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2-deer county
Meigs County Hunt Planner
From September squirrels to the January muzzleloader days, this Meigs County page collects deer limits, harvest counts, bird zones, public land and ODNR contacts for the county.
Photo: Warren LeMay (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Meigs County deer rules and harvest
Meigs County sits in the 2-deer class on the 2026-27 bag limit map, which caps what one hunter may take inside the county. It is one of three counties where only one of those two deer may be antlerless, along with Athens and Washington. 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 Meigs County
No part of Meigs 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 Delaware, about 97 miles away centre to centre. Bringing deer parts home from the DSA or another state means following the carcass rules.
Deer tallies for Meigs County over four seasons
Last season ended with 1,060 deer checked in Meigs County, 71% fewer than the 3,614 of the year before. That places it 76th of 88 counties for 2025-26. Bows and crossbows took 49% of the 2025-26 total, and antlered deer made up 60%. ODNR's in-season report gives 361 deer for the county through November 3, 2026. Of the 2025 seasons, crossbow produced the most deer here: 377.
| Season | Deer tagged | Antlered | Antlerless | Bowhunters | Gunners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 3,437 | 1,473 | 1,964 | 1,425 | — |
| 2023-24 | 2,964 | 1,358 | 1,606 | 1,283 | — |
| 2024-25 | 3,614 | 1,636 | 1,978 | 1,571 | 2,043 |
| 2025-26 | 1,060 | 632 | 428 | 524 | 536 |
2025 deer by season type in Meigs County
| Season | Bucks | Does | Button bucks | Total | 3-yr avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun | 183 | 138 | 23 | 344 | 1,230 |
| Crossbow | 271 | 90 | 16 | 377 | 1,022 |
| Longbow | 93 | 50 | 1 | 144 | 394 |
| Bonus Gun | 19 | 30 | 4 | 53 | 231 |
| Muzzleloader | 31 | 27 | 3 | 61 | 267 |
| Youth | 43 | 22 | 9 | 74 | 170 |
| Total | 646 | 359 | 56 | 1,061 | 3,338 |
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 Meigs County Hunting Guide
Meigs 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 Meigs 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.
Meigs County bird and trapping seasons
Meigs County duck and goose seasons
All of Meigs 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 |
Meigs County turkey numbers
In the South zone, which includes Meigs 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 Meigs County was 340 birds (358 in 2023); that ranked 14th in Ohio. Meigs County opens to fall turkey on October 1, 2026 and closes October 25, 2026; one turkey, shotgun only. 4 fall birds were reported from Meigs County in 2025.
| Spring | Total | Adult males | Jakes | Bearded hens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 358 | 332 | 25 | 1 |
| 2024 | 381 | 339 | 40 | 2 |
| 2025 | 375 | 336 | 39 | 0 |
| 2026 | 340 | 313 | 25 | 2 |
| Fall | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 4 |
Small game and trapping in Meigs County
Bobwhite quail are open in Meigs 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 Meigs 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 Meigs County
About 5,397 acres, or 2.0% of Meigs County, is mapped public hunting land; that puts it 35th of 88. By acreage, AEP Southern Ohio Recreation Area leads the places in Meigs County, 3,740 acres in total. Count in 848 acres of huntable state park, at Forked Run State Park.
| Kind | Mapped acres |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas | 24 |
| State forests | 2,993 |
| Corps of Engineers land | 73 |
| Public hunting areas | 2,308 |
| State parks (hunting) | 848 |
There are also 117 acres of state nature preserve land, closed to hunting and left out above. The L/HAP program has 5 enrolled properties here; hunters reserve a free daily permit online.
Meigs County hunting places
Wildlife areas and forests near Meigs County
- Gavin Wildlife Area11 miles · Gallia County
- Fox Lake Wildlife Area17 miles · Athens County
- Samuels Wildlife Area17 miles · Gallia County
- Strouds Run State Park18 miles · Athens County
- Acadia Cliffs Wildlife Area19 miles · Washington County
- Acadia Cliffs State Nature Preserve19 miles · Washington 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 Meigs County
On November 5, 2026 the county showed 0 dates ahead and 2 past rows.
| Date run | Event | Where held | Result | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2026 | Shade River CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) · UKC nite hunt, Pomeroy | Pomeroy, Meigs County | NITECH CH'PR'Push My Luck Little Lady TW | Source |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Shade River CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC nite hunt, Pomeroy | Pomeroy, Meigs County | 'PR'Rivertown Filthy Rich Princess TW | Source |
Calling ODNR about Meigs County
The county answers to the Southeast Ohio district of the Division of Wildlife, based in Athens. Meigs County has its own state wildlife officer, Chris Gilkey, listed at (614) 563-4492. Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area headquarters (Oak Hill) is the closest wildlife area office, roughly 27 miles from the county centre.
Pomeroy is the county seat; Meigs County had 21,491 residents in the 2024 Census estimate across 430 square miles of land.
Base towns in Meigs County
Open a town page to see public ground around Pomeroy and Rutland.
- Pomeroy1,505 people
- Rutland412 people
- Tuppers PlainsCDP
Meigs County has 2 taxidermists and 3 sporting goods stores in the services list. For a deer processor, look across the county line: none is listed inside Meigs County.
Closest deer processors beyond Meigs County
Shoulder mounts made near Meigs County
Guns and bows, Meigs County
Nearest guide or preserve listings outside Meigs 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 Meigs County
Meigs County has 1 range in this guide, every one a club, shop or private ground.
Lake Hope State Park Archery Range in Vinton County is the nearest public range on ODNR’s list, about 25 miles away.
Ranges from ODNR’s public range list, ranges’ own sites, the ATA club list and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Meigs 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 Meigs 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 | 7:18 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:23 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:00 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:27 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:38 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:38 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:43 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:47 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:47 a.m. to 5:16 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.
Meigs 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 Meigs County questions
Is a square-inch orange minimum enforced in Meigs County?
No; the rule names the garment.
Which river otter zone covers Meigs County?
Zone B.
How were the Meigs County sunrise times on this page worked out?
With the NOAA solar formula for the county centre.
What deer bag limit did ODNR give Meigs County for 2026-27?
2 deer per hunter; the map group reads two-deer (max. 1 antlerless).
Which Meigs County townships fall inside the DSA?
None.
Which of the new A, B and C waterfowl zones covers Meigs County?
Zone C.
Has ODNR posted spring 2027 turkey dates for Meigs County?
Not at our check; the 2026 dates are shown and labelled.
How many acres of public hunting ground does Meigs County hold?
Roughly 5,397 acres, measured from mapped polygons.
Which state wildlife officer patrols Meigs County?
Chris Gilkey, (614) 563-4492.
How many deer were checked in Meigs County in 2025-26?
1,060 on the final weekly report.
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 Meigs County current
Meigs 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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0); OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain).