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3-deer county
Warren County Hunting Guide
From September squirrels to the January muzzleloader days, this Warren County page collects deer limits, harvest counts, bird zones, public land and ODNR contacts for the county.
Photo: Ted (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Warren County deer rules and harvest
Warren County sits in the 3-deer class on the 2026-27 bag limit map, which caps what one hunter may take inside the county. Cross into Hamilton (4) and a different county limit takes over. Deer from several counties can be combined up to six, but just one may carry an antler 3 inches or longer.
Hunters choose between the either-sex permit ($31.20 resident, $218.40 nonresident) and the $15.00 deer management permit, which ODNR now honours all season. A deer from a controlled hunting access lottery sits outside the county count.
Disease Surveillance Area status for Warren County
No part of Warren County is in the DSA, and ODNR has listed no wild CWD case from the county through June 2026. The nearest county with DSA ground is Union, about 74 miles away centre to centre. Bringing deer parts home from the DSA or another state means following the carcass rules.
Deer tallies for Warren County over four seasons
Last season ended with 1,377 deer checked in Warren County, 8% more than the 1,275 of the year before. That places it 64th of 88 counties for 2025-26. Bows and crossbows took 58% of the 2025-26 total, and antlered deer made up 51%. ODNR's in-season report gives 338 deer for the county through November 3, 2026. Of the 2025 seasons, crossbow produced the most deer here: 524.
| Season | Deer tagged | Antlered | Antlerless | Bowhunters | Gunners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,055 | 466 | 589 | 611 | — |
| 2023-24 | 1,065 | 540 | 525 | 669 | — |
| 2024-25 | 1,275 | 643 | 632 | 751 | 524 |
| 2025-26 | 1,377 | 708 | 669 | 796 | 581 |
2025 deer by season type in Warren County
| Season | Bucks | Does | Button bucks | Total | 3-yr avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun | 169 | 192 | 30 | 391 | 302 |
| Crossbow | 324 | 163 | 37 | 524 | 456 |
| Longbow | 144 | 94 | 21 | 259 | 209 |
| Bonus Gun | 32 | 41 | 11 | 84 | 69 |
| Muzzleloader | 17 | 30 | 4 | 51 | 51 |
| Youth | 38 | 17 | 2 | 57 | 35 |
| Total | 729 | 543 | 106 | 1,378 | 1,132 |
Bag limit from the 2026-27 deer bag limit map and deer rules (digest pp. 6-11); DSA from OAC 1501:31-19-03 and CWD rules; detections from the ODNR CWD page and tests from the 2025-26 CWD summary; harvest from the 2022-23 final weekly report; 2023-24 final weekly report; 2024-25 final weekly report; 2025-26 final weekly report, the 2026-27 report through Nov. 3 and the 2025-26 deer summary; permit prices from the license list. Checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Warren County Hunting Guide
Warren County openers and closing days
Spring turkey is missing from this table because the 2026 season is over and ODNR had not published 2027 dates when Warren County was checked; the turkey section below gives the 2026 dates.
| Game | Split or method | Zone | Opening | Closing | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Deer | Youth gun | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Deer | Gun | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Deer | Bonus gun | Statewide | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall counties | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Chukar | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Youth small game weekend | Quail counties | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Youth small game weekend | Quail counties | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Regular | Quail counties | Nov 6, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 1) | Zone C | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Zone C | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Zone C | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Zone C | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Statewide | Oct 16, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 25, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Rails | Rail | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Gallinule | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Crow (Fri-Sun) | Statewide | Jun 5, 2026 | Mar 7, 2027 | |
| Groundhog | No closed season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting (no closed season) | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Trapping (no closed season) | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Mink | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Muskrat | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| River otter | Trapping | Otter Zone B | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Beaver | Trapping | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
From the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and the 2026-27 hunting seasons list (ODNR Division of Wildlife), checked November 6, 2026.
