Ohio Shed Antler Season 2027

Ohio allows naturally shed deer antlers to be picked up on Division of Wildlife lands during daylight hours. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife puts it this way: "Written permission is required to pursue a wild animal or their parts on the property of another, including for deer recovery and shed hunting, even without a hunting device."

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife lists its Ohio shed rules without dated closures, so they hold year round. The weeks that matter most are the ones when antlers drop.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife's published shed rules name no permit, course or license for collecting. Landowner permission and the land manager's own rules still apply wherever you walk.

Possessing deer parts normally needs a tag or proof of ownership, but shed antlers are exempt; the digest states no rule on selling shed antlers. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife: "It is unlawful to receive or possess a deer or parts of a deer unless such deer or deer part is tagged as required, ... Shed antlers do not require a certificate of ownership or receipt by a wildlife officer."

On Division of Wildlife properties, shed deer antlers may be picked up during daylight hours without written permission from the chief. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife: "This provision shall not apply to the picking of berries, nuts or mushrooms, picking up naturally shed deer antlers during the daylight hours or picking up litter for proper disposal during the daylight hours."

Shed hunting on another person's property requires the landowner's written permission, even without a hunting device. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife: "Written permission is required to pursue a wild animal or their parts on the property of another, including for deer recovery and shed hunting, even without a hunting device."

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife names white-tailed deer among the antlered animals of Ohio. For whitetails, Iowa Department of Natural Resources puts the drop at mid January to mid March: "Whitetail deer have about a two-month shedding period in Iowa, beginning mid-Jan. and ending mid-March."

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. The rules here were read from its own pages on September 21, 2026, and each one links to the page it came from. Rules change between winters, so the agency page is the one to check before a trip.