Waterfowl
Ohio Snow Goose hunting for 2026-27: dates, limits and public land
Opens Nov 14; limits, harvest, permits and places to hunt snow, blue and Ross's geese.
Photo: Fdy3k (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The 2026-27 picture for snow, blue and Ross's geese
Every 2026-27 Ohio date for snow, blue and Ross's geese is below, 6 rows from the ODNR digest, with limits, permits and public land.
- Limit summary (snow, blue and Ross's geese): 10 daily.
- Dates and methods (snow, blue and Ross's geese): Zones A/B/C goose seasons.
- ODNR note (snow, blue and Ross's geese): No conservation order season in the 2026-27 digest.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 19, OAC 1501:31-7-06 and ODNR hunting regulations page; checked November 6, 2026.
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Ohio light goose season table
One line per Ohio light goose season; the filter box searches seasons and zones, and the last column checks each row against today.
| Season | Zone or area | Starts | Ends | Days | Daily bag | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geese (split 1) | Zone A | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 16 | 10 daily | |
| Geese (split 2) | Zone A | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 1, 2027 | 80 | 10 daily | |
| Geese (split 1) | Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 9 | 10 daily | |
| Geese (split 2) | Zone B | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | 87 | 10 daily | |
| Geese (split 1) | Zone C | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 9 | 10 daily | |
| Geese (split 2) | Zone C | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | 87 | 10 daily |
- Geese (split 1) (snow, blue and Ross's geese, Zone A): Hours 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset unless posted; Hunting license, HIP, Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp (18+) and signed federal duck stamp or E-stamp (16+); New zones A, B and C take effect in 2026-27 (OAC 1501:31-7-07); Falconers may take ducks, geese, mergansers and coots when the zone is open to geese; Zone A: Auglaize, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hardin, Henry, Marion, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Sandusky, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams and Wyandot and Lucas outside zone B, out to the Lake Erie boundary line.
- Geese (split 1) (snow, blue and Ross's geese, Zone B): Hours 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset unless posted; Hunting license, HIP, Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp (18+) and signed federal duck stamp or E-stamp (16+); New zones A, B and C take effect in 2026-27 (OAC 1501:31-7-07); Falconers may take ducks, geese, mergansers and coots when the zone is open to geese; Zone B: listed northern counties, Lucas south of US 24 and west of I-75, parts of Ashland, Wayne, Holmes, Stark and Columbiana north/west of the SR 3-SR 60-US 30-SR 226-SR 514-SR 754-SR 39-SR 241 line, and the remaining Lake Erie islands and waters.
- Geese (split 1) (snow, blue and Ross's geese, Zone C): Hours 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset unless posted; Hunting license, HIP, Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp (18+) and signed federal duck stamp or E-stamp (16+); New zones A, B and C take effect in 2026-27 (OAC 1501:31-7-07); Falconers may take ducks, geese, mergansers and coots when the zone is open to geese; Zone C: rest of the state (includes the southern parts of Ashland, Wayne, Holmes, Stark and Columbiana).
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 19 and ODNR Division of Wildlife; checked November 6, 2026.
Snow Goose by county and zone
| Zone | In or partly in | Fully in | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone A | 16 | 15 | Oct 17 to Nov 1, 2026 and Nov 14 to Feb 1, 2027 |
| Zone B | 25 | 19 | Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026 and Nov 21 to Feb 15, 2027 |
| Zone C | 53 | 48 | Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026 and Nov 21 to Feb 15, 2027 |
Pick the zone first, then the light goose dates; Ashland, Columbiana, Holmes, Lucas, Stark and Wayne sit in two zones divided by state routes and U.S. highways.
Sources: OAC 1501:31-7-07 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 19; checked November 6, 2026.
Ohio light goose harvest statistics
ODNR estimates hunter numbers for snow, blue and Ross's geese from a statewide questionnaire; the 2022-23 summary is the newest found, and there are no county figures.
Snow Goose in the ODNR small game survey
| Species | Estimated hunters | Days afield (mean) | Estimated harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geese | 22,320 | – | – |
Sources: ODNR 2022-23 small game summary; checked November 6, 2026.
Limits on snow, blue and Ross's geese in 2026-27
Daily, possession and season limits for snow, blue and Ross's geese; possession for migratory birds is three daily limits after opening day.
- Daily bag (snow, blue and Ross's geese): 5 daily: Canada, cackling and white-fronted geese and brant combined, maximum 1 brant.
- Geese and brant (snow, blue and Ross's geese page): 5 daily: Canada, cackling and white-fronted geese and brant combined, maximum 1 brant; 10 daily light geese (snow, blue, Ross's); Possession 15 dark geese, 3 brant, 30 light geese.
- Migratory possession (snow, blue and Ross's geese page): Possession after the second day = 3 times the daily limit; on opening day no more than the daily limit.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 19 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 18; checked November 6, 2026.
Ohio light goose license and permit prices
Goose hunters need a hunting license, yearly HIP certification, the Ohio wetlands stamp (18+) and the federal duck stamp (16+). Licenses for snow, blue and Ross's geese can be bought on HuntFish OH, online or from a license agent and shown on a phone.
| What | Who | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Federal duck stamp | Resident and nonresident | $25.00 | Federal July-June; Ohio license year |
| Ohio wetlands habitat stamp | Resident and nonresident | $15.00 | License year |
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 29, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 30 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 28; checked November 6, 2026.
What you can carry for snow, blue and Ross's geese
- Geese (split 1) (snow, blue and Ross's geese): Shotgun 10 gauge or smaller (including muzzleloading), plugged to hold no more than 3 shells; longbow; Nontoxic shot required for ducks, geese, brant, rails, snipe, gallinules and coots; doves and woodcock may be taken with lead; No crossbows, rifles, electronic calls, bait, live decoys or motorized pursuit.
- Migratory birds (snow, blue and Ross's geese), allowed gear: Shotgun 10 gauge or smaller plugged to 3 shells; longbow; nontoxic shot for waterfowl, rails, snipe, gallinules (lead OK for dove and woodcock).
- Migratory birds (snow, blue and Ross's geese), illegal: Crossbow, rifle, pistol, sinkbox, motor vehicles/aircraft, electronic calls, live decoys, bait.
- General (snow, blue and Ross's geese), allowed gear: 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 (snow, blue and Ross's geese), illegal: Blowguns are not guns; deadfalls; fully automatic firearms and tracer ammunition on wildlife areas.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 22, ORC 1533.16 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 19; checked November 6, 2026.
Snow Goose rules in the field
- Orange in gun weeks (snow, blue and Ross's geese): Snow, blue and Ross's geese hunters fall under the waterfowl exemption: waterfowl hunters are exempt and may use any shot size.
- When to shoot (snow, blue and Ross's geese): 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset during the regular, youth and military seasons, unless posted; Early teal and early Canada goose seasons: sunrise to sunset.
- Bait rule (snow, blue and Ross's geese): Bait is off limits for snow, blue and Ross's geese under federal rules: federal baiting rules: no waterfowl or doves over bait; normal agricultural planting, harvest and manipulation (mowing, bush-hogging) and natural vegetation are allowed; grain removed from or stored on the field and then distributed is bait.
- Harvest reporting (snow, blue and Ross's geese): HIP certification annually; migratory birds left with others must carry a signed tag (address, number and species, date).
- Written permission (snow, blue and Ross's geese): 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 (snow, blue and Ross's geese): Legal except for migratory game birds and wild turkeys; legal for crows.
- Wildlife areas (snow, blue and Ross's geese): No firearms except while hunting/trapping or on designated ranges; no vehicles off designated roads; no bait or feed; camping only at designated sites.
- Weekends (snow, blue and Ross's geese): No statewide Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 digest or the OAC 1501:31 and ORC 1533 sections read.
- Education card (snow, blue and Ross's geese): 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, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 9, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 14, 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.
Snow Goose: the largest public areas
92 places list waterfowl; the table shows the twelve largest by acreage for snow, blue and Ross's geese. Every place links to its own page with acres, county, zones, access and controlled hunts.
| Public land | Kind | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Hills WA | Wildlife area | Guernsey +3 | 35,396 |
| Zaleski SF | State forest | Athens +1 | 27,822 |
| Egypt Valley WA | Wildlife area | Belmont +1 | 22,663 |
| Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP) | Access program | Allen +45 | 18,058 |
| Salt Fork SP | State park | Guernsey | 17,229 |
| Killdeer Plains WA | Wildlife area | Marion +1 | 9,054 |
| Mosquito Creek WA | Wildlife area | Trumbull | 9,021 |
| Berlin Lake WA | Wildlife area | Mahoning +2 | 8,518 |
| Ladue Hunting Area | Public hunting area | Geauga +1 | 8,427 |
| Grand River WA | Wildlife area | Ashtabula +1 | 7,664 |
| Big Island WA | Wildlife area | Marion | 5,872 |
| Paint Creek SP | State park | Highland +1 | 5,652 |
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.
Sunrise, sunset and light goose hours
Sunrise comes several minutes later in Toledo than in Marietta, so the light goose times are shown for four places, each from the NOAA formula.
| Date | Moment | Toledo area | Columbus area | Cincinnati area | Marietta area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2026 | Date checked | 6:41 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Geese (split 2) opens | 6:51 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Geese (split 2) opens | 7:00 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Feb 1, 2027 | Geese (split 2) closes | 7:17 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. |
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 6; checked November 6, 2026.
Canada goose leading newly hatched goslings across a pond in Newark, Licking County. Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Canada geese on the sandy shore at Conneaut Harbor on Lake Erie, Ashtabula County. Photo: Pbalson8204 (English Wikipedia) (Public domain)
Flock of Canada geese swimming on a lake. Photo: Fabian Roudra Baroi (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Snow Goose, answered
Is light goose season open on Sundays?
Sunday is an ordinary hunting day for snow, blue and Ross’s geese: no statewide Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 digest or the OAC 1501:31 and ORC 1533 sections read.
When does light goose season open in Ohio?
Geese (split 1) for snow, blue and Ross’s geese, Zone A: October 17 to November 1, 2026; Geese (split 2) for snow, blue and Ross’s geese, Zone A: November 14, 2026 to February 1, 2027; Geese (split 1) for snow, blue and Ross’s geese, Zone B: October 17 to October 25, 2026; Geese (split 2) for snow, blue and Ross’s geese, Zone B: November 21, 2026 to February 15, 2027; Geese (split 1) for snow, blue and Ross’s geese, Zone C: October 17 to October 25, 2026; Geese (split 2) for snow, blue and Ross’s geese, Zone C: November 21, 2026 to February 15, 2027. On November 6, 2026 the light goose season is set to open on November 14, 2026.
How many snow, blue and Ross's geese may I keep per day in Ohio?
10 daily; the regulations add: 5 daily: Canada, cackling and white-fronted geese and brant combined, maximum 1 brant; 10 daily light geese (snow, blue, Ross’s); Possession 15 dark geese, 3 brant, 30 light geese.
Which permits cover snow, blue and Ross's geese in Ohio?
For snow, blue and Ross’s geese you need a hunting license, HIP certification, the federal duck stamp (16+) and the Ohio wetlands stamp (18+). Prices for snow, blue and Ross’s geese: Resident license $19.00; Nonresident license $180.96; Youth license $10.00; Resident senior license $10.00; Federal duck stamp $25.00.
Can I use a rifle for snow, blue and Ross's geese in Ohio?
For snow, blue and Ross’s geese: shotgun 10 gauge or smaller (including muzzleloading), plugged to hold no more than 3 shells; longbow; Nontoxic shot required for ducks, geese, brant, rails, snipe, gallinules and coots; doves and woodcock may be taken with lead; No crossbows, rifles, electronic calls, bait, live decoys or motorized pursuit.
How early can I shoot snow, blue and Ross's geese in Ohio?
For snow, blue and Ross’s geese: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset during the regular, youth and military seasons, unless posted; Early teal and early Canada goose seasons: sunrise to sunset. ODNR prints no sunrise table, so the light goose times on this page are worked out with the NOAA solar formula.
What public land is good for snow, blue and Ross's geese in Ohio?
92 public places in this guide list snow, blue and Ross’s geese or a matching game group, mostly 40 state parks, 38 wildlife areas and 5 public hunting areas; the largest are Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area, Zaleski State Forest and Egypt Valley Wildlife Area. Private land for snow, blue and Ross’s geese needs written permission; enrolled L/HAP farms take an online check-in.
Is hunter orange required for snow, blue and Ross's geese?
Snow, blue and Ross’s geese hunters fall under the waterfowl exemption: waterfowl hunters are exempt and may use any shot size.
What are the baiting rules for snow, blue and Ross's geese?
Bait is off limits for snow, blue and Ross’s geese under federal rules: federal baiting rules: no waterfowl or doves over bait; normal agricultural planting, harvest and manipulation (mowing, bush-hogging) and natural vegetation are allowed; grain removed from or stored on the field and then distributed is bait.
What happens after I take snow, blue and Ross's geese in Ohio?
For snow, blue and Ross’s geese: HIP certification annually; migratory birds left with others must carry a signed tag (address, number and species, date).
Where in Ohio do light goose limits differ?
Snow, blue and Ross’s geese follow the new Zones A, B and C: Zone A covers 16 counties in the northwest and the Lake Erie marshes, Zone B 25 in the north and northeast, Zone C 53 in central and southern Ohio; split counties follow the boundary roads.
Other photos on this page: James St. John (CC BY 2.0); Pbalson8204 (English Wikipedia) (Public domain); Fabian Roudra Baroi (CC BY-SA 4.0).