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2026-27 county guide
Lawrence County Hunting Guide
What changes in Lawrence County and what does not: the county deer limit of 2, the Southeast Ohio district office, waterfowl Zone C, public ground by owner, towns, shops and legal shooting light.
Photo: Wayne National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Deer limit and harvest record for Lawrence County
ODNR lists Lawrence County as a 2-deer county for 2026-27, so no hunter may tag more than 2 deer inside its lines this season. Only five Ohio counties carry this plain two-deer limit; the others are Hocking, Jackson, Morgan and Vinton. Across all counties a hunter may take six deer in total, and only one of them antlered, meaning an antler 3 inches or longer.
An either-sex deer permit costs $31.20 for residents and $218.40 for nonresidents; the $15.00 deer management permit (antlerless only) is now good for the whole season. Lottery controlled hunts add deer beyond the county figure.
Lawrence County deer health and DSA lines
CWD rules for the DSA do not reach Lawrence County, which has no wild detections on the ODNR list through June 2026. The DSA edge nearest Lawrence County is in Delaware, around 119 miles between county centres. Carcass rules still apply statewide to deer brought back from the DSA or from other states.
Deer checked in Lawrence County from 2022-23 to 2025-26
Hunters checked 1,682 deer in Lawrence County in 2025-26, down 14% from 1,955 the season before. The total ranks 53rd statewide for 2025-26. The split was 39% archery, with antlered deer 51% of the total. This season, 363 deer had been checked in Lawrence County by November 3, 2026 (234 antlered). By season type, gun hunters took the most in 2025 (742).
| Season | Deer | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery total | Gun total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,889 | 990 | 899 | 793 | — |
| 2023-24 | 1,738 | 987 | 751 | 791 | — |
| 2024-25 | 1,955 | 1,141 | 814 | 809 | 1,146 |
| 2025-26 | 1,682 | 861 | 821 | 663 | 1,019 |
Season-by-season deer, Lawrence County 2025
| Type | Bucks | Does | Buttons | Total | 3-year mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun | 314 | 359 | 69 | 742 | 745 |
| Crossbow | 296 | 118 | 16 | 430 | 527 |
| Longbow | 166 | 57 | 4 | 227 | 266 |
| Bonus Gun | 36 | 49 | 13 | 98 | 115 |
| Muzzleloader | 31 | 54 | 8 | 93 | 86 |
| Youth | 51 | 29 | 4 | 84 | 109 |
| Total | 899 | 668 | 115 | 1,682 | 1,861 |
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 Lawrence County Hunting Guide
Lawrence County hunting and trapping calendar
Deer gun, youth gun, bonus gun and muzzleloader dates are the same in all 88 counties; the Lawrence County deer limit is what differs.
| Species | Hunt | Area | First day | Last day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Lawrence County waterfowl, turkey and small game
Duck and goose zone dates for Lawrence County
Zone C covers the whole county, so there is no zone line to watch for waterfowl. The longer Zone C duck split starts December 12 and ends January 31, 2027. Geese stay open in Zone C until February 15, 2027. Early teal plus early Canada goose, September 5 to September 13, 2026, and youth and veterans waterfowl, October 3 to October 4, 2026, apply in Lawrence County as everywhere. Two dove windows (September 1 to November 8, 2026; December 12, 2026 to January 1, 2027) and one woodcock season (October 16 to November 29, 2026) cover the county. Duck and goose hunters 16 and older carry the $25.00 federal duck stamp and the $15.00 Ohio wetlands stamp, plus HIP certification each year.
| Zone | Duck dates | Goose dates |
|---|---|---|
| Zone C | Oct 17-25 Dec 12-Jan 31 | Oct 17-25 Nov 21-Feb 15 |
Gobblers in Lawrence County
Spring turkey here follows the South zone. Its 2026 dates were April 25 to May 24, 2026; treat them as last year's until ODNR posts 2027. In 2026, young hunters in the South zone went first, on April 18 to April 19, 2026. ODNR's 2026 spring results list 249 birds for Lawrence County (rank 28 of 88), compared with 233 in 2023. Fall turkey is open in Lawrence County, October 1 to October 25, 2026, one bird of either sex, and for 2026-27 only shotguns with shotshells are legal. Fall 2025 results: 5 birds from the county.
| Season | Total | Adults | Jakes | Bearded females |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 233 | 207 | 26 | 0 |
| 2024 | 214 | 182 | 32 | 0 |
| 2025 | 235 | 198 | 37 | 0 |
| 2026 | 249 | 187 | 62 | 0 |
| Fall | Total |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 12 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 5 |
Upland and fur seasons, Lawrence County
Lawrence County is not a quail county, yet Crown City Wildlife Area inside it opens to bobwhites. Squirrel season runs September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027; rabbit, pheasant and chukar open together on November 6. Furbearer hunting and trapping run November 10, 2026 to January 31, 2027, and beaver and river otter trapping December 26, 2026 to February 28, 2027; Lawrence County is in otter Zone B. ODNR sets the otter limit at 3 total, max. 1 from Zone B. Mink and muskrat stay open to 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.
