Richland County Hunting Rules and Places

Richland County zones for ducks and turkeys

Waterfowl dates for Richland County

Richland County lies wholly inside waterfowl Zone B for ducks, geese, mergansers and coots. The late duck split for Zone B runs November 21, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Goose hunting in Zone B runs out on February 15, 2027. Every zone shares the September teal and Canada goose window (September 5 to September 13, 2026) and the youth, veteran and active-military days of October 3 to October 4, 2026. Doves open September 1, 2026 and come back for a second split from December 12, 2026 to January 1, 2027; woodcock run October 16 to November 29, 2026. Add HIP, a $15.00 Ohio wetlands stamp and the $25.00 federal duck stamp to the hunting license before a duck hunt.

Turkey seasons in Richland County

Gobbler hunters in Richland County use the South zone calendar: April 25 to May 24, 2026 in 2026, with 2027 still to be announced. The South zone youth weekend in 2026 fell on April 18 to April 19, 2026. Spring hunters checked 190 turkeys in Richland County in 2026, against 228 in 2023, 39th among the 88 counties. Fall birds are legal here from October 1 to October 25, 2026; ODNR dropped archery from the fall season for 2026-27. The 2025 fall count for the county was 5.

Trapping and small game, Richland County

There is no bobwhite season in Richland County. The squirrel opener is September 1, 2026; the rabbit and pheasant opener is November 6, 2026. For otters, Richland County counts as Zone B; beaver and otter trapping is December 26, 2026 to February 28, 2027, after the general furbearer opener of November 10. The otter cap is 3 total, max. 1 from Zone B. The mink and muskrat season closes 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.

Richland County hunting calendar and results

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ODNR contacts, towns and services covering Richland County

Wildlife District 2 (Northwest Ohio) covers Richland County; questions go to the Findlay district office, managed by Scott Butterworth. Wildlife officer for the county: Nathan Kaufmann, reachable at (419) 429-8392. The nearest wildlife area headquarters is Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area headquarters in Shreve, about 31 miles away.

County seat Mansfield; population 124,853 in the 2024 estimate; land area 495 square miles.

Richland County town list

Each Richland County town below has a page with nearby wildlife areas and forests.

• Mansfield47,593 people
• Lucas586 people

Listed in the county: 4 taxidermists and 6 sporting goods stores. Gaps in the county list (deer processor) are filled from the counties next door.

Deer processors in counties next to Richland County

Richland County taxidermists

Richland County outdoor stores

Neighbouring-county guide or preserves for Richland 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.

What Richland County hunters buy and follow

Plan on $19.00 for a resident license or $180.96 as a nonresident; hunters under 18 and resident seniors pay $10.00. In the youth gun, gun, bonus gun, DSA early gun and muzzleloader seasons every hunter except waterfowl hunters wears a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls in solid or camouflage hunter orange.

On private land here, deer may be hunted over bait; bait is banned on all public hunting areas and for turkeys, doves and waterfowl. Deer must be game checked through the HuntFish OH app, online, by phone or at a license agent by noon the day after harvest; turkeys by 11:30 p.m. that day. Sunday hunting is allowed statewide, and season rows run every day of the week. An apprentice license is the way to try hunting before the course, with a licensed companion of 21 or more. Deer records in Ohio are a Buckeye Big Buck Club matter; ODNR names the club but does not keep a book.

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.

Counties a short drive from Richland County

The tiles go nearest first; the buttons open statewide guides.

Counties touching Richland County: Ashland County, Crawford County, Huron County, Knox County, Morrow County.

Sources behind the Richland County page

If something here disagrees with the printed digest, trust the digest and tell us so we can fix the Richland County page.