Upland bird
Ohio pheasant hunting for 2026-27: dates, limits and public land
Dates, zones, limits, permits, legal hours and public land for ring-necked pheasants.
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER (CC0 1.0)
Ohio pheasant hunting in brief
The Division of Wildlife sets 3 windows for ring-necked pheasants this license year, running from October 24, 2026 to January 10, 2027.
- Limits (ring-necked pheasants): 2 roosters daily.
- Calendar in brief (ring-necked pheasants): November 6-January 10; youth weekends; released birds on listed areas.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 17, OAC 1501:31-15-17 and ODNR hunting regulations page; checked November 6, 2026.
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All 3 Ohio rows for ring-necked pheasants
The Today column for ring-necked pheasants is worked out in your browser, so it stays current after this page was built.
| Hunt | Coverage | Begins | Finishes | Days | Limit | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 66 | 2 roosters daily | |
| Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 2 | 2 roosters daily (same as regular season) | |
| Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 2 | 2 roosters daily (same as regular season) |
- Regular (ring-necked pheasants, Statewide): Roosters only; hours sunrise to sunset; ODNR releases pheasants on listed wildlife areas for the youth weekends and November 6, November 14 and November 26; some fields need a controlled access permit Thursdays-Saturdays October 15-November 15, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day.
- Youth small game weekend (ring-necked pheasants, 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.
Pheasant: where the dates apply
One statewide set of pheasant dates covers Ohio, with no zones or county exceptions. County pages
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16; checked November 6, 2026.
Pheasant harvest and hunter numbers
The figures for ring-necked pheasants are questionnaire estimates with wide error margins; treat them as scale, not counts.
Ohio pheasant hunters, 2022-23 questionnaire
| Species | Estimated hunters | Days afield (mean) | Estimated harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stocked Pheasant | 26,761 | 3.9 | 177,173 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 5,665 | 3.1 | 2,539 |
Sources: ODNR 2022-23 small game summary; checked November 6, 2026.
Pheasant: daily, possession and season limits
The pheasant bag rules below come straight from the regulation text.
- Row bag (ring-necked pheasants): 2 roosters daily.
- Bag by row (ring-necked pheasants): 2 roosters daily (same as regular season).
- Ring-necked pheasant (ring-necked pheasants page): 2 roosters daily; hens illegal.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16; checked November 6, 2026.
Pheasant costs for 2026-27
A hunting license is all that is required, unless an exemption applies. Apprentice licenses let new pheasant hunters start without the course, hunting beside a licensed adult 21 or older.
| License or permit | Who | Price | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Controlled hunt lottery application | Resident and nonresident | $3 | Per hunt applied for |
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 26, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 29 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 28; checked November 6, 2026.
Pheasant legal methods
- Regular (ring-necked pheasants): Longbow/bow, crossbow, handgun (any caliber), rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
- Small game and furbearers (ring-necked pheasants), allowed: Bow, crossbow, handgun and rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
- Small game and furbearers (ring-necked pheasants), banned: During deer gun seasons only shotguns with number 4 shot or smaller (except coyote hunters with deer-legal implements and a deer permit).
- General (ring-necked pheasants), allowed: 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 (ring-necked pheasants), banned: 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.
Field rules for ring-necked pheasants
- Hunter orange (ring-necked pheasants): Ring-necked pheasants 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.
- Light rules (ring-necked pheasants): Sunrise to sunset.
- Written permission (ring-necked pheasants): 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 (ring-necked pheasants): Legal except for migratory game birds and wild turkeys; legal for crows.
- Wildlife areas (ring-necked pheasants): No firearms except while hunting/trapping or on designated ranges; no vehicles off designated roads; no bait or feed; camping only at designated sites.
- Sundays (ring-necked pheasants): No statewide Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 digest or the OAC 1501:31 and ORC 1533 sections read.
- New hunters (ring-necked pheasants): 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.
Pheasant hunts by lottery
The controlled hunting access lotteries hold 21 hunts for ring-necked pheasants. Application windows: Turkey March 1-31; deer, small game, dove, waterfowl and waterfowl blind July 1-31; trapping (beaver/otter, furbearer, raccoon) in person on the first Saturday in October (October 3, 2026) at the five district offices; Tuesday/Thursday waterfowl permits by online lottery each Monday and Wednesday 10 am-noon.
Ring-necked pheasants hunts: Pheasant hunts (permittee + up to 4 partners) on the youth Saturdays, opening day, November 14 and Thanksgiving; squirrel, rabbit, quail and grouse hunts in 3-day periods; grouse limited to 1 per hunter per permit.
| Number | Hunt | Public land | Lottery list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2750 | Caesar Creek WA pheasant | Caesar Creek WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2751 | Killbuck Marsh WA pheasant | Killbuck Marsh WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2752 | Shreve Lake WA pheasant | Shreve Lake WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2753 | Tranquility WA pheasant | Tranquility WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2754 | Wolf Creek WA pheasant | Wolf Creek WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2755 | Wood County WA 5 pheasant | Wood County Wildlife Area 5 | Small Game Hunts |
| 2756 | Pickerel Creek WA pheasant | Pickerel Creek WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2757 | East Fork WA pheasant | East Fork WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2758 | Salt Fork WA pheasant | Salt Fork WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2759 | Pleasant Valley WA pheasant | Pleasant Valley WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2760 | Pater WA pheasant | Pater WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2761 | Fallsville WA pheasant | Fallsville WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2762 | Coldwater Creek Nature Corridor pheasant | Coldwater Creek Nature & Wildlife Corridor | Small Game Hunts |
| 2764 | Hancock County WA 5 pheasant | Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 | Small Game Hunts |
| 2765 | Parkersburg WA pheasant | Parkersburg WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2767 | Funk Bottoms WA pheasant hunt | Funk Bottoms WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2771 | Killdeer Plains WA pheasant | Killdeer Plains WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2772 | Kokosing WA pheasant | – | Small Game Hunts |
| 2774 | Mosquito Creek WA pheasant | Mosquito Creek WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2779 | Andreoff WA pheasant | Andreoff WA | Small Game Hunts |
| 2781 | Urbana WA pheasant | Urbana WA | Small Game Hunts |
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 26, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 27 and ODNR controlled hunting page; checked November 6, 2026.
Public places for pheasant hunting
By type, the 52 places that name pheasant are wildlife area 44, state park 6, conservation area 1, program 1; all are open to ring-necked pheasants in season. Each area's own rules win: public hunting areas allow portable stands only, ban bait and close to other uses at night.
| Place | Land type | In | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Hills WA | Wildlife area | Guernsey +3 | 35,396 |
| Tri-Valley WA | Wildlife area | Coshocton +1 | 16,200 |
| 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 |
| Grand River WA | Wildlife area | Ashtabula +1 | 7,664 |
| Big Island WA | Wildlife area | Marion | 5,872 |
| Killbuck Marsh WA | Wildlife area | Holmes +1 | 5,703 |
| Paint Creek SP | State park | Highland +1 | 5,652 |
| Paint Creek Lake WA | Wildlife area | Highland +1 | 5,090 |
| Delaware WA | Wildlife area | Delaware +2 | 4,670 |
| Tranquility WA | Wildlife area | Adams | 4,490 |
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.
Pheasant hours across Ohio
Legal hours for ring-necked pheasants, worked out for four county centres with the NOAA solar formula (Eastern Time); ODNR prints no sunrise table.
| Day | Marker | Toledo area | Columbus area | Cincinnati area | Marietta area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2026 | Page checked | 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 green grass. Photo: lwolfartist (CC BY 2.0)
Red sunrise behind a windmill and farm pond in northeast Ohio. Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain)
Amish farm and red barns under big summer clouds in Ohio. Photo: Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Common questions on ring-necked pheasants
Are there public places to hunt ring-necked pheasants in Ohio?
52 public places in this guide list ring-necked pheasants or a matching game group, mostly 44 wildlife areas, 6 state parks and 1 conservation area; the largest are Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area, Tri-Valley Wildlife Area and Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area. Private land for ring-necked pheasants needs written permission; enrolled L/HAP farms take an online check-in.
Hunter orange and ring-necked pheasants: what is required?
Ring-necked pheasants 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.
How do Ohio controlled pheasant hunts work?
The 2026-27 lists hold 21 hunts for ring-necked pheasants, such as Caesar Creek WA pheasant, Killbuck Marsh WA pheasant and Shreve Lake WA pheasant. Apply in the ODNR controlled hunting lotteries for ring-necked pheasants; the fee is $3 per hunt.
What do ODNR surveys say about ring-necked pheasants?
The ODNR 2022-23 small game questionnaire estimated 26,761 stocked pheasant hunters and a harvest of 177,173; it is the newest statewide estimate found.
Can I hunt ring-necked pheasants on Sundays in Ohio?
Sunday is an ordinary hunting day for ring-necked pheasants: no statewide Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 digest or the OAC 1501:31 and ORC 1533 sections read.
When can I hunt ring-necked pheasants in Ohio?
Regular for ring-necked pheasants, Statewide: November 6, 2026 to January 10, 2027; Youth small game weekend for ring-necked pheasants, Statewide: October 24 to October 25, 2026; Youth small game weekend for ring-necked pheasants, Statewide: October 31 to November 1, 2026. On November 6, 2026 the pheasant season is open, running to January 10, 2027.
What limits apply to Ohio pheasant hunting?
2 roosters daily; the regulations add: 2 roosters daily; hens illegal.
Do I need a special permit for ring-necked pheasants in Ohio?
For ring-necked pheasants you need a hunting license. Prices for ring-necked pheasants: Resident license $19.00; Nonresident license $180.96; Youth license $10.00; Resident senior license $10.00; Nonresident (tourist) 3-day license $40.56.
Which methods are allowed for ring-necked pheasants?
For ring-necked pheasants: longbow/bow, crossbow, handgun (any caliber), rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
When can I start hunting ring-necked pheasants each day?
For ring-necked pheasants: sunrise to sunset. ODNR prints no sunrise table, so the pheasant times on this page are worked out with the NOAA solar formula.
Other photos on this page: lwolfartist (CC BY 2.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain); Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0).