No open season
Feral Swine in Ohio: no 2026-27 hunting season
Why there is no feral swine season, with the rule and related hunts.
Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Why there is no feral swine season in Ohio
No permit, no season: that is the 2026-27 position for feral swine, set out here with sources.
- ODNR status (feral swine): Hunting prohibited; landowner eradication after notifying the Division.
- Protection rule (feral swine): Not protected, but hunting them is prohibited; landowners/agents may eradicate after contacting the Division and must report within 24 hours; not on public hunting areas.
- Note (feral swine): Invasive; not a game animal.
- Behind the rule (feral swine): feral swine are an invasive species, not game: not protected, but hunting them is prohibited; landowners/agents may eradicate after contacting the Division and must report within 24 hours; not on public hunting areas.
- Legal class (feral swine): feral swine are not a game animal and not a protected one: invasive; not a game animal.
- On private land (feral swine): Yes, but not as hunting: hunting feral swine is prohibited; landowners may eradicate them after contacting the Division (report within 24 hours).
- Swine rule (feral swine): Hunting feral swine is prohibited; landowners may eradicate them after contacting the Division (report within 24 hours).
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 17 and ORC 1533.751; checked November 6, 2026.
Feral Swine: fines and jail terms
The statutes behind any feral swine violation, with fines and jail terms.
| Violation | Penalty | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Feral swine | Importing or releasing wild boar or feral swine is a fifth-degree felony plus eradication costs | ORC 1533.99 |
| 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 |
County wildlife officers take feral swine reports, as does Turn In a Poacher (1-800-POACHER (1-800-762-2437), anonymous, 24/7). Ohio is a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, so a suspension over feral swine can follow a hunter to other member states.
Sources: ORC 1533.99, ORC 1531.99 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 21; checked November 6, 2026.
What to hunt instead of feral swine
Species close to feral swine that do have an Ohio season, with dates and limits.
| Species | Status | Season | Usual limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Open to Feb 7 | Sep 12–Feb 7, 2027 | County limits 2-6 |
| Coyote | No closed season | Year-round | No limit |
| Groundhog (Woodchuck) | No closed season | Year-round | No limit |
| Wild Turkey | Spring 2027 dates not out | Oct 1–Oct 25, 2026 | Fall 1 either-sex |
Sources: ODNR hunting regulations page and ODNR Division of Wildlife; checked November 6, 2026.
What is legal in place of feral swine
Ohio names these legal species by group; feral swine have no season in any of them.
- Big game with 2026-27 seasons (feral swine 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) (feral swine 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 (feral swine 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 (feral swine 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 (feral swine 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 (feral swine page): American crow (Fri-Sun season); Crows are game birds under ORC 1531.01(S).
- Unprotected/nuisance birds (feral swine 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)
Questions about feral swine in Ohio
Will Ohio ever have a feral swine season?
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 feral swine, and this page will change only if those rules do.
Are feral swine game or nongame in Ohio?
Feral swine are not a game animal and not a protected one: invasive; not a game animal.
Which rule covers feral swine in Ohio?
Feral swine are an invasive species, not game: not protected, but hunting them is prohibited; landowners/agents may eradicate after contacting the Division and must report within 24 hours; not on public hunting areas.
Can you hunt feral swine in Ohio?
No. Hunting prohibited; landowner eradication after notifying the Division; the rule is not protected, but hunting them is prohibited; landowners/agents may eradicate after contacting the Division and must report within 24 hours; not on public hunting areas.
Where do I report feral swine violations?
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 fine applies to feral swine violations in Ohio?
For feral swine: importing or releasing wild boar or feral swine is a fifth-degree felony plus eradication costs; 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).
Do landowners have an exception for feral swine?
Yes, but not as hunting: hunting feral swine is prohibited; landowners may eradicate them after contacting the Division (report within 24 hours).
What species near feral swine have seasons?
Open seasons near feral swine: White-tailed Deer (open to feb 7); Coyote (no closed season); Groundhog (Woodchuck) (no closed season); Wild Turkey (spring 2027 dates not out).
Other photos on this page: OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0); Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain).