Upland bird
Ohio chukar hunting for 2026-27: dates, limits and public land
2026-27: Open to Jan 10. Every ODNR row, limits, permits, public land and legal hours.
Photo: lwolfartist (CC BY 2.0)
Chukar hunting at a glance
On November 6, 2026 the Ohio chukar season is open, running to January 10, 2027; the full 2026-27 calendar for chukar spans 79 days.
- Bag in brief (chukar): 4 daily.
- How and when (chukar): November 6-January 10.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16, OAC 1501:31-15-17 and ODNR hunting regulations page; checked November 6, 2026.
GearHeading out for small game season? Small game gear checklist →
Chukar season dates with limits
Dates for chukar come from the 2026-27 Ohio hunting seasons list and the digest tables.
| Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Days | Limit | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 66 | 4 daily | |
| Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 2 | 4 daily (same as regular season) | |
| Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 2 | 4 daily (same as regular season) |
- Regular (chukar, Statewide): Hours sunrise to sunset.
- Youth small game weekend (chukar, Statewide): Youth 17 and younger accompanied by a non-hunting adult (one adult per two youths); all other game in season may also be hunted.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16 and ODNR Division of Wildlife; checked November 6, 2026.
Where Ohio chukar rules change
No zone line limits chukar: every row is statewide, so the same dates apply in all 88 Ohio counties and access rules decide the rest. All counties
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16; checked November 6, 2026.
The Ohio chukar limit rules
Limits for Ohio chukar, with the wording kept close to the digest.
- Row limit (chukar): 4 daily.
- Row bag (chukar): 4 daily (same as regular season).
- Chukar (chukar page): 4 daily.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16; checked November 6, 2026.
Ohio chukar license and permit prices
A hunting license is all that is required, unless an exemption applies. Prices for chukar are the digest sale prices, which include a writing fee; a transaction fee may apply online.
| Item | Residency | Cost | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident license | Resident | $19.00 | License year |
| Nonresident license | Nonresident | $180.96 | License year |
| Youth license | Resident and nonresident | $10.00 | License year |
| Resident senior license | Resident | $10.00 | License year |
| Nonresident (tourist) 3-day license | Nonresident | $40.56 | 3 days |
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 29 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 28; checked November 6, 2026.
Firearms, bows and gear rules for chukar
- Regular (chukar): Longbow/bow, crossbow, handgun (any caliber), rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
- Small game and furbearers (chukar), permitted: Bow, crossbow, handgun and rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
- Small game and furbearers (chukar), not allowed: During deer gun seasons only shotguns with number 4 shot or smaller (except coyote hunters with deer-legal implements and a deer permit).
- General (chukar), permitted: Guns up to 10 gauge, bow and arrow, with or without dogs (ORC 1533.16); falconry and crossbows for any game (not migratory birds with crossbows).
- General (chukar), not allowed: Blowguns are not guns; deadfalls; fully automatic firearms and tracer ammunition on wildlife areas.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 17, ORC 1533.16 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16; checked November 6, 2026.
Chukar: orange, hours, bait and checks
- Orange rule (chukar): Chukar hunters wear it only when they hunt during the deer gun weeks: hunting any wild animal (except waterfowl) from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset during the youth deer gun, deer gun (including bonus gun and DSA early gun) and deer muzzleloader seasons requires a visible vest, coat, jacket or coveralls in solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange, statewide on public and private land.
- Legal hours (chukar): Sunrise to sunset.
- Written permission (chukar): No hunting or trapping on another's land without written permission of the owner or agent; carry it and show on request (also for deer recovery and shed hunting).
- Electronic calls (chukar): Legal except for migratory game birds and wild turkeys; legal for crows.
- Wildlife areas (chukar): No firearms except while hunting/trapping or on designated ranges; no vehicles off designated roads; no bait or feed; camping only at designated sites.
- Sunday hunting (chukar): No statewide Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 digest or the OAC 1501:31 and ORC 1533 sections read.
- Hunter education (chukar): All first-time hunting license buyers except apprentice license buyers must complete a hunter education course (or show a previously held license, or attest they are 21+ and previously held a license in any state).
