Ohio DNR: Deer Hunting
- There are different licenses for different ages and weapons.boy hunter image by Katrina Miller from Fotolia.com
Determine the type of license you are eligible for. Licenses are for age 17 and under, ages 18 to 65 and over 66 years of age and born before 1937. There are different licenses and permits for residents and nonresidents. Permits for antlerless deer are less expensive. If you are a beginner and will be accompanied by an experienced hunter 21 years of age or older, you can obtain an "Apprentice" annual license. - Broadheads must be 3/4 of an inch across.tip on an arrow image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
You need written permission to hunt on private land, even if it is not posted. Spotlighting is illegal. You cannot hunt from a vehicle except a boat or farm machinery. You cannot shoot from on, across or along a public road. During muzzleloader and youth deer season, you cannot use shot larger than No. 4, and you have to wear at least a vest in hunter orange or hunter orange camouflage. You can hunt deer with a crossbow or conventional bow with a draw weight greater than 40 lbs. Broadheads have to be at least 3/4 of an inch across. You cannot use a bowsight that projects a beam of light. - Seasons range from late fall to early winter.deer in the woods image by Liz Van Steenburgh from Fotolia.com
The archery season for white-tailed deer starts in late September and closes in early February. The youth deer season runs for two days in November. The muzzleloader season runs for a few days in January. There is a special early muzzleloader season for some areas of the state. The gun season runs from late November to early December. The extended gun season runs for two days in December. - There are different bag limits for different zones.deer image by Charles Kaye from Fotolia.com
A single hunter can take no more than one antlered deer per season, regardless of the location and regardless of the method of taking (bow, gun or muzzleloader). The state is divided into three zones, A, B, C, with different bag limits. The bag limits can change every season and for every zone. To determine the zone you will be hunting and what the bag limits are, check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources regulations. - Deer taken in "Urban Units" do not count on your bag limit in other areas.deer in the city image by Stas from Fotolia.com
Deer that are taken in specially designated Urban Units and during controlled hunts do not count in a hunter's bag limits. You cannot hunt with a firearm earlier than 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset. Bowhunters can hunt from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. A hunter orange vest or orange camouflage vest is required for the youth deer gun season, deer gun season, muzzleloader deer season and in designated areas. The antlered deer permit can also be used to take an antlerless deer. - Place the tag on the deer where it falls.deer image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
Immediately after killing a deer, the hunter must fill out the temporary tag with his name and address and the date and time the deer was killed. Detach the tag from the permit and immediately attach it to the deer where the deer fell. Remember to bring a string or wire to attach the temporary tag to the deer. Deer must be taken to a check station before 8 p.m. on the day the deer was killed. - Only leashed dogs are permitted for tracking wounded deer.hungarian vizsla hunting hunt dog pet image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
Tree stands are illegal on public hunting lands. You can't carry more than one can at a time, and you can't carry a handgun during the muzzleloader or archery seasons. You can't use dogs to hunt deer, but leashed dogs can be used to track wounded deer. You can't pursue wounded deer onto private land without written permission of the landowner. There are numerous other regulations regarding hunting other game during deer season and more. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for regulations concerning deer hunting.