Hunting land open to the public in Lawrence County
ODNR and federal GIS layers map about 80,443 acres of public hunting ground in Lawrence County, roughly 27.7% of its land area and 1st among the 88 counties. The largest place on our list that reaches the county is Wayne National Forest, national forest, 244,351 acres in all. 16 acres of state nature preserve land sit outside the total because they are closed to hunters.
| Public ground | GIS acres |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas | 4,207 |
| State forests | 2,738 |
| Wayne National Forest | 73,504 |
The county has no L/HAP properties on the ODNR count. Apply for 5 controlled hunts on Wayne National Forest, Ironton Ranger District (Wayne National Forest) and Crown City Wildlife Area; each application is $3.
Lawrence County public tracts
Hunting tracts over the Lawrence County line
- K H Butler Wildlife Area18 miles · Gallia County
- Jackson Lake State Park21 miles · Jackson County
- Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area23 miles · Jackson County
- Tycoon Lake Wildlife Area24 miles · Gallia 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.
Hunting events in Lawrence County, ahead and held
County count as of November 5, 2026: 0 ahead, 1 already held (UKC nite hunt).
| Day | Event | Grounds | Who won | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 2026 | Southern Ohio CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC nite hunt, Pedro | Pedro, Lawrence County | NITECH'PR'Coony Valley Fever TW | Source |
Lawrence County district office, towns and processors
For ODNR, Lawrence County is a Southeast Ohio county; the Wildlife District 4 office sits in Athens with Tim Parrett as manager. For a violation or a question in the field, the Lawrence County wildlife officer is Darin Abbott at (614) 563-3946. Oak Hill hosts the nearest wildlife area headquarters, Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area headquarters, around 23 miles away.
Lawrence County covers 453 square miles of land; Ironton is its seat and the 2024 population estimate is 55,829.
Lawrence County towns with pages
Town pages for Lawrence County: 1, listed by size after the seat.
- Ironton10,147 people
Our directory lists 2 taxidermists and 11 sporting goods stores in Lawrence County. No deer processor turned up inside the county, so the nearest ones across the line are shown.
Nearest deer processor listings outside Lawrence County
Lawrence County mount makers
Shops for ammo and bows around Lawrence 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.
Sighting in a deer gun around Lawrence County
Lawrence County range count: 2; each card carries its access rule and source.
Ranges from ODNR’s public range list, ranges’ own sites, the ATA club list and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Lawrence County hours on key season dates
Around Lawrence County, deer light opens 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; rabbit and pheasant hunters keep strict sunrise to sunset.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer window | Ducks and squirrels | Sunrise birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:20 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:24 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:01 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:28 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:38 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:38 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:44 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:48 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 7:48 a.m. to 5:19 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.
Lawrence County hunter checklist
The base license is $19.00 for an Ohioan and $180.96 for a visitor; youth and resident seniors pay $10.00. Any hunter afield in a gun or muzzleloader deer season needs a hunter orange vest, jacket, coat or coveralls; waterfowl hunters are exempt.
The baiting rule: legal for deer on private land outside the DSA, illegal on public areas and for turkeys and migratory birds. Every deer is game checked by noon the day after it is taken, and each turkey by 11:30 p.m. on its day. Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio. Hunter education is required for a first license; the apprentice license lets a beginner skip it while accompanied by a licensed hunter 21 or older. For a record-book whitetail, contact the Buckeye Big Buck Club; ODNR keeps harvest counts, not 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.
Lawrence County questions hunters ask
Do controlled-hunt deer eat into the Lawrence County county limit?
No. Deer from a controlled hunt are kept apart from the county cap of 2.
When does legal deer light begin and end in Lawrence County?
30 minutes before sunrise to 30 after sunset.
On what date do geese close in Lawrence County?
Goose hunting in Zone C closes February 15, 2027.
Do the CWD surveillance rules cover any of Lawrence County?
No, the county lies outside the DSA lines.
Does the Wayne National Forest reach into Lawrence County?
Yes, about 73,504 GIS acres.
Which spring turkey zone holds Lawrence County?
The South zone.
How does Lawrence County stack up against other counties for deer?
53rd of 88 in 2025-26.
Who takes a poaching tip from Lawrence County?
The county officer, Darin Abbott, or the Southeast Ohio district office.
Must archers in Lawrence County wear orange during gun seasons?
Yes, in the youth gun, gun and muzzleloader seasons.
Can turkey hunters in Lawrence County use bait?
No, turkey baiting is illegal statewide.
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.
Last check for Lawrence County
Check the official digest before you go: ODNR can change a rule, and the officer for Lawrence County has the final word in the field.
Other photos on this page: Wayne National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Wayne National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Wayne National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).