One of Ohio’s most anticipated fall traditions begins soon during the annual white-tailed deer gun hunting seasons. 

Ohio’s youth hunting season is today and Sunday. Gun hunters of all ages can participate in the upcoming seven-day gun season from Monday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Dec. 3. 

A bonus weekend of gun hunting will take place Dec. 16-17; muzzleloader season is Jan. 6-9, 2024. Ohio’s archery season runs through Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. Legal hunting implements during the gun seasons include shotguns, straight-walled cartridge rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns, and archery equipment. All hunters, regardless of the implement they use, are required to wear hunter orange during the gun seasons. 

Learn more by reading the 2023-24 hunting and trapping regulations and visiting the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife’s hunting webpage.

Hunters who harvest a deer and would like to donate the venison through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry can bring it to one of 26 certified deer processing shops in Ohio. 

Each donated deer is provided to a verified charitable organization that offers food assistance. Hunters who donate their deer are not required to pay for the processing of the venison.

One harvested deer yields approximately 50 pounds of venison and 200 meals. Find the complete list of processors accepting donations of harvested deer at feedingthehungry.org.