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3-deer county
Morrow County Hunting Rules and Places
From September squirrels to the January muzzleloader days, this Morrow County page collects deer limits, harvest counts, bird zones, public land and ODNR contacts for the county.
Photo: Kris Lucius (CC BY 2.0)
Morrow County deer rules and harvest
Morrow County sits in the 3-deer class on the 2026-27 bag limit map, which caps what one hunter may take inside the county. Deer taken in Westfield Township come under the six-deer DSA limit; the other townships keep the 3-deer cap. 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 Morrow County
Because of the DSA, deer feeding is banned and heads from the first two days of early gun and gun week go to a CWD station. DSA archery opens September 12, 2026, two weeks before the statewide archery opener, and the DSA early gun season runs October 10 to October 12, 2026. Last season ODNR sampled 2 Morrow deer in the DSA and confirmed CWD in 0. June 2026 figures put Morrow County at 1 wild CWD positive.
Deer tallies for Morrow County over four seasons
Last season ended with 2,767 deer checked in Morrow County, 13% more than the 2,446 of the year before. That places it 33rd of 88 counties for 2025-26. Bows and crossbows took 46% of the 2025-26 total, and antlered deer made up 40%. ODNR's in-season report gives 583 deer for the county through November 3, 2026. Of the 2025 seasons, gun produced the most deer here: 1,023.
| Season | Deer tagged | Antlered | Antlerless | Bowhunters | Gunners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,085 | 837 | 1,248 | 994 | — |
| 2023-24 | 2,176 | 994 | 1,182 | 1,074 | — |
| 2024-25 | 2,446 | 983 | 1,463 | 1,090 | 1,356 |
| 2025-26 | 2,767 | 1,107 | 1,660 | 1,274 | 1,493 |
2025 deer by season type in Morrow County
| Season | Bucks | Does | Button bucks | Total | 3-yr avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun | 347 | 554 | 122 | 1,023 | 796 |
| Crossbow | 442 | 387 | 63 | 892 | 741 |
| Longbow | 186 | 161 | 14 | 361 | 302 |
| Bonus Gun | 51 | 115 | 31 | 197 | 162 |
| Muzzleloader | 41 | 94 | 15 | 150 | 121 |
| Youth | 72 | 26 | 10 | 108 | 92 |
| DSA Early Archery | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | — |
| DSA Early Gun | 3 | 6 | 2 | 11 | — |
| Total | 1,152 | 1,356 | 259 | 2,767 | 2,236 |
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 Morrow County Hunting Guide
Morrow County hunting and trapping calendar
Deer gun, youth gun, bonus gun and muzzleloader dates are the same in all 88 counties; the Morrow County deer limit is what differs.
| Game | Split or method | Zone | Opening | Closing | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery (DSA) | DSA townships | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Deer | Archery | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Deer | Early gun (DSA) | DSA townships | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 B | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Zone B | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Zone B | 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.
Morrow County bird and trapping seasons
Morrow County duck and goose seasons
All of Morrow County falls in waterfowl Zone B, one of the three duck and goose zones ODNR drew for 2026-27. Zone B ducks reopen on November 21 after the October split and last until January 10, 2027. Goose hunters in Zone B 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 B | Oct 17-25 Nov 21-Jan 10 | Oct 17-25 Nov 21-Feb 15 |
Morrow County turkey numbers
In the South zone, which includes Morrow 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 Morrow County was 151 birds (154 in 2023); that ranked 43rd in Ohio. Morrow County opens to fall turkey on October 1, 2026 and closes October 25, 2026; one turkey, shotgun only. 3 fall birds were reported from Morrow County in 2025.
| Spring | Total | Adult males | Jakes | Bearded hens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 154 | 126 | 27 | 1 |
| 2024 | 127 | 104 | 21 | 2 |
| 2025 | 135 | 94 | 38 | 3 |
| 2026 | 151 | 111 | 39 | 1 |
| Fall | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 3 |
Small game and trapping in Morrow County
Morrow County is outside the quail counties, so bobwhites are off limits. Statewide small game dates apply: squirrel from September 1, cottontail and pheasant from November 6. River otter Zone B covers Morrow 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 Morrow County
About 902 acres, or 0.3% of Morrow County, is mapped public hunting land; that puts it 59th of 88. By acreage, Delaware Wildlife Area leads the places in Morrow County, 4,670 acres in total. ODNR lists no L/HAP property for Morrow County.
| Kind | Mapped acres |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas | 464 |
| Corps of Engineers land | 830 |
Lottery hunts: Delaware Wildlife Area and Mt Gilead State Park host 2 controlled hunts in 2026.