Warren County bird and trapping seasons
Warren County duck and goose seasons
All of Warren County falls in waterfowl Zone C, one of the three duck and goose zones ODNR drew for 2026-27. Zone C ducks reopen on December 12 after the October split and last until January 31, 2027. Goose hunters in Zone C have until February 15, 2027. Before the zone seasons, all of Ohio gets early teal and goose from September 5 to September 13, 2026, then youth and military days on October 3 to October 4, 2026. Mourning dove hunting has two statewide splits, September 1 to November 8, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 1, 2027, and woodcock fall between them. The Ohio wetlands stamp ($15.00) and federal duck stamp ($25.00) go with HIP for anyone 16 or older after ducks or geese.
| Zone | Duck windows | Goose windows |
|---|---|---|
| Zone C | Oct 17-25 Dec 12-Jan 31 | Oct 17-25 Nov 21-Feb 15 |
Warren County turkey numbers
In the South zone, which includes Warren County, spring 2026 ran April 25 to May 24, 2026; no 2027 dates were out at our check. The youth spring weekend was April 18 to April 19, 2026 in 2026. The 2026 spring count for Warren County was 106 birds (82 in 2023); that ranked 55th in Ohio. Warren County opens to fall turkey on October 1, 2026 and closes October 25, 2026; one turkey, shotgun only. 8 fall birds were reported from Warren County in 2025.
| Spring | Total | Adult males | Jakes | Bearded hens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 82 | 70 | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 | 79 | 70 | 9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 81 | 63 | 18 | 0 |
| 2026 | 106 | 66 | 40 | 0 |
| Fall | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 8 |
Small game and trapping in Warren County
Bobwhite quail are open in Warren County, one of 16 quail counties, November 6 to November 29, 2026. Statewide small game dates apply: squirrel from September 1, cottontail and pheasant from November 6. River otter Zone B covers Warren County. Furbearers open November 10, 2026, beaver and otter December 26, 2026. The otter season limit reads: 3 total, max. 1 from Zone B. Mink and muskrat close on February 28, 2027.
Zones from OAC 1501:31-7-07 and the digest waterfowl pages; seasons from the 2026-27 season dates; turkey from the turkey rules with spring and fall results (2023 spring; 2024 spring; 2025 spring; 2026 spring; 2023 fall; 2024 fall; 2025 fall); quail from OAC 1501:31-15-21; otter zones from the trapping pages; stamps from the license list. Checked November 6, 2026.
Where the public ground is in Warren County
About 5,739 acres, or 2.2% of Warren County, is mapped public hunting land; that puts it 33rd of 88. By acreage, Caesar Creek State Park leads the places in Warren County, 3,741 acres in total. Count in 4,706 acres of huntable state park, at Caesar Creek State Park.
| Kind | Mapped acres |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas | 985 |
| Corps of Engineers land | 5,458 |
| State parks (hunting) | 4,706 |
There are also 1,199 acres of state nature preserve land, closed to hunting and left out above. ODNR lists no L/HAP property for Warren County. Lottery hunts: Caesar Creek State Park, Caesar Creek Wildlife Area and Spring Valley Wildlife Area host 10 controlled hunts in 2026.
Warren County hunting places
Wildlife areas and forests near Warren County
- Cowan Lake State Park15 miles · Clinton County
- Stonelick State Park15 miles · Clermont County
- Della Gates & Edward Charles Bott Wildlife Area16 miles · Brown County
- Indian Creek Wildlife Area23 miles · Brown County
- Beaver Creek Wildlife Area24 miles · Greene County
GIS acres from the ODNR lands layer, PAD-US 4.1 and the Census county file as compiled in counties.json (polygons, not official acreage; large water removed); lands and acreage from each land record; L/HAP counts from the ODNR L/HAP page; controlled hunts from the 2026 controlled hunt list. Checked November 6, 2026.
