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Northeast Ohio wildlife district
Portage County for Hunters
Plan a Portage County hunt around its own rules: deer limit and CWD status, every dated season, duck and turkey zones, deer and turkey harvest by year, and public land in and around the county.
Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Portage County deer: bag limit and harvest
The bag limit map puts Portage County at 3 deer per hunter, counted only for deer taken within the county. Limits shift at the line with Cuyahoga (4) and Summit (4). Whatever the mix of counties, Ohio stops a hunter at six deer, one of them antlered.
Budget $31.20 (resident) or $218.40 (nonresident) per either-sex permit; the $15.00 deer management permit covers antlerless deer through the full season. The county cap ignores deer killed on controlled hunts.
CWD picture in Portage County
ODNR has not placed Portage County in the Disease Surveillance Area, and its June 2026 breakdown of wild detections names other counties only. Closest DSA county: Crawford, near 93 miles off. Hunters returning from the DSA or another state must follow the ODNR carcass part limits.
Portage County harvest history
ODNR's final 2025-26 tally for Portage County is 3,498 deer, an increase of 14% on the season before. By total deer it was the 21st county in the state that season. About 51% came during archery season and 40% were antlered. 949 deer were on the 2026-27 books for Portage County as of November 3, 2026. In the 2025 season summary the crossbow season led the county with 1,326 deer.
| Year | All deer | Bucks | Does and fawns | Bow | Gun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,825 | 1,179 | 1,646 | 1,690 | — |
| 2023-24 | 2,932 | 1,241 | 1,691 | 1,648 | — |
| 2024-25 | 3,059 | 1,194 | 1,865 | 1,574 | 1,485 |
| 2025-26 | 3,498 | 1,408 | 2,090 | 1,776 | 1,722 |
Portage County 2025 harvest by method
| Season | Antlered | Does | Button bucks | Deer | Prior avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun | 344 | 518 | 120 | 982 | 742 |
| Crossbow | 689 | 503 | 134 | 1,326 | 1,222 |
| Longbow | 201 | 192 | 31 | 424 | 396 |
| Bonus Gun | 59 | 107 | 30 | 196 | 172 |
| Muzzleloader | 44 | 96 | 24 | 164 | 122 |
| Youth | 45 | 80 | 22 | 147 | 79 |
| Total | 1,447 | 1,643 | 408 | 3,498 | 2,939 |
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 Portage County Hunting Guide
Portage County openers and closing days
ODNR splits duck and goose hunting into Zones A, B and C for 2026-27, which is why the bird rows for Portage County show zone dates and not statewide ones.
| Game | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 A | 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.
Portage County seasons beyond deer
Waterfowl seasons and stamps for Portage County
For ducks and geese, Portage County is entirely Zone B country this season. Second-split ducks in Zone B: November 21, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Last goose day in Zone B: February 15, 2027. The September teal and early goose days (September 5 to September 13, 2026) and the October 3 to October 4, 2026 youth and military hunts are statewide. Dove fields open September 1, 2026; the late dove split starts December 12, and timberdoodles are legal October 16 to November 29, 2026. Ducks and geese mean HIP plus two stamps: $15.00 for Ohio wetlands and $25.00 federal, from age 16.
| Waterfowl zone | Duck splits | Goose splits |
|---|---|---|
| Zone B | Oct 17-25 Nov 21-Jan 10 | Oct 17-25 Nov 21-Feb 15 |
Turkey zone and gobbler counts for Portage County
For gobblers, Portage County belongs to the South zone, where the 2026 season was April 25 to May 24, 2026; spring 2027 dates were not yet published. Youth hunters had April 18 to April 19, 2026 in 2026. From 212 in 2023 to 303 in 2026: that is the Portage County spring turkey trend, which ranks 21st statewide for 2026. A fall season reaches Portage County: October 1 to October 25, 2026, any sex, with archery tackle no longer allowed. ODNR counted 11 fall turkeys for Portage County in 2025.
| Spring | Checked | Adult gobblers | Juveniles | Hens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 212 | 173 | 39 | 0 |
| 2024 | 232 | 168 | 60 | 4 |
| 2025 | 308 | 232 | 71 | 5 |
| 2026 | 303 | 249 | 46 | 8 |
| Autumn | Checked |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 16 |
| 2025 | 11 |
Portage County small game and fur
Quail hunting is closed here; the open counties are in the south and southwest. Small game begins with squirrels on September 1; cottontails, pheasants and chukar follow on November 6. Portage County trappers fall in otter Zone A, with furbearers from November 10 and beaver and otter from December 26 to February 28, 2027. Otters are capped as 3 total, max. 1 from Zone B. Mink and muskrat trapping lasts until 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.
Portage County public acres and places
Roughly 2.3% of Portage County (7,171 GIS acres) is public land where hunting is allowed, 29th among Ohio counties. Top of the list by size is Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center (21,884 acres across its counties). Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park, Tinkers Creek State Park and West Branch State Park have park ground open to hunting, about 3,659 acres by GIS.
| Category | Acres |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas | 6,668 |
| Public hunting areas | 502 |
| State parks (hunting) | 3,659 |
The total leaves out 2,363 acres of state nature preserve land; hunting is not allowed there. L/HAP has no enrolled land in Portage County at present. Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center, Berlin Lake Wildlife Area and Ladue Hunting Area offer controlled hunts, 13 in all, drawn by lottery.
