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Hunt Ross County Wildlife Area 3 this 2026-27 season
Hunting ground of 63 acres, run as a state wildlife area in Ross County.
Photo: Pam Broviak (CC0 1.0)
Getting to Ross County Wildlife Area 3
Ross County Wildlife Area 3 by the numbers ODNR keeps
The ODNR Division of Wildlife manages Ross County Wildlife Area 3, 63 acres of state wildlife area ground in Ross County. For wildlife work it falls under District 4, run from Athens. By tenure the ground is owned outright by the state. It appears in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) as "Ross county wildlife area 3", the legal list of public hunting land.
Layers give between 62 and 63 acres, so the table shows each one.
| Measure | Acres |
|---|---|
| Area map PDF | 63 |
| Hunting-status layer | 63 |
| GIS parcel area | 62 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Ross County Wildlife Area 3
Ground rules for hunting Ross County Wildlife Area 3
Ross County Wildlife Area 3 is open ground in the ODNR status map.
- No driving off the posted roads; park in the lots.
- Overnight camping is off the table on this ground.
- Closed 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. from September through May 1 to anything but hunting, trapping and fishing.
- Guns may be fired only in lawful hunting, trapping or range use.
- Feed and bait are not allowed.
- Bring a portable stand; permanent stands are illegal.
- The public-area antlerless limit is two per license year.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Dates and limits for hunting Ross County Wildlife Area 3
No species list exists for Ross County Wildlife Area 3; Ohio statewide seasons govern it. Spring turkey rows show the 2026 dates; the 2027 spring dates were not out when checked.
| Game | Window | From | To | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 1 turkey |
| 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 |
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.
Ross County Wildlife Area 3: next-nearest open land, by miles
Closest neighbour on the ODNR map: Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8, 5 miles north. Neighbour mix: 6 wildlife areas. Do not mistake these for open ground: Betsch Fen State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (NPS park).
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickaway County WA 8 | Wildlife area | 51 | Pickaway | 5 miles | north |
| Pickaway County WA 7 | Wildlife area | 55 | Pickaway | 6 miles | northeast |
| Ross County WA 4 | Wildlife area | 59 | Ross | 6 miles | southwest |
| Pickaway County WA 9 | Wildlife area | 67 | Pickaway | 7 miles | northeast |
| Ross County WA 2 | Wildlife area | 59 | Ross | 7 miles | southwest |
| Fayette County WA 10 | Wildlife area | 50 | Fayette | 7 miles | northwest |
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.
Where Ross County Wildlife Area 3 sits in Ohio's rules
The Ross County deer limit is 3 this season, only one of them antlered statewide. 2025-26 harvest, Ross County: 3,402 deer. Through November 3, 2026: 579 deer checked.
| County | Bag | CWD area | Waterfowl | Turkey zone | Fall | Harvest 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 3,402 |
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.
Resupply stops around Ross County Wildlife Area 3
Andersonville is the closest town on this site to Ross County Wildlife Area 3, 9 miles in a straight line. Chillicothe tops the list at 21,769 people. ODNR staff closest to Ross County Wildlife Area 3 work out of Mount Sterling, 13 miles off.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andersonville | Ross | – | 9 miles | east |
| Pancoastburg | Fayette | – | 11 miles | north |
| Greenfield | Highland | 4,350 | 14 miles | southwest |
| Washington Court House | Fayette | 14,446 | 14 miles | west |
| Chillicothe | Ross | 21,769 | 14 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Ross County Wildlife Area 3 legal-hour chart by opener
Ohio deer hunters may shoot from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks, geese, squirrels and fall turkeys stop at sunset; rabbits, pheasants, quail and doves wait for sunrise.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Deer | Waterfowl | Small game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:23 a.m. | 7:25 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:27 a.m. | 7:17 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:06 a.m. | 5:27 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:43 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:49 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:53 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 7:53 a.m. to 5:19 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.
Reaching Ross County Wildlife Area 3 and its managers
Your district office: 360 E State St, Athens, OH 45701, 740-589-9930. The officer assigned to Ross County is Bob Nelson, (614) 565-9754. Call 1-800-POACHER to report a violation anonymously.
- Area map PDF (published 5/13/2022) · legend: parking area, parking
- Open the point in Google Maps
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.
Images for sizing up a Ross County Wildlife Area 3 hunt
Ross County Wildlife Area 3 hunters: public range plus clubs
Deer Creek Wildlife Area Shooting Range is 14 miles from Ross County Wildlife Area 3 and is the nearest public range on ODNR’s list. Club and private ranges within 30 miles fill the other cards.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Common Ross County Wildlife Area 3 questions with sourced answers
Can I apply for a drawn hunt at Ross County Wildlife Area 3?
No controlled hunts are on file for it.
Which county deer limit applies to Ross County Wildlife Area 3?
The county limit of 3 applies. Remember the one-antlered rule and the two-antlerless public land cap.
May I camp while hunting Ross County Wildlife Area 3?
No overnight camping.
When can ducks be hunted on Ross County Wildlife Area 3 this year?
Ducks in Zone C open Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Hunter orange rules for Ross County Wildlife Area 3 in deer season?
A hunter orange vest or coat during the gun deer seasons; no square-inch rule.
Stand and bait rules for Ross County Wildlife Area 3?
Portable stands only, with nothing driven into the tree, and no bait: deer baiting is illegal on public hunting areas.
What office handles Ross County Wildlife Area 3 for ODNR?
740-589-9930 reaches the managers.
What are deer hunting hours at Ross County Wildlife Area 3 on the gun opener?
Deer hours run 7:03 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. on November 30, 2026, worked out for this spot.
Is hunting restricted anywhere on Ross County Wildlife Area 3?
Open: no restricted parcels.
Where is Ross County Wildlife Area 3 relative to the nearest town?
Andersonville sits 9 miles from the point.
Does Ohio law allow Sunday hunts on Ross County Wildlife Area 3?
Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio.
How is a turkey or deer from Ross County Wildlife Area 3 checked?
Noon the next day is the deadline for the game check.
How many acres of hunting land is Ross County Wildlife Area 3?
63 acres, from the ODNR area map PDF. The table above lists every source.
Ross County Wildlife Area 3: the night-before checklist
Report your deer or turkey by noon the next day, and keep your license and permits on you while hunting Ross County Wildlife Area 3.
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: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); Vince pahkala (CC BY-SA 3.0).