No open season
Black Bear in Ohio: no 2026-27 hunting season
Not hunted in Ohio; status, law and penalties from the Ohio codes and the ODNR digest.
Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Why there is no bear season in Ohio
Hunters will not find black bears in any 2026-27 Ohio season table; here is the status and the law.
- Season status (black bears): No season; state-endangered.
- Ohio rule (black bears): OAC 1501:31-15-02.
- Why (black bears): black bears are state-endangered (OAC 1501:31-23-01), and OAC 1501:31-15-02(S)(1) makes hunting bear unlawful.
- Game or not (black bears): ORC 1531.01 lists black bear among the game quadrupeds, but the Division sets no season for black bears, so the listing gives no hunting opportunity.
- Private ground (black bears): Landowner exemptions in Ohio cover licenses and permits for game in season, not species with no season, so black bears stay protected on private land too.
Sources: OAC 1501:31-15-02 and OAC 1501:31-23-01; checked November 6, 2026.
Ohio penalties for black bears
Penalties that frame any unlawful take of black bears under ORC 1531 and 1533.
| Violation | Penalty | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Division rules (default) | Violating ORC 1531.02 or any Division rule is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree (maximum 30 days, $250) | ORC 1531.99 |
| Chapter 1533 default | Any section of Chapter 1533 with no other penalty: misdemeanor of the fourth degree | ORC 1533.99 |
| Selling wildlife worth $1,000+ | Buying or selling wild animals with aggregate minimum value of $1,000 or more is a fifth-degree felony | ORC 1531.99 |
| License suspension and compact | On conviction a court may suspend or revoke licenses and permits: 3 years for illegally taking or possessing a deer, up to 3 years for other wild animals or a repeat trespass (1533.17) violation within 3 years; Ohio is in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact | ORC 1533.68 |
| Misdemeanor scale | Jail: M1 180 days, M2 90, M3 60, M4 30; Fines: M1 $1,000, M2 $750, M3 $500, M4 $250, minor $150 | ORC 2929.24 |
Turn In a Poacher handles reports of illegal bear take: 1-800-POACHER (1-800-762-2437), anonymous, 24/7. The violator compact links a bear suspension in Ohio to the other member states.
Sources: ORC 1531.99, ORC 1533.99 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 21; checked November 6, 2026.
Seasons near black bears that are open
Related game with 2026-27 dates, for anyone who came looking for black bears.
| Open species | Status | Season | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Open to Feb 7 | Sep 12–Feb 7, 2027 | County limits 2-6 |
| Wild Turkey | Spring 2027 dates not out | Oct 1–Oct 25, 2026 | Fall 1 either-sex |
| Coyote | No closed season | Year-round | No limit |
| Raccoon | Opens Nov 10 | Nov 10–Mar 15, 2027 | No limit |
Sources: ODNR hunting regulations page and ODNR Division of Wildlife; checked November 6, 2026.
Black Bear: the legal species lists
Only these species may be hunted; black bears do not appear with dates.
- Big game with 2026-27 seasons (black bears page): white-tailed deer and wild turkey (fall; spring 2027 TBA); ORC 1531.01 also lists black bear as a game quadruped, but there is no season; hunting bear is unlawful (OAC 1501:31-15-02(S)).
- Game quadrupeds (small game) (black bears page): eastern cottontail, red, gray, black and fox squirrels and groundhog (woodchuck); ORC 1531.01(V) also names flying squirrels and chipmunks; no season is set for them.
- Upland game birds (black bears page): ring-necked pheasant, chukar, bobwhite quail and ruffed grouse (controlled hunts only); Hungarian partridge only on preserves, dog training grounds, field trials or by authorization.
- Furbearers with seasons (black bears page): raccoon, red fox, gray fox, striped skunk, Virginia opossum, weasel, mink, muskrat, beaver, river otter (trapping) and coyote (no closed season); Hunting license + fur taker permit (coyote: license only); Badger and bobcat are furbearers in ORC 1531.01 but have no season.
- Migratory game birds (black bears page): ducks, mergansers, coots, Canada/cackling geese, white-fronted geese, snow, blue and Ross's geese, brant, teal (early), mourning dove, Eurasian collared-dove, sora and Virginia rails, common gallinule, Wilson's snipe and American woodcock; Federal frameworks; HIP required.
- Other (black bears page): American crow (Fri-Sun season); Crows are game birds under ORC 1531.01(S).
- Unprotected/nuisance birds (black bears page): European starling, English (house) sparrow and common pigeon (not homing pigeons); May be killed at any time; blackbirds when damaging grain or property or a nuisance (ORC 1533.07).
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 4, ORC 1531.01 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16; checked November 6, 2026.
Beech-maple forest floor covered in yellow fall leaves in Ohio. Photo: OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Amish farm and red barns under big summer clouds in Ohio. Photo: Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Red sunrise behind a windmill and farm pond in northeast Ohio. Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain)
Black Bear FAQ
What number reports bear poaching?
Call Turn In a Poacher: 1-800-POACHER (1-800-762-2437), anonymous, 24/7. You can also reach the county wildlife officer through the ODNR district office.
What species near black bears have seasons?
Open seasons near black bears: White-tailed Deer (open to feb 7); Wild Turkey (spring 2027 dates not out); Coyote (no closed season); Raccoon (opens nov 10).
Is there a landowner rule for black bears?
Landowner exemptions in Ohio cover licenses and permits for game in season, not species with no season, so black bears stay protected on private land too.
How does Ohio classify black bears?
ORC 1531.01 lists black bear among the game quadrupeds, but the Division sets no season for black bears, so the listing gives no hunting opportunity.
Is a bear season under review in Ohio?
Ohio seasons are set by Division of Wildlife rules in OAC 1501:31, approved by the Ohio Wildlife Council; the 2026-27 rules and digest list no season for black bears, and this page will change only if those rules do.
Are black bears open to hunting in Ohio?
No. No season; state-endangered; the rule is OAC 1501:31-15-02.
Why is there no bear season in Ohio?
Black bears are state-endangered (OAC 1501:31-23-01), and OAC 1501:31-15-02(S)(1) makes hunting bear unlawful.
What are the penalties for killing black bears in Ohio?
Breaking a Division of Wildlife rule over black bears is, by default, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree (maximum 30 days, $250); the Ohio scale is jail: M1 180 days, M2 90, M3 60, M4 30; Fines: M1 $1,000, M2 $750, M3 $500, M4 $250, minor $150; courts may also suspend licenses (on conviction a court may suspend or revoke licenses and permits: 3 years for illegally taking or possessing a deer, up to 3 years for other wild animals or a repeat trespass (1533.17) violation within 3 years).
Other photos on this page: OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0); Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain).