Bow Hunting Season by State 2025-2026
- 11 min reading time
At a Glance: Bow hunting season dates for deer vary significantly by state and region. Most archery seasons run from September through January, with specific season dates determined by wildlife department regulations. Hunters need a valid hunting license, proper archery equipment, and must follow daily bag limit restrictions for both antlered deer and antlerless deer.
Navigating deer season regulations requires understanding how your state's wildlife department structures hunting opportunities. Many regions employ zone-based systems ranging from simple two-zone divisions to intricate networks of 60+ management areas, each requiring separate permits and following distinct season dates. Other states maintain unified statewide archery seasons but implement unit-specific rules for white-tailed deer and mule deer populations.
Draw systems and lottery applications determine access to coveted hunting areas, while split regular season structures create gaps for firearms season when hunter orange becomes mandatory. Success for any deer hunter depends on mastering local bag limit regulations, understanding antler restrictions, and knowing whether private land or public land offers better opportunities. Proper hunter education, archery equipment compliance, and tracking your daily limit against possession limit ensure a lawful and productive hunting season.
Northeast Region
Connecticut: 12 deer management zones determine seasons. Private land: Sept 15-Dec 31, 2025, statewide; Zones 11-12 extend to Jan 31, 2026. State land: Sept 15-Nov 18, then Dec 24-31, 2025.
Maine: Dual system: Expanded archery in designated urban/coastal areas, Sept 6-Dec 13, 2025. Regular archery statewide Oct 4-31, 2025. 29 Wildlife Management Districts determine specific regulations.
Massachusetts: 14 zones with statewide archery season Oct 6-Nov 29, 2025. All zones follow the same archery dates regardless of geographic location or deer density.
New Hampshire: Sept 15-Dec 15, 2025, statewide. Wildlife Management Unit A (northern zone) closes one week early on Dec 8.
New Jersey: Extremely complex zone system with 68+ individual zones. Each zone has unique archery dates and requires separate permits. Consult specific zone regulations for accurate dates.
New York: Two-zone system (Northern and Southern) with different archery dates for each. Some WMUs have late archery seasons. Westchester and Suffolk counties have archery-only with extended seasons.
Pennsylvania: WMU-based seasons. Urban WMUs (2B, 5C, 5D) run Sept 20-Jan 24 with split dates. Rest of state Oct 4-Jan 19, 2026, with split dates.
Rhode Island: Four-zone system with different archery dates. Zone 1 (mainland) and Zone 2 start at different times. Zone 3 (Patience/Prudence Islands) and Zone 4 (Block Island) have unique schedules.
Vermont: Oct 1-Nov 14, then Dec 1-15, 2025. Split season structure to accommodate firearms, but dates are consistent statewide.
Delaware: Statewide archery season September 1-February 1, 2025.
Maryland: Split into two regions, A and B. Region A, September 5- October 15, October 19-November 28, December 15-December 19, 2025, and January 4-January 31, 2026. Region B follows the same schedule except for a gap from January 8-January 12, 2025.
Southeast Region
Alabama: Five zones (A, B, C, D, E) plus CWD Management Zone. Most zones run Oct 15-Feb 10, 2026. Zones D and E start earlier on Oct 1.
Arkansas: 17 zones with varying structures. Early buck archery (Sept 6-8) is separate from regular archery (Sept 27-Feb 28).
Florida: Four Deer Management Units (A, B, C, D) with dramatically different archery dates. Zone A starts earliest in August. Dates vary by DMU, with some sub-units having unique schedules.
Georgia: Divided into multiple zones, with archery typically running Sept 13-Oct 10, 2025. Northern and southern zones have different dates. Some counties have special buck-only early periods.
Kentucky: Four deer management zones, but archery dates are consistent statewide. Long season running approximately Sept-Jan 19, 2026.
Louisiana: Complex area-based system with different dates for various Wildlife Management Areas and parishes. Archery seasons vary significantly by location throughout the state.
Mississippi: Four Deer Management Units with different archery dates. Delta/North Central/Hills run Oct 1-Nov 21. Southeast runs Oct 15-Nov 21, 2025. All units also have special Sept 12-14 early archery with restrictions.
North Carolina: Four deer seasons (Northeastern/Southeastern, Central, Northwestern, Western) all start archery Sept 13 but end at different times. Northeastern/Southeastern end earliest (Oct 3), Northwestern ends latest (Nov 21).
