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.

Alabama

May be used by all hunters during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.outdooralabama.com
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 during the general firearms season and during archery season by the Physically Challenged. 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: May be used during the late archery season for all hunters. Permitted for fishing. Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged in the early archery 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 by all hunters for four weeks of archery season, four weeks of gun season and an entire bow season in the Suburban Deer Archery Zones (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties). Hunters 65 and older or Physically Challenged may be used during the entire archery season. 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: Crossbow may be used:
1) By any hunter age 12 and older during any hunting season in Zone 3 (southern Michigan), including the bow hunting season
2) By anyone 50 years of age or older during the Oct. 1 - Nov. 14 bow hunting deer season statewide
3) During any season in which a firearm may be used, for both big and small game statewide; 4) Included in the regulations are limits on the velocity of the crossbow. Crossbows used for hunting are restricted to no more than 350 feet per second.
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: Permitted for use by all hunters during gun season and primitive weapons season. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. 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 60 and older and the Physically Challenged during the state wide archery season. Oklahoma For more info go to: http://www.state.ok.us/~odwc
Modified 5/07/08
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 in both the early and late archery deer season as well as the two day archery bear season. Crossbows are also legal in all gun seasons.
For more info go to: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us
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:: Permitted for us by the Physically Challenged during archery season, and during rifle season only.
Newfoundland:: Not recognized as a legal hunting weapon.
Northwest Territories:: Permitted during all archery seasons, considered archery equipment.
Nova Scotia:: Not recognized as a legal hunting weapon.
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:: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. Permitted in archery season in special zones and during rifle season only.
Saskatchewan:: Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season and during rifle season only.
Yukon Territory:: Not recognized as a legal hunting weapon.