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What is in season to hunt, trap or take in Ohio — waterfowl and migratory birds

Nothing on this chart is in season today. The animals are still out there; what is shut is the taking of them. Coyote and groundhog have no closed season in Ohio and are not on this chart.

Opening in the next fortnight

  • Mourning Doveseason opens 1 September
  • Soraseason opens 1 September
  • Virginia Railseason opens 1 September
  • Common Gallinuleseason opens 1 September
  • Wilson's Snipeseason opens 1 September
  • Canada Gooseseason opens 5 September
  • Blue-winged Tealseason opens 5 September
  • Green-winged Tealseason opens 5 September
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Waterfowl and migratory birds Canada GooseBranta canadensis · Early and regular season — Zone A · Where: statewide; the early season targets resident birds on parks, golf courses and farm pondsSeason open — Sep 5 to Sep 13Season open — Oct 17 to Nov 1Season open — Nov 14 to Dec 31Season open — Jan 1 to Feb 1 Snow GooseAnser caerulescens · Regular season — Zone A · Where: western Lake Erie marshes and the big reservoirsSeason open — Oct 17 to Nov 1Season open — Nov 14 to Dec 31Season open — Jan 1 to Feb 1 Blue-winged TealSpatula discors · Early teal and regular duck season — Zone A · Where: shallow marsh, moist-soil units and drawn-down impoundmentsSeason open — Sep 5 to Sep 13Season open — Oct 17 to Nov 1Season open — Nov 14 to Dec 27 Green-winged TealAnas crecca · Early teal and regular duck season — Zone A · Where: mudflats and shallow marshSeason open — Sep 5 to Sep 13Season open — Oct 17 to Nov 1Season open — Nov 14 to Dec 27 MallardAnas platyrhynchos · Regular duck season — Zone A · Where: statewide, on anything with water in itSeason open — Oct 17 to Nov 1Season open — Nov 14 to Dec 27 Wood DuckAix sponsa · Regular duck season — Zone A · Where: wooded creeks, beaver ponds and flooded timberSeason open — Oct 17 to Nov 1Season open — Nov 14 to Dec 27 American Black DuckAnas rubripes · Regular duck season — Zone A · Where: coastal marsh of western Lake Erie, late in the seasonSeason open — Oct 17 to Nov 1Season open — Nov 14 to Dec 27 American CootFulica americana · Regular duck season — Zone A · Where: reservoirs and Lake Erie bays, in raftsSeason open — Oct 17 to Nov 1Season open — Nov 14 to Dec 27 Mourning DoveZenaida macroura · Migratory bird season · Where: cut grain, sunflower fields, gravel and farm edge statewideSeason open — Sep 1 to Nov 8Season open — Dec 12 to Dec 31 SoraPorzana carolina · Migratory bird season · Where: cattail and sedge marsh; far commoner than it looks and almost never seenSeason open — Sep 1 to Nov 9 Virginia RailRallus limicola · Migratory bird season · Where: the same marshes as the sora, in the thicker coverSeason open — Sep 1 to Nov 9 Common GallinuleGallinula galeata · Migratory bird season · Where: western Lake Erie marshes, chieflySeason open — Sep 1 to Nov 9 Wilson's SnipeGallinago delicata · Migratory bird season · Where: wet stubble, flooded pasture and mudflatSeason open — Sep 1 to Nov 25Season open — Dec 12 to Dec 31 American WoodcockScolopax minor · Migratory bird season · Where: young woods, alder runs and damp thicketsSeason open — Oct 16 to Nov 29
Season openTodayA bar is an open season, not a curve — the last day of a season is as open as the middle of it. ✦ marks a species that is not native to Ohio. Waterfowl bars are Zone A dates. Hover a name for the method and the zone. Check the regulations booklet before you go.
# Ohio Sora Season A marsh rail far commoner than it looks and almost never seen, because it walks away through cattails rather than flying. Its call is one of the characteristic sounds of an Ohio marsh in late summer. ## The 2026-27 season | Open | Closes | | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 September | 9 November | | **Method.** Migratory bird season **Where.** cattail and sedge marsh; far commoner than it looks and almost never seen ## The rest of this group Waterfowl and migratory birds share the chart above. The others on it are canada goose, snow goose, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, mallard, wood duck, american black duck, american coot, mourning dove, virginia rail, common gallinule, wilson's snipe, american woodcock. ## Read this with the regulations, not instead of them This page is a calendar. It does not carry bag limits, zone maps, permit requirements, hunter-orange rules, legal hunting hours, or the county-level variations that apply to several of these seasons. Waterfowl dates here are Zone A. Every date is transcribed from the Ohio Division of Wildlife's own publication for the current licence year and is reproduced without warranty. - [2026-27 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations](https://ohiodnr.gov/buy-and-apply/hunting-fishing-boating/hunting-resources/hunting-regulations) - [Ohio Fishing Regulations](https://ohiodnr.gov/buy-and-apply/hunting-fishing-boating/fishing-resources/fishing-regulations) **Coyote and groundhog have no closed season in Ohio** and so have no mark on the strip and no page here. **Ruffed grouse** is controlled-hunt only on four designated areas, with permits drawn by lottery in July, and has no statewide window to draw.