Ohio guide · last checked Oct 29, 2026
Public hunting land near Columbus, Ohio
Central Ohio public land shortlist—state forests, wildlife areas and reservoir recreation areas—with links to the ODNR Division of Wildlife.
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Units below come from our PAD-US directory for Ohio. PAD-US does not prove hunting is open. Confirm seasons, permits and access with Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and the land manager before you hunt near Columbus, Ohio.
What “near Columbus, Ohio” means here
Columbus hunters often look southeast toward Hocking and Tar Hollow State Forests or to wildlife areas and reservoirs within about an hour or two. Cards below are already listed under Ohio.
Forests & grasslands
Forest Service and state forest units in our shortlist. Hunting rules come from the land manager plus a Ohio hunting license—not from PAD-US alone.
- State forest
Hocking State Forest
9,971 acres
State: department of natural resources · Hocking County
Open access - State forest
Tar Hollow State Forest
16,442 acres
State: department of natural resources · Ross County, Vinton County + 1 more
Open access - State forest
Perry State Forest
4,774 acres
State: department of natural resources · Perry County
Open access
Overview: U.S. Forest Service: hunting.
Wildlife management areas & game lands
State-managed units. Many need check-in, drawings or special permits—confirm on the agency page for each area.
- State wildlife / game area
Dillon Wildlife Area
4,090 acres
State: department of natural resources · Muskingum County, Licking County
Mixed (open and restricted parcels) - State wildlife / game area
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Area
1,481 acres
State: department of natural resources · Ross County
Open access - State wildlife / game area
Ross Lake Wildlife Area
1,108 acres
State: department of natural resources · Ross County
Restricted access - State wildlife / game area
Urbana Wildlife Area
548 acres
State: department of natural resources · Champaign County
Open access
Lakes & recreation areas
Corps and similar lake projects may allow hunting only in designated zones. Do not assume a directory page means the lake is open to hunt.
- Army Corps of Engineers project land
Alum Creek Recreation Area
9,173 acres
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Delaware County
Open access - Army Corps of Engineers project land
Deer Creek Recreation Area
7,632 acres
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Pickaway County, Fayette County + 1 more
Open access - Army Corps of Engineers project land
Delaware Recreation Area
9,218 acres
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Delaware County, Marion County + 1 more
Open access
How to use this guide with our directory
- Pick a named area below and open its page for acreage, counties, the PAD-US access tag, and nearby units.
- Follow the managing-agency link on that page (state wildlife agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, BLM, or Corps of Engineers).
- Buy the required state hunting license and any stamps/permits that agency lists for the species and land type.
- Confirm deer season dates for Ohio if you are hunting deer in a verified state we cover.
- Recheck closures the week you go—fire restrictions, refuge hunt lotteries and WMA check-in rules change.
Agency hunting hub: Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Federal overviews: USFS hunting · FWS refuge hunting · Corps Lakes.
Common questions
Is there public deer hunting near Columbus?
State forests and some wildlife areas within a couple of hours may offer deer hunting under ODNR seasons. Confirm each area’s map and rules.
Do Corps lakes allow hunting?
Sometimes, in designated zones only. Read the project office page for that lake.
Deer seasons?
See Ohio deer season and ODNR’s current season PDF.
Related guides
Not legal advice and not an official source. This independent site is not affiliated with any government agency. Season dates are copied from the agency pages linked above as of the “last checked” date and may have changed since. The agency’s current regulations are what count. Full disclaimer.