COLUMBUS, OH - The antlered-only special early primitive deer hunting season will open October 21 and run through October 26 at three public hunting areas in southern and southeastern Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
These areas include Salt Fork State Wildlife Area located in Guernsey County, Shawnee State Forest in Adams and Scioto counties, and Wildcat Hollow in Perry and Morgan counties.
Last year, hunters tagged 268 antlered bucks during the early primitive season on these areas.
During the Special Area Primitive Season hunters must wear a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls of hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange. This requirement applies during any of the deer gun seasons, even if hunting with a bow.
Legal hunting hours are one half-hour before sunrise to sunset. Hunters may use crossbows, longbows, muzzleloading rifles of at least .38 caliber or larger and muzzleloading shotguns of 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 and .410 gauge using one ball per barrel.
All deer killed during this special season must be taken to the primitive area check station for permanent tagging by 8 p.m. of the same day.
The check station for Salt Fork State Wildlife Area will be the areas headquarters located off of US 22, 1/10 mile east of the state park entrance. The Shawnee State Forest office near Friendship off of US 52 will check in deer taken on the forest, and Wolf Creek State Wildlife Area headquarters, on State Route 78, will be the check station for Wildcat Hollow. Maps of Wildcat Hollow are available by calling the ODNR Division of Wildlife at 740-594-2211.
Urban deer permits are not valid for this bucks-only primitive season.
Hunters should be aware that because of the increased number of turkey hunting days, this special early primitive season partially overlaps with fall turkey season. For that reason, turkey hunting will not be allowed at those three state-owned areas during the primitive deer-hunting season.