As the quiet of winter approaches and hunters gear up for the season, regulations shift in response to the delicate balances of nature. The Ohio Wildlife Council has announced new measures for white-tailed deer hunting in several counties. Starting December 1, coinciding with the opening of the seven-day deer gun season, hunters in Athens, Meigs, and Washington counties will be restricted to bagging just one deer. In Morgan County, the limit hits a ceiling at two. The changes are a direct response to an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), a condition unfavorable to the deer population and those pursuing the game.
Before the outbreak motivated a revision, hunters in these areas were privy to a three-deer limit that will remain effective until November 30. According to a report published by ODNR, the newly set limits are part of a conservation strategy meant to ease the strain on local deer populations, giving the affected herds a chance to recover during the precarious times brought on by EHD. These adjusted bag limits are scheduled to stand through to the closure of the 2025-26 hunting season on February 1, 2026.
Deer hunters elsewhere in Ohio can proceed without a hitch, the bag limits for the remainder of the state are staying the course. This information and other regulations governing the current hunting and trapping seasons are detailed in the latest 2025-26 Hunting and Trapping Regulations, which can be consulted for a comprehensive understanding of the rules.
The Ohio Wildlife Council, which rubber-stamps all proposals and changes made by the Division of Wildlife, keeps its doors open to public input. Those with thoughts to share or oppositions to voice concerning wildlife management have a platform through these meetings. In publishing the decision, the ODNR encourages individuals to register their comments by calling ahead of time and requests that they be concise, ideally with a three-minute maximum delivery.