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 5, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 6, ORC 1533.17, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 33, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 34, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 4 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 29; checked November 6, 2026.
Public land for chukar
Public land for chukar: 21 places tagged upland game birds; by ODNR district District 1 5, District 2 1, District 3 8, District 4 4, District 5 3. Read the land page before going after chukar: some areas need a controlled-hunt permit, and state parks open only marked zones.
| Name (ODNR district) | Type | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Hills WA | Wildlife area | Guernsey +3 | 35,396 |
| Mosquito Creek WA | Wildlife area | Trumbull | 9,021 |
| Berlin Lake WA | Wildlife area | Mahoning +2 | 8,518 |
| Grand River WA | Wildlife area | Ashtabula +1 | 7,664 |
| Big Island WA | Wildlife area | Marion | 5,872 |
| Paint Creek Lake WA | Wildlife area | Highland +1 | 5,090 |
| Alum Creek SP | State park | Delaware | 4,630 |
| Deer Creek WA | Wildlife area | Fayette +2 | 4,220 |
| Shenango WA | Wildlife area | Trumbull | 3,957 |
| Dillon WA | Wildlife area | Licking +1 | 3,612 |
| Caesar Creek WA | Wildlife area | Clinton +2 | 3,100 |
| Pickerel Creek WA | Wildlife area | Sandusky | 3,039 |
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 6 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 13 and the ODNR property pages linked from each land page; checked November 6, 2026.
When Ohio chukar hunting light starts and ends
Times for chukar use the NOAA solar formula at the centre of Lucas, Franklin, Hamilton and Washington counties. Rule: sunrise to sunset.
| Date | Why | Toledo area | Columbus area | Cincinnati area | Marietta area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2026 | Checked on | 7:11 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. |
| Jan 10, 2027 | Regular closes | 8:00 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. | 7:53 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 7:57 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 7:46 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 6; checked November 6, 2026.
Ring-necked pheasant rooster walking through dry grass. Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER (CC0 1.0)
Restored Ohio prairie in bloom with black-eyed Susans and blazing star. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Red sunrise behind a windmill and farm pond in northeast Ohio. Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain)
Chukar, answered
Is Sunday hunting allowed for chukar?
Sunday is an ordinary hunting day for chukar: no statewide Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 digest or the OAC 1501:31 and ORC 1533 sections read.
Must I wear orange for chukar in Ohio?
Chukar hunters wear it only when they hunt during the deer gun weeks: hunting any wild animal (except waterfowl) from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset during the youth deer gun, deer gun (including bonus gun and DSA early gun) and deer muzzleloader seasons requires a visible vest, coat, jacket or coveralls in solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange, statewide on public and private land.
What is the chukar bag limit in Ohio?
4 daily.
When is chukar season in Ohio for 2026-27?
Regular for chukar, Statewide: November 6, 2026 to January 10, 2027; Youth small game weekend for chukar, Statewide: October 24 to October 25, 2026; Youth small game weekend for chukar, Statewide: October 31 to November 1, 2026. On November 6, 2026 the chukar season is open, running to January 10, 2027.
What equipment is legal for chukar in Ohio?
For chukar: longbow/bow, crossbow, handgun (any caliber), rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
What do I buy to hunt chukar in Ohio?
For chukar you need a hunting license. Prices for chukar: Resident license $19.00; Nonresident license $180.96; Youth license $10.00; Resident senior license $10.00; Nonresident (tourist) 3-day license $40.56.
Where are chukar on Ohio wildlife areas?
21 public places in this guide list chukar or a matching game group, mostly 19 wildlife areas and 2 state parks; the largest are Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area, Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area and Berlin Lake Wildlife Area. Private land for chukar needs written permission; enrolled L/HAP farms take an online check-in.
What time does Ohio chukar hunting end?
For chukar: sunrise to sunset. ODNR prints no sunrise table, so the chukar times on this page are worked out with the NOAA solar formula.
Other photos on this page: ALAN SCHMIERER (CC0 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain).