Small game
Ohio squirrel hunting for 2026-27: dates, limits and public land
2026-27: Open to Jan 31. Every ODNR row, limits, permits, public land and legal hours.
Photo: Benny Mazur (CC BY 2.0)
Squirrel in Ohio, 2026-27
Every 2026-27 Ohio date for squirrels is below, 1 row from the ODNR digest, with limits, permits and public land.
- Limit summary (squirrels): 6 daily.
- Dates and methods (squirrels): September 1-January 31; any legal small game implement.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16, OAC 1501:31-15-15 and ODNR hunting regulations page; checked November 6, 2026.
GearHeading out for small game season? Small game gear checklist →
Ohio squirrel season table
One line per Ohio squirrel 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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 153 | 6 daily (singly or combined) |
- Regular (squirrels, Statewide): Red, gray, black and fox squirrels; Hours 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16 and ODNR Division of Wildlife; checked November 6, 2026.
Squirrel by county and zone
Statewide dates apply to squirrels in every county from the Lake Erie shore to the Ohio River. Counties hub
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16; checked November 6, 2026.
Ohio squirrel harvest statistics
ODNR estimates hunter numbers for squirrels from a statewide questionnaire; the 2022-23 summary is the newest found, and there are no county figures.
Squirrel in the ODNR small game survey
| Species | Estimated hunters | Days afield (mean) | Estimated harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Squirrel | 70,322 | 7.2 | 195,144 |
| Gray Squirrel | 70,322 | 7.2 | 240,658 |
Sources: ODNR 2022-23 small game summary; checked November 6, 2026.
Limits on squirrels in 2026-27
Daily, possession and season limits for squirrels; possession for migratory birds is three daily limits after opening day.
- Daily bag (squirrels): 6 daily (singly or combined).
- Squirrel (squirrels page): 6 daily (red, gray, black, fox combined).
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 16; checked November 6, 2026.
Squirrel costs for 2026-27
A hunting license is all that is required, unless an exemption applies. Licenses for squirrels 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 |
| 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.
What you can carry for squirrels
- Regular (squirrels): Longbow/bow, crossbow, handgun (any caliber), rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
- Small game and furbearers (squirrels), allowed gear: Bow, crossbow, handgun and rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
- Small game and furbearers (squirrels), illegal: During deer gun seasons only shotguns with number 4 shot or smaller (except coyote hunters with deer-legal implements and a deer permit).
- General (squirrels), 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 (squirrels), illegal: 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.
What ODNR requires on squirrel hunts
- Orange in gun weeks (squirrels): Squirrels 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.
- When to shoot (squirrels): 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
- Written permission (squirrels): 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 (squirrels): Legal except for migratory game birds and wild turkeys; legal for crows.
- Wildlife areas (squirrels): 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 (squirrels): No statewide Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 digest or the OAC 1501:31 and ORC 1533 sections read.
- Education card (squirrels): 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.
Squirrel: drawn hunts for 2026-27
Lottery hunts give access to closed or limited ground for squirrels; 1 are listed for 2026-27.
Squirrels 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.
| No. | Hunt | Land page | List |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2598 | Woodland Trails WA squirrel | Woodland Trails 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.
Ohio public land that lists squirrels
69 places list squirrel; the table shows the twelve largest by acreage for squirrels. Every place links to its own page with acres, county, zones, access and controlled hunts.
| Public land | Kind | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zaleski SF | State forest | Athens +1 | 27,822 |
| Egypt Valley WA | Wildlife area | Belmont +1 | 22,663 |
| Salt Fork SP | State park | Guernsey | 17,229 |
| Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest | State forest | Vinton | 12,331 |
| Scioto Trail SF | State forest | Ross | 9,600 |
| 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 Lake WA | Wildlife area | Highland +1 | 5,090 |
| Superior WA | Wildlife area | Vinton | 5,000 |
| Alum Creek SP | State park | Delaware | 4,630 |
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 squirrel hours
These squirrel hours come from the NOAA solar formula for each county centre; the rule applied is 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
| 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. |
| Jan 31, 2027 | Regular closes | 7:18 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:12 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. |
Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 6; checked November 6, 2026.
Fox squirrel eating on a snowy branch, Cuyahoga County. Photo: LASZLO ILYES (CC BY 2.0)
Fox squirrel sitting in a bare tree at Gilmore Ponds, Butler County. Photo: Andrew Cannizzaro (CC BY 2.0)
Black-phase gray squirrel on fall grass, Cuyahoga County. Photo: Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0)
Squirrel FAQ
Can I use a rifle for squirrels in Ohio?
For squirrels: longbow/bow, crossbow, handgun (any caliber), rifle (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller, airgun.
How early can I shoot squirrels in Ohio?
For squirrels: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. ODNR prints no sunrise table, so the squirrel times on this page are worked out with the NOAA solar formula.
Which Ohio public areas hold squirrels?
69 public places in this guide list squirrels or a matching game group, mostly 35 wildlife areas, 23 state parks and 4 public hunting areas; the largest are Zaleski State Forest, Egypt Valley Wildlife Area and Salt Fork State Park. Private land for squirrels needs written permission; enrolled L/HAP farms take an online check-in.
When must Ohio squirrel hunters wear orange?
Squirrels 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.
Are there controlled hunts for squirrels in Ohio?
The 2026-27 lists hold 1 hunt for squirrels, such as Woodland Trails WA squirrel. Apply in the ODNR controlled hunting lotteries for squirrels; the fee is $3 per hunt.
How popular is squirrel hunting in Ohio?
The ODNR 2022-23 small game questionnaire estimated 70,322 fox squirrel hunters and a harvest of 195,144; it is the newest statewide estimate found.
Is Sunday hunting allowed for squirrels?
Sunday is an ordinary hunting day for squirrels: 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 squirrels in Ohio?
Regular for squirrels, Statewide: September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027. On November 6, 2026 the squirrel season is open, running to January 31, 2027.
Is there a limit on squirrels in Ohio?
6 daily; the regulations add: 6 daily (red, gray, black, fox combined).
Which permits cover squirrels in Ohio?
For squirrels you need a hunting license. Prices for squirrels: Resident license $19.00; Nonresident license $180.96; Youth license $10.00; Resident senior license $10.00; Nonresident (tourist) 3-day license $40.56.
Other photos on this page: LASZLO ILYES (CC BY 2.0); Andrew Cannizzaro (CC BY 2.0); Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0).