Early Archery and Gun Seasons Announced for Deer Hunters in CWD Surveillance Zone

Hunters in Allen and Hardin counties can participate in an early archery hunting season for white-tailed deer beginning Saturday, Sept. 12. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife announced the additional dates, which apply within Ohio’s Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance area.

The surveillance zone, which includes all of Allen and Hardin counties, along with Marion, Wyandot, and parts of Crawford, Delaware, Hancock, Morrow, and Union counties, is part of the 2026-27 hunting season strategy. Its purpose is to help slow the spread of CWD by reducing deer numbers before the breeding season.

Beyond archery, hunters holding a valid hunting license and a deer permit will also have access to an early gun hunting season within the surveillance area. This special gun season runs from Saturday, Oct. 10, to Monday, Oct. 12.

Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological disease that affects animals in the deer family, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, and caribou. An ODNR press release stated that since fall 2020, 118 wild deer have tested positive for CWD within Allen, Hardin, Hancock, Crawford, Marion, Seneca, and Wyandot counties. Despite its impact on deer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there is no strong evidence suggesting CWD is transmissible to humans.

Mandatory CWD sampling is required for all deer harvested within the surveillance area on specific dates: Saturday, Oct. 10, through Sunday, Oct. 11, and again from Monday, Nov. 30, through Tuesday, Dec. 1.

For hunters in Allen County, the designated staffed sampling location is the Allen County Sportsmen and Farmers Association, located at 1001 S. Kemp Road in Lima. In Hardin County, deer can be sampled at the Hardin County Fairgrounds, 14135 County Road 140 in Kenton.

To control the spread of CWD, the surveillance area imposes certain prohibitions. The use of bait to attract deer and the hunting of deer with the aid of bait are both prohibited. Additionally, the complete removal of a deer carcass from the surveillance area is not permitted unless the carcass adheres to specific deer carcass regulations or is delivered to a certified taxidermist or processor within 24 hours of harvest. Information on certified processors and taxidermists is available from the ODNR.