COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Natural Areas and Preserves is holding special deer hunts at state nature preserves. Nine preserves have been identified as locations where native plant communities are threatened by high deer populations.
Special gun hunts will be offered this year at Boch Hollow and Stage’s Pond state nature preserves. Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve will again provide both archery and gun hunting opportunities. The remaining hunts at Caesar Creek, Davey Woods, Gallagher Fen, Goll Woods, Hueston Woods, and Lawrence Woods state nature preserves, will be archery only.
Ohio’s nature preserve system protects some of the state’s rarest and highest quality ecology. Browsing by deer exerts a negative impact on many sensitive habitats and has been linked to increasing the spread of non-native, invasive plant species.
Hunters must attend a mandatory meeting for each preserve in which they would like to hunt. After each meeting, hunters will have an opportunity to purchase a $5 ticket to be entered into the preserve’s special hunt drawing. (Hunters who wish to apply for hunts at multiple sites will have to attend multiple meetings and purchase additional tickets.) Entry forms will not be accepted by mail.
After the drawing, successful entrants will be asked to remain for a pre-hunt orientation. Other special hunt requirements include:
- Hunters must possess a valid 2023-2024 hunting license to purchase tickets.
- Names will be randomly drawn and those selected will be assigned a specific time to hunt. For archery hunts, an orientation will be conducted immediately following the drawing.
- Hunters will be permitted to hunt with a partner; the partner is not required to attend the drawing or orientation.
- Hunters interested in both the Lake Katharine gun and archery hunts will have to purchase separate lottery tickets for each event.
Some of the hunts this year will be “antlerless deer only,” while others will allow the taking of antlered deer but only after harvesting an antlerless deer first. Harvesting does first helps manage the deer population. Other special regulations will be addressed at the orientation meetings following the drawings.
This year’s hunt locations and meeting dates are as follows:
Lake Katharine (Jackson County) Gun and Archery
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m.
- Location: Preserve Office, 1703 Lake Katharine Road, Jackson, OH 45640
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Josh Deemer at 740-285-5971 or [email protected]
Caesar Creek (Warren County) Archery
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m.
- Meeting Location: Preserve Parking Lot, 4080 Corwin Rd., Oregonia, OH 45054
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Eric Sagasser at (937) 418-8710 or [email protected]
Goll Woods (Fulton County) Archery
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Aug. 26, 9 a.m.
- Meeting Location: Preserve Office, 26093 County Road F, Archbold, Ohio 43502
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Ryan Schroeder at (419) 445-1775 or [email protected]
Lawrence Woods (Hardin County) Archery
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Aug. 26, 2 p.m.
- Meeting Location: Preserve parking area, 13278 County Road 190, Kenton, Ohio 43226
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Ryan Schroeder at (419) 445-1775 or [email protected]
Gallagher Fen (Clark County) Archery
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Aug. 26, 9 a.m.
- Meeting Location: Preserve parking area, 4709 Old Columbus Road, Springfield, Ohio 45502
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Michelle Comer at (937) 537-6173 or [email protected]
Hueston Woods (Butler and Preble County) Archery
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2 p.m.
- Meeting Location: State Park Conference Center, 6301 Park Office Road, College Corner, Ohio 45003
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Eric Sagasser at (937) 418-8710 or [email protected]
Davey Woods (Champaign County) Archery
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Aug. 26, 1 p.m.
- Meeting Location: Preserve parking area, 7661 Lonesome Road, St. Paris, Ohio 43072
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Michelle Comer at (937) 537-6173 or [email protected]
Boch Hollow (Hocking County) Gun
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Aug. 12, 12:30 p.m.
- Meeting Location: 7211 Bremen Rd., Logan, Ohio 43138
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Levi Miller at (740) 380-8919 or [email protected]
Stages Pond (Pickaway County) Gun
- Mandatory Meeting: Saturday, Aug. 12, 9 a.m.
- Meeting Location: Preserve office, 4792 Hagerty Rd. Ashville, Ohio 43103
For more information, contact Preserve Manager Levi Miller at (740) 380-8919 or [email protected]
