Hunting Regulations (May 2009)

Reference the information below or visit the New Ohio 2008-09 Hunting & Trapping Regulations interactive booklet. Maps to locate current license vendors and check stations can be found at http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/vendor.aspx and http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/checkstation.aspx

United States

View each state's web site to get the full detail on hunting regulations.

Alaska: May be used for big game or small game during general season. Permitted during archery-only season for Physically Challenged. For more info go to:http://www.state.ak.us
Arizona: May be used for big game or small game during general seasons and during H.A.M. (Handgun, Archery, Muzzle loader) and fishing. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.gf.state.az.us
Arkansas: Classified and permitted as part of the state’s archery deer season. Also permitted for small game, predators and fishing. For more info go to: http://www.agfc.state.ar.us
California: May be used for big game during general firearms season. Permitted for small game. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.dfg.ca.gov
Colorado: May be used for big game during general firearms season and for small game birds. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.wildlife.state.co.us
Connecticut: May be used by the Physically Challenged during hunting season. For more info go to:http://www.dep.state.ct.us
Delaware: May be used by all hunters during all archery seasons. For more info go to: http://www.dnrec.state.de.us
Florida: May be used for big game during the general firearms season, and specifically in its own “NEW”season. Permitted for small game. For more info go to http://www.MyFWC.com/commission
Georgia: Classified and permitted as part of the state’s archery deer season for all hunters. Also permitted in all gun and general seasons. For more info go to: http://www.gadnr.org/
Hawaii: Permitted for big game and small game on private lands only. For more info go to: http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dcre/home.htm
Idaho: Permitted during the general firearms season for big game. Permitted for small game and fishing. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.state.id.us/fishgame
Illinois: Legal for 62 and over during both gun and archery season, NO PERMIT REQUIRED. Permit is required for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. Permitted for fishing. For more info go to: http://www.dnr.state.il.us
Indiana: Crossbows permitted in the early archery season for youth hunters 17 years and younger, hunters age 64 and over, physically challenged with permit. All hunters may use a crossbow in the late archery season, rifle season, muzzleloader, special antlerless season and urban deer zone season. For more info go to: http://www.state.in.us/dnr/
Iowa: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.iowadnr.com
Kansas: *Permitted for the Physically Challenged in archery season and for all hunters in firearms season and for all in gun season. For more info go to: http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us Modifed on 6/10/08
Kentucky: Permitted for part of archery season and all of general firearms season. Permitted for turkey. For more info go to: http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/fw/kdfwr.htm
Louisiana: *Classified as archery equipment and legal in all seasons for all game except migratory waterfowl. For more info go to: http://www.wlf.state.la.us Modified 6/6/08
Maine: Permitted in general firearms season for deer and bear. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.state.me.us/ifw/
Maryland: May be used during archery and gun season by all hunters and archery season in the Suburban Deer Archery Zones. For more info go to: http://www.crossbow.com/newsarticle/18 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us.
Massachusetts: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged by permit only. For more info go to: http://www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dfw.
Michigan: Classified as archery equipment and legal in all seasons for all game except migratory waterfowl. For more info go to: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr
Minnesota: *Permitted general use during firearms season. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. Crossbows can be used by anyone during Turkey and Bear season. For more info go to: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us Modified 5/22/08
Mississippi: 1 – Crossbows are legal for all hunters on all state Wildlife Management Areas during all seasons. (About 50% of MS hunters do their
hunting on WMA lands). This new reg makes crossbows legal in the early archery season on WMA areas. Last two weeks of six week early archery season changed to PW season statewide. Legal weapons are vertical bows, crossbows and PW. Does only for all hunters, hunters must wear orange. Crossbows legal in new PW season that runs from 12/8 – 12-19. Crossbows legal in new archery and PW hunting season from 1-20-11 till 1-31-11. As during last year crossbows still are legal in early archery season for handicap permit holders. For more info go to: http://www.mdwfp.com
Missouri: Permitted during regular firearms season and in some urban areas in archery season. Permitted for fishing. Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged in archery season. For more info go to: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/
Montana: Permitted for regular firearms season. Permitted for small game and predators. For more info go to: http://www.fwp.state.mt.us
Nebraska: Permitted for us by the Physically Challenged during archery and regular firearms season. For more info go to: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/
Nevada: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged only. For more info go to: http://www.state.nv.us/cnr/nvwildlife
New Hampshire: Permitted general use during firearms season. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us
New Jersey: Crossbows legal for all hunters in the deer archery seasons.For more info go to: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw
New Mexico: Permitted for use during archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us
New York: Extremely strict use permitted by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.dec.state.ny.us
North Carolina: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.enr.state.nc.us/
North Dakota: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.gf.nd.gov
Ohio: Classified as archery equipment and legal in all seasons for all game except migratory waterfowl. For more info go to: http://www.ohiodnr.com
Oklahoma: Legal for all hunters during the state wide archery season. For more info go to: http://www.state.ok.us/~odwc
Oregon: Not recognized as a legal hunting weapon for Big Game. For more info go to: http://www.dfw.state.or.us
Pennsylvania: Crossbows are legal for all hunters during all archery seasons.
Rhode Island: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.dem.ri.gov
South Carolina: *Classified as archery equipment and legal in all seasons for all game except migratory waterfowl. For more info go to: http://www.dnr.state.sc.us Modified 6/10/08
South Dakota: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.state.sd.us/gfp/
Tennessee: Permitted for use during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/
Texas: Crossbows are legal for all hunters in both the archery season and the general hunting season except in Grayson County. For more info go to: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us
Utah: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.nr.utah.gov
Vermont: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.anr.state.vt.us
Virginia: Permitted for use during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.dgif.state.va.us/
Washington: Permitted for use in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/
West Virginia: Effective January 1, 2006 qualifying Physically Challenged hunters may obtain a Class Y permit which allows the use of crossbows for hunting in established archery seasons. For more info go to: http://www.wvdnr.gov
Wisconsin: Legal for all hunters 65 and older and the Physically Challenged during the state wide archery season. For more info go to: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us
Wyoming: Permitted for use during any legal season for legal game. Permitted for fishing. For more info go to: http://gf.state.wy.us/