Portage County wildlife areas and forests
Portage County: nearby public ground
- Lake Milton State Park13 miles · Mahoning County
- Brook Wildlife Area13 miles · Trumbull County
- Braceville Hunting Area13 miles · Trumbull County
- Quail Hollow State Park14 miles · Stark County
- Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area16 miles · Geauga County
- Lake Park Wildlife Area19 miles · Mahoning 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 gatherings in Portage County
Inside the county line: 1 date ahead (hunter education class) and 2 past rows. Checked November 5, 2026.
| Starts | Event | Site | Go | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2026 | ODNR Hunter Education Class (Ravenna) · hunter education class, Ravenna | Ravenna, Portage County | Register | Source |
Already run
| Date run | Event | Where held | Result | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2026 | ODNR Trapper Education Class (Deerfield) · OSTA trapping workshop, Deerfield | Deerfield, Portage County | Source | |
| Oct 17, 2026 | ODNR Hunter Education Class (Ravenna) · hunter education class, Ravenna | Ravenna, Portage County | Source |
Portage County wildlife officer and services
The Division of Wildlife handles Portage County from its Northeast Ohio district office in Akron, where Pete Novotny is district manager. Marino Pellegrini is the state wildlife officer assigned to Portage County ((330) 245-3040). For area maps and local conditions, Berlin Lake Wildlife Area headquarters in Deerfield is the nearest headquarters (13 miles).
Census figures put 163,839 people in Portage County in 2024, on 487 square miles, with Ravenna as the seat.
Portage County town guides
2 town guides on this site sit in Portage County, each with public land within 10 and 25 miles.
Within the county lines: 2 deer processors, 5 taxidermists and 13 sporting goods stores.
Processing for Portage County deer
Taxidermy shops around Portage County
Portage County gun and archery shops
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.
Portage County shooters: ranges and match dates
Every Portage County card names who may shoot and where the details came from (9 ranges in all).
| Range or club | Location | Set up for | Who may shoot | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Southington Hunt Club Training Facility gun club | Garrettsville | shotgun, rifle, handgun, rimfire | Access not stated | boisegunclub.com Nov 5, 2026 |
| Targething/A&A Shooting Club gun club | Garrettsville | trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand | Members only | boisegunclub.com Nov 5, 2026 |
Tinkers Creek Area Archery Range archery range | Streetsboro | archery, 3D archery | Access not stated | findarcheryranges.com Nov 5, 2026 |
Shoots in the county
| When and what | Kind | Go |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 23-24, 2027 | Gun show | Host page |
Ranges from ODNR’s public range list, ranges’ own sites, the ATA club list and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Portage County legal shooting light
The sun comes up roughly a quarter hour later in Defiance than in Marietta, so use the times worked out for Portage County rather than a Columbus table.
| Day | Marker | Sun up | Sun down | Deer hours | Duck hours | Upland hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:15 a.m. | 7:17 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:20 a.m. | 7:09 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:01 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:19 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:29 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:46 a.m. | 4:59 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 7:46 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:50 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:50 a.m. to 5:06 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.
Permits, orange and bait rules in Portage County
License first: $19.00 resident, $180.96 nonresident, $10.00 for youth or seniors, valid from March 1 to the end of February. The orange rule covers all hunters other than waterfowlers in every firearm deer season, and the garment may be solid or camouflage orange.
Bait is a private-land option for deer here, never for gobblers, doves or ducks, and never on public hunting areas. Report deer through HuntFish OH, the website, the toll-free line or an agent by noon the next day; turkeys the same night by 11:30 p.m. Hunt any day of the week; Ohio law carries no Sunday ban. First-time license buyers need hunter education unless they buy an apprentice license and hunt with a licensed adult 21 or older. Big Ohio bucks are scored and listed by the Buckeye Big Buck Club, not by ODNR.
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.
Portage County hunting questions
Could a hunter take two bucks out of Portage County?
No. Ohio allows one antlered deer statewide, and the Portage County cap of 3 counts every deer.
Do Portage County bowhunters get the early DSA archery start?
No; archery here opens with the rest of Ohio on September 26, 2026.
Does a waterfowl zone boundary cut through Portage County?
No, all of it is Zone B.
Does Portage County open for fall turkeys in 2026-27?
Yes, October 1 to October 25, 2026, shotgun only.
Does Portage County contain any state wildlife areas?
Yes, the ODNR layer names Berlin Lake Wildlife Area, Marsh Wetlands DNP, West Branch Wildlife Area and Wingfoot Wildlife Area inside the county.
How far is the closest ODNR office from Portage County?
Roughly 22 miles straight line, at Akron.
What is the 2026-27 deer tally so far in Portage County?
949 through November 3, 2026.
May I bait on public hunting land in Portage County?
No, not on any public hunting area.
What orange clothing does gun week require in Portage County?
A vest, coat, jacket or coveralls in solid or camouflage hunter orange.
When are beaver sets legal in Portage County?
Beaver trapping runs December 26, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
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.
A note on Portage County data
This Portage County page is rebuilt from ODNR data; when the Wildlife Council or the 2027 spring turkey notice changes a date, the page follows.
Other photos on this page: OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).