Fall Hunting Season Begins in Ohio – Ohio Ag Net

Author: Dan Armitage, Outdoor Writer

The hunting seasons for squirrels (fox, red and gray), doves, rails (gray and red), snipe and moorhens began Sept. 1, with early Canada goose hunting running through Sept. 15 and early teal hunting (blue and green wing) remaining open through Sept. 22. Archery deer season opens statewide Sept. 28.

Squirrels are abundant throughout the state, with red squirrels being more abundant in western Ohio and gray squirrels being most abundant in the eastern counties. Early in the hunting season, squirrels can be found in forests and thickets where beech, oak, and hickory grow. Squirrel season runs through January 31, 2025.

Pigeons have been a popular game bird in Ohio since 1995. They are abundant early in the season, especially in farmland and open fields, and migrate to southern habitats for the winter. Pigeon season runs through November 3, with a second season from December 7 to January 1, 2025.

Canada geese, blue-winged teal, and green teal are among the first migratory waterfowl to arrive in Ohio’s wetlands. Waterfowl hunting is best done in cultivated fields, from the banks of wetlands or ponds, or from a boat. Waterfowl identification is important early in the season when similar species are not legal game, so it’s a good idea to review an identification guide before hunting early in the season.

The statewide archery deer season begins Sept. 28, and hunters in the disease surveillance area (all of Hardin, Marion and Wyandot counties, as well as Auglaize and Jackson townships in Allen County) began archery Sept. 14. This year, hunters can use deer management permits, valid for antlerless deer, through Sunday, Dec. 22, the last day of the bonus gun deer season. See the hunting regulations brochure for more information.

Hunters should check the current regulations for changes to season dates and daily limits when the 2024 fall season begins. A summary of 2024-2025 hunting and trapping regulations can be found at wildohio.gov, in the HuntFish OH app or wherever licenses are sold.

Little Portage Project Completion

Speaking of waterfowl hunting, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has completed a new wetland restoration project at the Little Portage Wildlife Area in Ottawa County to improve water quality while benefiting surrounding communities and revitalizing the area’s ecosystem. The restoration project replaced subsurface drainage to redirect water from more than 400 acres of agricultural land to the wildlife area’s wetlands for filtration before flowing into the Little Portage River. The wildlife area covers 357 acres and lies six miles west of Port Clinton, bounded on the west by the Little Portage River and on the north by the Portage River, creating a diverse and delicate ecosystem of mostly riverine marshes and is popular with waterfowl hunters.

“This wetland restoration will continue to protect and preserve both the Little Portage River and the Little Portage Wildlife Area,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “Taking these steps is necessary to help ensure Ohio’s waterways are free from excessive nutrient runoff that causes water quality issues and to protect our many beautiful natural areas for generations to come.”

The project will also improve the overall water quality of Lake Erie because the Little Portage River flows directly into the lake and the wetlands will filter any excess sediment, nutrients or pollutants that may contribute to harmful algal blooms. The Little Portage project is one of more than 100 H2Ohio water quality projects that have been completed in the state, with about 80 additional projects currently underway.

Spring Turkey Hunting Season Proposal

The Ohio Wildlife Council has received proposals for the 2025 spring wild turkey season, as well as proposals to change minimum length requirements for walleye, sauger and saugeye on several inland lakes. A full list of proposed rule changes is available at wildohio.gov. Anyone wishing to comment on the Division of Wildlife proposals can do so online at wildohio.gov through Sept. 25. The proposed regulations will be voted on during the Ohio Wildlife Council meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

Proposed dates for the spring 2025 wild turkey hunting season are as follows:

• Youth: Saturday, April 12 – Sunday, April 13, 2025

• South zone: from Saturday 19 April to Sunday 18 May 2025

• North-East Zone: from Saturday, May 3 to Sunday, June 1, 2025

The Ohio turkey hunting season is divided into two zones to accommodate turkey nesting times in those regions. The southern zone covers most of Ohio, encompassing 83 counties. The northeast zone includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties. Each year, the proposed opening date for the southern zone is the Saturday closest to April 21, and the northeast zone is the Saturday closest to May 1. Under these guidelines, the opening dates for the southern and northeast zones can differ by up to two weeks.

Proposals for inland fishing include a proposal to eliminate the 15-inch minimum length requirement for walleye, sauger and saugeye on Acton Lake, Alum Creek Lake, Atwood Lake, Buckeye Lake, Caesar Creek Lake, Ferguson Reservoir, Findlay Reservoir 1, Findlay Reservoir 2, Indian Lake, Metzger Reservoir, Piedmont Lake, Pleasant Hill Lake, Rocky Fork Lake, Seneca Lake and Tappan Lake. If approved, there would be no minimum length requirement for walleye, sauger or saugeye on those waters. Under the same proposal, a 15-inch minimum length requirement for walleye, sauger and saugeye would be added on Mosquito Creek Lake and LaDue Reservoir Lake to better protect fish populations.

The Ohio Wildlife Council is an eight-member board that approves all proposed rules and regulations of the Division of Wildlife. Council meetings are open to the public. Those interested in commenting are asked to call 614-265-6304 at least two days before the meeting to register. All comments must be three minutes or less. Visit wildohio.gov to learn more. And thanks for your participation!