South Carolina: Four game zones with vastly different archery structures. Zone 1 has no archery-only season. Zone 2 has archery-only Sept 15-30, 2025. Zone 3 allows archery Aug 15-Jan 1, 2026. Zone 4 has archery-only Aug 15-31, 2025. Private land and WMA dates differ significantly within each zone.
Tennessee: Divided into six Deer Management Units. Statewide archery season split: September 27-October 24 and October 27-November 7, 2025.
Virginia: Complex archery season structure with east/west Blue Ridge division. Early archery statewide, then multiple late archery seasons vary by region, county, and urban areas through spring.
West Virginia: Statewide archery/crossbow season September 27-December 31, 2025. County-based antlerless deer seasons vary with split periods.
Midwest Region
Illinois: October-November 20, 2025, November 24-December 3, 2025, and December 8-January 18, 2026. Cook/DuPage/Lake/Kane counties are continuous from October 1-January 18, 2026.
Indiana: Statewide archery October 1-January 4, 2026.
Iowa: Statewide archery split season: October 1-December 5, 2025, and December 18-January 10, 2026.
Kansas: Statewide archery September 16-December 31, 2025.
Michigan: Split archery: October 1-November 14, 2025, and December 1-January 1, 2026. Extended archery through January 31 in select southeast counties.
Minnesota: Statewide archery September 13-December 31, 2025. Statewide Archery September 19-December 31, 2026.
Missouri: Statewide archery split season: September 15-November 14 and November 26-January 15.
Nebraska: Statewide archery September 1-December 31.
North Dakota: Statewide archery August 29-January 4.
Ohio: Statewide archery September 27-February 1, 2026. CWD surveillance zones have early archery starting September 13.
South Dakota: Uses a unit-based draw system for many hunting areas, with archery seasons that vary depending on location. Most run broadly from September through January.
Wisconsin: Statewide archery September 13-January 4, 2026. Metro subunits and select farmland counties extend through January 31. Holiday hunt December 24-January 1, 2026.
Southwest Region
Arizona: Dates vary based on open hunt areas and range from August 22-January 31, 2026.
New Mexico: Game Management Unit system with draw-based hunts. Private land archery September 1-24, 2025, and January 1-15, 2026, depending on units. Draw hunts vary significantly by units.
Oklahoma: Statewide archery October 1-January 15, 2026.
Texas: North/South zone division. Statewide archery September 27-October 31, 2025 (252/254 counties). General season November 1-January (North ends January 4, South January 18, 2026).
West Region
California: Complex zone system (A, B, C, D, X zones with subzones). Archery seasons vary widely by zone.
Colorado: Statewide archery September 2-30, 2025.
Idaho: Unit-based system with varying dates by Game Management Unit. General archery typically begins on August 30 through various ending dates.
Montana: Statewide archery September 6-October 19, 2025. Youth deer-only season October 16-17, 2025.
Nevada: Resident Antlered Junior Mule Deer ranges from August 10-September 9, 2025, and November 10-20, 2025, for Unit 81. Dates vary significantly by units for Resident Mule Deer.
Oregon: General archery for Buck Deer ( Western Region) August 30-September 28, November 15- December 7, and November 22-December 14, 2025.
Utah: General archery deer season is August 19-September 15, 2025.
Washington: Game Management Unit system. Early Archery General Season is typically from September 1 through September 21-26, 2025. Late Archery General Season varies by units from November 10-December 31, 2025.
Wyoming: Hunt area-based system. Archery seasons vary widely by area.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When does spring season archery hunting typically occur?
Deer archery seasons generally occur in the fall and winter. Some states offer spring archery hunts for other game, such as wild turkey. Always check your state’s hunting regulations for specific season dates and species.
What is an antlerless permit, and why do I need one?
An antlerless permit allows you to harvest does or fawns in addition to bucks. Many states use antlerless permits to manage deer populations and require them for taking additional deer beyond your standard tag.
Are there special youth hunt opportunities for deer hunting?
Yes, most states offer youth hunt seasons with extended dates or special areas for young hunters. These programs often provide additional opportunities and may have reduced licensing fees.
How do I get a special permit for additional deer?
Special permits for additional deer are typically available through your state wildlife agency via lottery, over-the-counter sales, or landowner programs. Requirements vary by state and management zone.