Canada

Alberta: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season and during rifle season only.
British Columbia: Permitted during all archery seasons, considered archery equipment.
Manitoba: Crossbows may be used during muzzleloader deer seasons and big game rifle seasons. A hunter may not be in possession of a crossbow while hunting during archery or shotgun/muzzleloader seasons. A person hunting big game shall not be in possession of a crossbow requiring less than 150 lbs draw weight or an arrow using a broadhead less than 7/8 of an inch in width. Under the authority of a Disabled Crossbow permit, a permanently disabled archer may use a crossbow during an archery season. For more info go to: http://www.gov.mb.ca
Newfoundland: Not recognized as a legal hunting weapon.
Northwest Territories: Permitted during all archery seasons, considered archery equipment.
Nova Scotia: Crossbows are permitted during rifle season. Crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 150lbs and broadheads must be at least 7/8 of an inch in diameter. For more info go to: http://www.gov.ns.ca
New Brunswick: Not recognized as a legal hunting weapon.
Ontario: Permitted during all archery seasons, considered archery equipment.
Pei: Permitted during all archery seasons, considered archery equipment.
Quebec: Crossbows are permitted during all archery seasons, considered archery equipment. For more info go to: http://www.mnrf.gouv.qc.ca
Saskatchewan: It is illegal to hunt big game with a crossbow other than in an open muzzleloader or rifle season. Except in the Regina, Moosejaw, Saskatoon, Buckland and Prince Albert wildlife management zones were crossbows are permitted during all open seasons. Crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 150lbs and broadheads must have a cutting diameter of 7/8 of an inch. For more info go to: http://www.gov.sk.ca
Yukon Territory: Not recognized as a legal hunting weapon.