer in 1970 to an estimated 700,000 deer today, according the the agency's fact sheet, Managing Ohio's Deer Herd.
Keep in mind that Knox County is a three-deer county, meaning a hunter may harvest no more than three deer in the county during
the 2021-22 season. A hunter may use three either-sex permits, three deer management permits or any combination thereof.
Here is a summary of the rules governing a popular species, the white-tailed deer.
Deer hunting hours
Hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Deer tag and check
A hunter is required to complete the game-check process following the harvest of a white-tailed deer. See page 16 for more information.
Deer bag limits
A hunter may kill no more than one antlered deer during the 2021-22 season regardless of where or how it is taken. An antlered deer has at least one antler 3 inches or longer in length.
Deer hunting permits
In addition to your valid Ohio hunting license, you must purchase an either-sex deer permit or a deer management permit to hunt deer in Ohio, unless exempted. The either-sex deer permit is valid from Sept. 25, 2021 to Feb. 6, 2022. The deer management permit is valid from Sept. 25 to Nov. 28, 2021.
Either-sex deer permit
The either-sex deer permit is good for an antlered or antlerless deer and is valid statewide. This permit may be used during any of the deer hunting seasons and controlled hunts. This permit may be purchased individually throughout the entire deer season. No more than one deer may be antlered during the 2021-22 season.
Deer management permit
Deer management permits may be used to take antlerless deer. The permits are valid on private land statewide from Sept. 25 to Nov. 28. Deer management permits are not valid on public lands, except Killdeer Plains and Lake La Su An wildlife areas, and authorized controlled hunts. Hunters are not required to buy an either-sex deer permit before purchasing a deer management permit.
Deer hunting on public land
No more than one antlerless deer may be taken from all public hunting areas per li- cense year. A list of public hunting areas is available at wildohio.gov. Authorized Division of Wildlife controlled hunts, Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area in Wyandot County and Lake La Su An Wildlife Area in Williams County, are exempt.
Controlled deer hunts
The Division of Wildlife conducts controlled hunts on areas not normally open to hunting. For information about con- trolled hunts, visit wildohio.gov or call 800-WILDLIFE (800-945-3543). A deer harvested during a controlled hunt does not count toward a county and statewide bag limit. Permits are selected by computer generated random drawings. The application period is July 1 through July 31 annually. Hunters may apply at wildohio.gov, or by calling 866-703-1928 with a convenience fee. Deer management permits may be used in controlled hunts not administered by the Division of Wildlife if the entity hold- ing the hunt has received authorization from the chief of the Division of Wildlife. It is the hunter’s responsibility to check with the agency administering the hunt to see deer management permits may be used. The Division of Wildlife conducts several controlled deer hunts for young hunters.