Morrow County hunting places
Wildlife areas and forests near Morrow County
- Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area11 miles · Knox County
- Knox Lake Wildlife Area16 miles · Knox County
- Delaware State Park17 miles · Delaware County
- Alum Creek State Park23 miles · Delaware County
- Malabar Farm State Park23 miles · Richland County
- Richland County Wildlife Area 124 miles · Richland 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 Morrow County, ahead and held
On November 5, 2026 the county showed 1 date ahead and 7 past rows.
| On | Listing | Venue and county | Button | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2027 | Buckeye Toms Banquet · NWTF banquet, Marengo | Marengo, Morrow County | Tickets | Source |
Recently held
| Date run | Event | Where held | Result | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | CH'PR'Uchtman One Eyed Darlin HTX BLU | Source |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | 'PR'B&w's Dr. Pheelgood TW | Source |
| Jul 11, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | GRNITECH(4)'PR'Ticking Time Bomb TW | Source |
| Jul 11, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | NITECH CH'PR'Baer Creek Wild Lady BLU | Source |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | 'PR'Country Grammar TW | Source |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | CH'PR'Uchtman One Eyed Darlin HTX BLU | Source |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Morrow County DU Sportsman's Night Out · DU dinner, Mt Gilead | Mt Gilead, Morrow County | Source |
Calling ODNR about Morrow County
The county answers to the Central Ohio district of the Division of Wildlife, based in Columbus. Morrow County has its own state wildlife officer, Tyler Eldred, listed at (614) 400-0756. Delaware Wildlife Area headquarters (Ashley) is the closest wildlife area office, roughly 14 miles from the county centre.
Mount Gilead is the county seat; Morrow County had 35,927 residents in the 2024 Census estimate across 406 square miles of land.
Base towns in Morrow County
Open a town page to see public ground around Mount Gilead.
- Mount Gilead3,543 people
Morrow County has 1 deer processor, 2 taxidermists and 2 sporting goods stores in the services list.
Processors taking deer around Morrow County
Shoulder mounts made near Morrow County
Guns and bows, Morrow County
Nearest guide or preserve listings outside Morrow 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 Morrow County
3 ranges turn up inside Morrow County, from conservation league benches to indoor bays.
Delaware Wildlife Area Shooting Range is the ODNR-listed range nearest Morrow County, 15 miles away; entry is the shooting range permit for adults ($5.00 a day). Full page
Morrow County match dates
| Date and shoot | Category | Details |
|---|---|---|
| May 28-30, 2027 | ATA trap | Posted at |
| Jun 2-6, 2027 | ATA trap | Posted at |
| Aug 17-22, 2027 | ATA trap | Posted at |
Ranges from ODNR’s public range list, ranges’ own sites, the ATA club list and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Morrow 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 Morrow 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 12, 2026 | DSA archery opens | 7:08 a.m. | 7:47 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 8:17 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:21 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:26 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | DSA early gun | 7:35 a.m. | 7:01 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. | 7:35 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:06 a.m. | 5:24 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:24 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:34 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:51 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 7:51 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:54 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:54 a.m. to 5:15 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.
Morrow 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.
Deer bait is out in the DSA townships, and public hunting areas forbid it anywhere in Ohio. 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 Morrow County questions
Has ODNR posted spring 2027 turkey dates for Morrow County?
Not at our check; the 2026 dates are shown and labelled.
Which public tract touching Morrow County is largest?
Delaware Wildlife Area.
Which state wildlife officer patrols Morrow County?
Tyler Eldred, (614) 400-0756.
How many deer were checked in Morrow County in 2025-26?
2,767 on the final weekly report.
How long does a Morrow County field stay baited after cleanup?
10 days after complete removal.
Is a square-inch orange minimum enforced in Morrow County?
No; the rule names the garment.
Which river otter zone covers Morrow County?
Zone B.
How were the Morrow County sunrise times on this page worked out?
With the NOAA solar formula for the county centre.
What deer bag limit did ODNR give Morrow County for 2026-27?
3 deer per hunter; the map group reads three-deer outside the DSA; six-deer in DSA townships.
Which Morrow County townships fall inside the DSA?
Westfield.
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 Morrow County current
Morrow 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); OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).