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Hunting / Small Game
Small Game Season Dates and Bag Limits
Youth Hunters' Small Game Season
Dove Hunting
Squirrel Hunting
Grouse Hunting
Rabbit Hunting
Restricted Rabbit Hunting Area
Pheasant Hunting
Quail Hunting
Other Small Game
Hunting Game During the Deer Seasons
It is unlawful to hunt any wild animal except deer, coyote, waterfowl, or wild boar during the 7-day deer gun season from Dec. 2 through Dec. 8, 2013 between 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset. However, you cannot hunt coyote or boar between sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise during any of the deer gun and muzzleloader seasons.
It may be lawful to hunt legal game animals and furbearers, but may be unlawful to use or possess slugs under certain circurmstances during the youth deer gun season, deer gun season weekend, and the statewide muzzleloader deer season. See Hunting Other Game During the Deer Hunting Seasons.
Youth Hunters' Small Game Season
In an effort to encourage youth participation in
hunting, the Division of Wildlife has established
a young hunters’ season. See the Youth Hunting Section for more information.
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Dove Hunting
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sets the framework for hunting doves. Refer to Publication 5298, Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons, for details. This publication will be available at wildlife district offices, license agents, and online at wildohio.com prior to the season. Maps of dove fields can also be found at wildohio.com. Hours for dove are sunrise to sunset, except for those wildlife areas which have been posted with special regulations. Doves may be hunted on areas that have been manipulated (i.e., “bush hogged”) for wildlife management purposes, in addition to areas that have been planted or harvested in a normal agricultural manner. Neither waterfowl nor doves may be hunted on areas where grain or other feed has been distributed once it has been removed from or stored on the field where grown. Contact an Ohio Division of Wildlife district office or a state wildlife officer for clarification on baiting regulations before you hunt.
Special Dove Hunting Regulations
The Ohio Division of Wildlife is planning to operate controlled dove hunts at Fallsville, Rush Run, Spring Valley, Indian Creek, and Bott wildlife areas, and St. Marys Fish Hatchery. These controlled hunts will occur during the first two days of the season (Sunday, Sept. 1 - Monday, Sept. 2); hunting hours will be noon to sunset. Please contact the District Five Office (937-372- 9261) for dove hunting information. Drawings for opening day dove hunts at these six public hunting areas will be held at noon on Saturday, Aug. 24 at the respective wildlife area headquarters. See Page 7 for hunter orange requirements.
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Squirrel Hunting
Daily bag limit is 6. Gray, red, and fox squirrels can be taken. Hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
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Grouse Hunting
Daily bag limit is 2. Hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
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Rabbit Hunting
The daily bag limit is 4. Hours are sunrise to sunset statewide. Closed during the seven-day deer gun season (Dec. 2 - Dec. 8, 2013).
Snowshoe hares are protected by Ohio law and may NOT be hunted. Snowshoe hares are slightly larger than the more familiar cottontail rabbit, and unlike the cottontails, hares turn white during the winter. However, both hares and rabbits will be brown in color at the beginning of Ohio’s rabbit hunting season in November. Rabbit hunters in northeast Ohio must make sure they do not mistake a snowshoe hare for a cottontail rabbit.
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Pheasant Hunting
The daily bag limit is 2. Hours are sunrise to sunset statewide. Only cock pheasants may be killed. Pheasant hunting is open on public and private land. The Ohio Division of Wildlife typically releases pheasants prior to the youth small game season weekends, the opening day of pheasant season, the second Saturday of the season, and Thanksgiving Day. The number of pheasants released will depend upon numbers available. Releases will take place at the Ringneck Ridge Wildlife Area (by permit only, contact the Sandusky County Park District at 419-334-4495), Charlemont Metro Park, and the following wildlife areas during pheasant hunting season: Beach City, Berlin, Caesar Creek, Camp Belden (youth only), Darke, Delaware, Dillon, Fallsville, Grand River, Highlandtown, Indian Creek, Killdeer Plains, Oxbow Lake, Pleasant Valley, Resthaven, Rush Run, Salt Fork, Shreve Lake, Spencer, Spring Valley, Tiffin River, Wellington, West Branch, Willard Marsh, Wyandot, and Zepernick..
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Quail Hunting
Daily bag limit is 4. Hours are sunrise to sunset. Quail hunting will be open only in the following counties: Adams, Athens, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Highland, Jackson, Meigs, Montgomery, Pike, Preble, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, Warren counties.
Counties Open for Hunting:
2013 Bobwhite Quail
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Other Small Game
Fox, raccoon, skunk, opossum, and weasel - No daily bag limit. No restrictions on hours except during the seven-day deer gun season (Dec. 2 - Dec. 8, 2013). These species may not be hunted between 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset during the deer gun season. Hunters must purchase a hunting license and a fur taker permit to hunt these species.
Crow - No daily bag limit. Hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. State and federal stamps are not required to hunt crow.
Coyote Hunting and Trapping - No daily bag limit, no closed season. If hunted during the deer gun season, hours and legal hunting devices are the same as for deer gun season. Rifles and night vision scopes are legal for coyote hunting; however, rifles and night hunting (between sunset and 1/2 before sunrise) are prohibited during any firearm/muzzleloader deer seasons.
Groundhog - No daily bag limit. No restriction on hours; closed only during the seven-day deer gun season (Dec. 2 - Dec. 8, 2013).
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