Calendar and past events for Warren County
On November 5, 2026 the county showed 0 dates ahead and 2 past rows.
| Date run | Event | Where held | Result | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Warren County DU Annual Banquet · DU dinner, Lebanon | Lebanon, Warren County | Source | |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Warren County DU Green Wing Day · DU Greenwing day, Morrow | Morrow, Warren County | Source |
Calling ODNR about Warren County
The county answers to the Southwest Ohio district of the Division of Wildlife, based in Xenia. Warren County has its own state wildlife officer, Jason Keller, listed at (513) 520-9896. Spring Valley Wildlife Area headquarters (Waynesville) is the closest wildlife area office, roughly 13 miles from the county centre.
Lebanon is the county seat; Warren County had 256,059 residents in the 2024 Census estimate across 401 square miles of land.
Base towns in Warren County
Open a town page to see public ground around Lebanon and Mason.
Warren County has 1 deer processor, 4 taxidermists and 19 sporting goods stores in the services list.
Processors taking deer around Warren County
Shoulder mounts made near Warren County
Guns and bows, Warren County
Nearest guide or preserve listings outside Warren County
District offices, officers and wildlife area headquarters from the digest wildlife officer page and the ODNR county contacts and work units layers (counties.json); population from the Census 2024 estimates; services from store locators, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry and Yellow Pages listings (not individually verified). Checked November 6, 2026.
Slug zero and clay practice in Warren County
4 ranges turn up inside Warren County, from conservation league benches to indoor bays.
Ranges from ODNR’s public range list, ranges’ own sites, the ATA club list and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Warren County legal shooting light
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Warren County below are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for its own location.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:27 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:31 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 7:31 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:10 a.m. | 5:31 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 6:01 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:36 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:36 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:47 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | 7:47 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:53 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:53 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:57 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:57 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Eastern Time); checked November 6, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Warren County license costs and rules
An Ohio hunting license costs $19.00 for residents and $180.96 for nonresidents; youth and senior licenses are $10.00. Hunter orange in Ohio means a whole garment: a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls, solid or camo orange, during the firearm deer seasons, for everyone but waterfowl hunters.
Ohio allows deer baiting on private ground outside the Disease Surveillance Area; public land, turkey hunting and migratory bird hunting stay bait-free. Game check deadlines, by app, website, phone line or license agent: noon the next day for deer, and for turkeys 11:30 p.m. the same day. There is no Sunday restriction in the Ohio rules; hunters may go out on Sundays in any open season. Buying a license for the first time means a hunter education card, unless you go the apprentice route with a licensed adult 21 or older. Score sheets go to the Buckeye Big Buck Club, the private keeper of Ohio deer records.
From the license and permit list, hunter orange rule, baiting rules, game check, season calendar, hunter education and the Buckeye Big Buck Club notice in the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Common Warren County questions
Which state wildlife officer patrols Warren County?
Jason Keller, (513) 520-9896.
How many deer were checked in Warren County in 2025-26?
1,377 on the final weekly report.
How long does a Warren County field stay baited after cleanup?
10 days after complete removal.
Is a square-inch orange minimum enforced in Warren County?
No; the rule names the garment.
Which river otter zone covers Warren County?
Zone B.
How were the Warren County sunrise times on this page worked out?
With the NOAA solar formula for the county centre.
What deer bag limit did ODNR give Warren County for 2026-27?
3 deer per hunter; the map group reads three-deer.
Which Warren County townships fall inside the DSA?
None.
Which of the new A, B and C waterfowl zones covers Warren County?
Zone C.
Has ODNR posted spring 2027 turkey dates for Warren County?
Not at our check; the 2026 dates are shown and labelled.
Answers from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, the deer bag limit map, the DSA rule, the waterfowl zone rule, shooting hours and the sources above. Checked November 6, 2026.
Keeping Warren County current
Warren County rules last checked November 6, 2026; watch for ODNR updates on spring turkey 2027 and for new weekly deer reports.
Other photos on this page: Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain); James St. John (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0).