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Wildlife area · Northwest Ohio woods and fields
Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area hunting guide for 2026-27
68 acres on record as a state wildlife area in Ottawa County.
Photo: Tony Everhardt, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public domain)
Getting to Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area
What Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area allows and what it bans
ODNR lists Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area as restricted: hunting is limited to parts of it, so the hunting map matters.
- Motor vehicles: designated roads and parking only.
- Camping is prohibited (Appalachian Hills, Simco and Woodbury are the exceptions).
- After 8 p.m. in season only hunters, trappers and anglers may be there.
- Firearms only while hunting or trapping, or on a designated range.
- No bait, salt or feed for deer or birds.
- Climbers and ladders are fine if nothing pierces the tree.
- Antlerless cap: two per license year across public hunting areas.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area
Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area at a glance for hunters
Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area: 68 acres in Ottawa County, classed as a state wildlife area and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Northwest Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Findlay. ODNR tags the land with Lake Erie. Ownership on file: owned outright by the state. Legal footing: OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) ("Dempsey's Sandusky bay").
Mapping methods differ, so size ranges from 68 to 69 acres.
| Layer or document | Acres |
|---|---|
| Hunting-status layer | 68 |
| GIS parcel area | 69 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
2026-27 season dates for the game on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area
Statewide seasons apply on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area; ODNR lists no game for it.
| Species | Season | Opening | Closing | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | County limit |
| Deer | Youth gun | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Gun | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Bonus gun | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 5, 2027 | County limit |
| Squirrels | Regular | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 daily |
| Cottontail | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 4 daily |
| Pheasant | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 2 roosters daily |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 2 roosters daily |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 2 roosters daily |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Lake Erie trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | No limit |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (No species named by ODNR for this area); checked November 6, 2026.
Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Ottawa County limit of 3 deer. Final 2025-26 figure for Ottawa County: 851 deer checked. Running total to November 3, 2026: 196.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County | 3 deer | No | A | South | Closed | 851 |
From the deer bag limit map, DSA, waterfowl zones, turkey zones, 2025-26 deer harvest report, harvest to date (ODNR Division of Wildlife); checked November 6, 2026.
Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area, East Harbor State Park waits 4 miles to the northwest. Close by are 3 wildlife areas, 2 state parks and 1 fish hatchery. No hunting at Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Marblehead Lighthouse State Park (park without hunting) and Catawba Island State Park (park without hunting).
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Harbor State Park | State park | 1,831 | Ottawa | 4 miles | northwest |
| Moxley Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 191 | Erie | 4 miles | southwest |
| West Harbor Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 77 | Ottawa | 5 miles | west |
| Pipe Creek Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 97 | Erie | 6 miles | southeast |
| Castalia Fish Hatchery | Fish hatchery | 115 | Erie | 7 miles | south |
| Kelleys Island State Park | State park | 677 | Erie | 7 miles | northeast |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Supply towns and ODNR help around Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area
The handiest town is Sandusky, 4 miles off. ODNR Lake Erie Fisheries & Enforcement Units is the nearest Division office, roughly 4 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandusky | Erie | 24,174 | 4 miles | southeast |
| Castalia | Erie | 746 | 8 miles | south |
| Port Clinton | Ottawa | 5,915 | 9 miles | west |
| Wightmans Grove | Sandusky | – | 16 miles | west |
| Norwalk | Huron | 17,172 | 20 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Contact and map files for Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area
Wildlife District Two: 952 Lima Ave, Findlay, OH 45840, tel. 419-424-5000. Wildlife officer for Ottawa County: Reid Van Cleve ((419) 429-8389). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night.
Address and phone from the agency page and the ODNR Property Details layer; district offices from the ODNR Districts layer; officers from the officer list; point from ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (polygon centroid); checked November 6, 2026.
Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area: shooting minutes for each Ohio opener
Three sets of hours apply in Ohio: deer, then waterfowl, squirrel and turkey, then the sunrise-to-sunset upland and dove rule. The table shows all three for Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:21 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:08 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:18 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:37 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:54 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 7:54 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:57 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 7:57 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Eastern Time); checked November 6, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
What the cover looks like around Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area
Public range and clubs on the road to Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area
The closest ODNR-listed range to Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area is Resthaven Wildlife Area Shooting Range, about 8 miles off as the crow flies. The remaining cards are clubs within a 30-mile radius.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Hunting events on and around Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area
Held on this property or within about 10 miles: 1 date ahead. Checked November 5, 2026.
| Day | Name | Away | Place | Next step | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2027 | Huron River Valley Fantails NWTF Banquet · NWTF banquet, Sandusky | 4 | Sandusky, Erie County | Tickets | Source |
Straight answers on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area for this season
May I camp while hunting Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
No camping here; stay in a nearby town.
When do the duck splits open around Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
Use Zone A: Oct 17 to Nov 1, 2026; Nov 14 to Dec 27, 2026.
What orange garment do I need on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
Yes in the deer gun and muzzleloader seasons: a solid or camouflage orange vest, coat, jacket or coveralls (waterfowl hunters excepted).
Are tree stands and bait allowed at Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
Portable stands are fine; baiting deer is not.
Which number reaches the Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area managers?
The number on file is 419-424-5000.
Shooting hours for deer on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area this season?
For the gun opener: 7:07 a.m. until 5:33 p.m.
Can I hunt anywhere on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area, or only parts?
Some zones are off limits.
Which town do I aim for when driving to Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
Sandusky, 4 miles away in a straight line.
Is Sunday hunting legal on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
Do I have to report game shot on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
Acreage check: how large is Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
68 acres is the headline figure used on this page.
What paperwork must I carry on Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
No entry pass: the Ohio hunting license and the species permit are enough, such as an either-sex deer permit ($31.20 resident).
Which lottery hunts include Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area?
No 2026 lottery hunts are listed for it; hunt it during the regular seasons.
Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area trip, last details
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area before you load the truck.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Mas3cf (CC BY-SA 4.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0).