Ohio Deer Hunting License: Tags, Seasons and Cost 2026
Deer hunting in Ohio is a hunting license plus a deer permit, not one product. For 2026-27 a resident adult pays $19 for the license and $31.20 for the either-sex deer permit ($50.20). A non-resident adult pays $180.96 plus $218.40 ($399.36). Youth either-sex is $16. Extra antlerless deer are a $15 deer management permit.
| Item | Resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting license (adult 1-year) | $19 | $180.96 |
| Either-sex deer permit | $31.20 | $218.40 |
| Typical deer-hunt total | $50.20 | $399.36 |
| Deer management permit (antlerless) | $15 | $15 |
| Youth either-sex deer permit | $16 | $16 |
| Senior either-sex deer permit | $12 | Resident only |
What you buy to hunt deer in Ohio
Start with a valid Ohio hunting license, then add an either-sex deer permit or a deer management permit unless you are exempt (resident landowners hunting their own land, and a few other cases listed on the ODNR page). The either-sex permit can take a buck or a doe. The deer management permit is antlerless only. You may buy more than one deer management permit where the county bag limit allows it. Only one antlered deer may be taken in the 2026-27 season. An antlered deer has at least one antler 3 inches or longer.
The 3-day non-resident tourist license is $40.56 and is not valid for deer. Out-of-state hunters who want a weekend of squirrels can use it. Out-of-state hunters who want a deer buy the $180.96 annual license and the $218.40 deer permit.
Ohio deer seasons 2026-27
ODNR's Wildlife Council set these statewide dates. Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Confirm the current digest before you sit, especially inside a disease surveillance area.
Archery: Saturday, September 26, 2026 through Sunday, February 7, 2027. In the disease surveillance area the either-sex and deer management permits are valid from Saturday, September 12, 2026. Youth deer gun: Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, 2026. Deer gun: Monday, November 30 through Sunday, December 6, 2026, then Saturday, December 19 and Sunday, December 20, 2026. Muzzleloader: Saturday, January 2 through Tuesday, January 5, 2027.
Bag limits and CWD
County bag limits still vary. ODNR raised the limit to three deer in Defiance, Paulding and Warren counties for 2026-27. Athens, Meigs and Washington counties, hit by epizootic hemorrhagic disease in 2025, are limited to two deer and no more than one antlerless. The chronic wasting disease surveillance area has a season bag limit of six. The 2026-27 surveillance area added all of Allen County, Van Buren Township in Hancock County, and Holmes Township in Crawford County. Carcass movement and testing rules apply inside that area. Read the current ODNR CWD page for the counties you will hunt, not a memory of last year's map.
How to buy the deer permit
Buy the hunting license and the deer permit in one checkout at huntfishoh.gov, in the HuntFish OH app, or at an authorized vendor. Game check after a harvest can be done in the same account. Controlled-hunt lotteries, when they are open, also run through that system. A phone copy is legal if it will open when asked.
Start from the Ohio hunting license page for the base license, or compare non-resident hunting and non-resident fishing fees across states. Official source: ODNR hunting licenses and permits .