| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 16 OCT – 29 NOV 2026 | 45d |
As publishedOct 16, 2026 - Nov 29, 2026
Single continuous season (not split).Ohio's least-popular of the two in-scope migratory species by hunter count (ODNR's 2020-21 hunter survey estimated only ~1,685 hunters and ~2,528 birds harvested statewide that season - historical context only). HIP certification required per general migratory-bird rule.
Ohio publishes no density map or regional breakdown for American woodcock, but a real access signal exists. ODNR's own 2020-21 Hunter Questionnaire (Small Game Analysis) found 71.5% of woodcock-hunting respondents pursued the species on ODOW Wildlife Areas specifically (vs. 24.9% solely on private land), the highest public-land reliance of any small-game species in the survey. Ohio sits within the Western/Central woodcock flyway migration corridor generally, and one independent hunting-press source names Grand River Wildlife Area (northeastern Ohio) specifically for its wetland/upland-cover mix suited to woodcock and pheasant together.
Ohio woodcock numbers are down over the last decade, at -3.95% per year from 2016 to 2026 on the Singing-ground Survey. The long-term record points the same way at -1.82% per year since 1968, so the recent decade is the steeper part of a long decline.
Recent decade down 3.95% per year, steepening a long-term decline.
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