Ohio hunters and trappers have stepped into one of the vital energetic stretches of the yr, because the state’s 2025–26 small recreation and furbearer seasons formally opened this month. The Ohio Division of Wildlife has launched the complete schedule, together with county-specific steering, bag limits, and controlled-access alternatives for a number of species.
Small Recreation Searching Alternatives By Winter
The center of small recreation searching kicked off Nov. 7, opening seasons for ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit, ring-necked pheasant, chukar, and bobwhite quail.
Key dates and limits embrace:
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Ruffed Grouse: Open in choose counties by way of Nov. 30; one fowl each day.
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Cottontail Rabbit: Runs by way of Feb. 28, 2026; restrict 4 per day.
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Ring-Necked Pheasant (Males Solely): Nov. 7–Jan. 11, 2026; restrict two.
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Chukar: Nov. 7–Jan. 11, 2026; restrict 4.
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Bobwhite Quail: Open solely in specified counties and wildlife areas Nov. 7–Nov. 30; restrict two.
Authorized searching hours differ barely by species and sort of land. Quail searching, for instance, is proscribed to sunrise-to-sunset on personal land in open counties, in addition to the Tri-Valley and Crown Metropolis wildlife areas (Crown Metropolis is managed entry solely). Pheasant and rabbit seasons additionally comply with daylight restrictions. Squirrel searching opens half-hour earlier than dawn till sundown.
Hunters who pursue stocked pheasants will see scheduled releases all through the autumn, together with youth weekends and a number of public launch dates. Areas corresponding to Caesar Creek, Fallsville, Funk Bottoms, Killdeer Plains, Nice Valley, and Salt Fork might require particular permits or controlled-access participation on choose days. The state notes these techniques assist steadiness entry strain with wholesome fowl administration.
(For more upland field coverage, explore OutdoorHub’s upland hunting news section.)
Trapping Seasons and Furbearer Laws
Trapping seasons for foxes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and weasels started on November 10, 2025, and can run by way of January 31, 2026, with no bag limits. Mink and muskrat trapping additionally opened Nov. 10 and proceed by way of Feb. 28, with prolonged seasons in a number of Lake Erie counties by way of March 15. Beaver and river otter trapping opens later, from December 26 to February. 28.
A sound searching license and fur taker allow are required for many furbearers (besides coyotes). Trappers should:
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Test all traps each day.
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Use authorized lure sizes and configurations.
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Keep away from inserting traps inside 150 toes of an occupied residence until the resident is notified.
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Acquire particular permits for beaver or otter trapping on state-managed lands.
The Division of Wildlife can be asking hunters and trappers to voluntarily submit harvested or road-killed river otters and grey foxes to help ongoing analysis with The Ohio State College.
Custom, Entry, and Accountable Use
For a lot of, these seasons characterize greater than harvest alternative—they mark a seasonal rhythm of canine within the grass, recent tracks after a frost, and early mornings checking line units. The state emphasizes the significance of realizing laws, respecting landowners, and planning forward, significantly for managed areas and acquiring particular permits.
Full particulars, together with maps of open quail counties, pheasant launch websites, and trapping allow data, can be found on the Ohio Division of Wildlife web site.
Featured picture credit score: Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan from Aliabad, Hunza, Pakistan, CC BY-SA 2.0, through Wikimedia Commons
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