Bowhunting in Ohio: Archery Season and Rules

Ohio's deer hunting bow season for 2026–27 runs from Saturday 26 September 2026 to Sunday 7 February 2027 statewide, and from 12 September inside the disease surveillance area. You'll need an Ohio hunting licence plus an either-sex deer permit or a deer management permit, and you can use a compound, recurve, longbow or crossbow. Everything below comes from the Division of Wildlife's 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Regulations.

Rules checked on 9 October 2026; this isn't legal advice and regulations change, so confirm with the Ohio Division of Wildlife before you hunt.

Ohio deer seasons for 2026–27

The regulations list the archery season alongside four firearm and muzzleloader windows. Archery stays open through all of them.

Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Note that last row: for 2026-27, Ohio says fall turkey hunting "is permitted only with shotguns using shotshells" and "fall turkey hunting with archery equipment is not permitted."

The DSA covers all of Allen, Hardin, Marion and Wyandot counties plus listed townships in Crawford, Delaware, Morrow, Hancock and Union counties. It grew this year, so check the boundary list.

To compare neighbouring states, see our archery season dates by state or our Pennsylvania archery season guide.

Bowhunting by the numbers

Ohio's archery season isn't a sideshow. In its release for the 2025 opener, ODNR said bowhunting's popularity shows in "the record 106,269 deer taken during the 2024-25 archery season", out of 238,137 deer checked overall that year, the fourth-highest total on record. That's close to 45% of the state's deer harvest taken with archery tackle, crossbows included. We couldn't find ODNR's final 2025-26 totals when we checked, so the 2024-25 record is the latest official archery figure we can quote.

Licences and deer permits

Every Ohio hunter, whatever their age, needs a valid hunting licence, plus a deer permit unless exempt. Licences run from 1 March to the end of February.

Transaction fees may apply online. Either-sex permits are valid from 26 September 2026 to 7 February 2027 (from 12 September in the DSA). The big change for 2026-27 is that deer management permits can now be used "throughout the deer season". In 2025 ODNR said they were only valid until the bonus gun weekend closed.

Bag limits. The statewide limit is six deer, but only one may be antlered (at least one antler 3 inches or longer). Each county also has a limit of two, three or four deer, and the DSA allows six. On public hunting areas, no more than two antlerless deer may be taken per licence year. Some resident landowners are exempt on their own land.

Hunter education and youth hunters

All first-time licence buyers must pass a hunter education course before buying a licence, unless they buy an apprentice licence. Ohio offers instructor-led classes and an online course for residents aged 12 and older. An apprentice licence lets new hunters try it first, but they must be accompanied by a licensed hunter aged 21 or older, who can accompany no more than two apprentices at once.

When is youth bow season in Ohio?

The 2026-27 regulations don't list a separate youth archery season. Young hunters (17 and younger) bowhunt during the regular archery season, 26 September to 7 February, with a youth licence and youth deer permit. The youth-only season is the two-day youth gun season, 21 to 22 November. All hunters under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, and youths in designated youth seasons must have a nonhunting adult with them.

Legal bows, crossbows and broadheads

The regulations set these rules for deer archery hunting:

• Longbow or bow (including compound and recurve): "The minimum draw weight is 40 pounds."
• Crossbow: "The minimum draw weight is 75 pounds." Crossbows are legal for everyone during archery season, as our guide to whether crossbows are legal for hunting explains.
• Broadheads: at least two cutting edges, "exposed or unexposed", with a minimum 3/4-inch width. "Expandable and mechanical broadheads are legal."
• Lights: you can't have attached to a longbow or crossbow "any mechanical, electrical, or electronic device capable of projecting a visible beam of light". Rangefinders using non-visible light are fine. The digest doesn't mention lighted nocks or lighted sight pins in the sections we read, so ask ODNR if you're unsure.
• One implement: you may carry only one hunting implement for deer, and no firearm while bowhunting except a legally carried concealed handgun.

If you're choosing a bow to meet the 40 lb minimum, our guide to draw weight for deer hunting explains why accuracy matters as much as poundage.

Bait, public land and tree stands

Ohio's bait rule depends on where you hunt. On private land outside the DSA, a deer hunter "may" hunt over bait. But you can't hunt deer over bait on any public hunting area, and inside the DSA "the placement of or use of bait (salt, minerals, or any food) to attract or feed deer" is prohibited. Food plots, crops and normal farming are still allowed in the DSA.

On public hunting lands you can't build or use a permanent tree stand, or put spikes, nails, wires or other metal into a tree as steps or to hold a stand. On private land you need the landowner's permission to do any of that. Our tree stand safety guide covers harnesses and climbing.

Hunter orange during gun seasons

Ohio's rule: hunting any wild animal except waterfowl, from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset during the youth deer gun, deer gun and deer muzzleloader seasons, "is unlawful unless the hunter is visibly wearing a vest, coat, jacket, or coveralls that are either solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange." It applies statewide, on public and private land, and bowhunters are included. Archers may hunt during the youth gun weekend only if they're not accompanying a youth hunter and are wearing orange.

A plain orange vest over your camo does the job. You can browse blaze orange hunting vests on Amazon.

Tagging and game check

Fill in your permit with the date, time and county of kill straight away, before you move the deer (submitting through the HuntFish OH app also counts). Then complete game check and get a confirmation code "by noon the day after the kill", or by 11:30 p.m. the same day if you kill a deer on the last day of a season. You can check by app, at HuntFishOH.gov, by phone on 1-877-TAG-IT-OH, or through a licence agent. Game check must be done before you skin the deer or remove its head.

Rules checked on 9 October 2026; not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

When does deer hunting bow season start in Ohio?

The 2026–27 archery season opens on 26 September 2026 statewide and closes on 7 February 2027. In the disease surveillance area (all of Allen, Hardin, Marion and Wyandot counties plus listed townships) archery opens earlier, on 12 September. Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

When is youth bow season in Ohio?

Ohio doesn't list a separate youth archery season for 2026–27. Youths aged 17 and younger hunt the regular archery season, 26 September to 7 February, with a youth hunting licence and youth deer permit. The youth-only deer season is the gun weekend of 21 and 22 November, when archers must wear orange.

Can you use a crossbow during Ohio archery season?

Yes. Ohio lists the crossbow as legal deer archery equipment, with a minimum draw weight of 75 pounds and broadheads with at least two cutting edges and a 3/4-inch minimum width. ODNR's 2025 opener release said crossbows, compound bows, recurve bows and longbows can all be used during archery season.

Can you hunt over bait in Ohio?

On private land outside the disease surveillance area, yes. You can't hunt deer over bait on any public hunting area, and inside the DSA it's illegal to place or use bait, salt or minerals to attract deer. Food plots and standing crops are still allowed there. Wild turkeys can never be hunted over bait.