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Wildlife area · Southwest Ohio woods and fields
Tranquility Wildlife Area hunting guide for 2026-27
4,490 acres on record as a state wildlife area in Adams County.
Photo: Don O'Brien (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Tranquility Wildlife Area
What Tranquility Wildlife Area allows and what it bans
The hunting-status layer shows Tranquility Wildlife Area as open throughout.
- Motor vehicles: designated roads and parking only.
- No campsites on this property.
- 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.
- Controlled lottery hunts run here too.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Tranquility Wildlife Area
Tranquility Wildlife Area at a glance for hunters
Tranquility Wildlife Area: 4,490 acres in Adams County, classed as a state wildlife area and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. By the ODNR description it lies roughly 16 miles south of Hillsboro. Southwest Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Xenia. ODNR tags the land with fall color, woods, grassland, spring wildflowers, crops and streams. Besides hunting, people come for hiking, birding, fishing and shooting range, on Buckeye Trail and hunter access. Land purchases date back to 1956, the last in 2002; several state funds and Wildlife Restoration money paid for them. Ownership on file: owned outright by the state. Legal footing: OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) ("Tranquility").
Mapping methods differ, so size ranges from 4,450 to 4,553 acres.
| Layer or document | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 4,490 |
| Area map PDF | 4,553 |
| Property Details layer | 4,543 |
| Water (Property Details) | 9 |
| Hunting-status layer | 4,553 |
| GIS parcel area | 4,450 |
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 Tranquility Wildlife Area
Game on record for Tranquility Wildlife Area: pheasant.
| Species | Season | Opening | Closing | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pheasant | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 2 roosters 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 |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (controlled hunt lotteries); checked November 6, 2026.
Tranquility Wildlife Area lottery hunts for 2026
Lottery hunts on Tranquility Wildlife Area for 2026: 1 pheasant. Applications are $3 apiece through wildohio.gov, the HuntFish OH app or by phone.
| Number | Name | Kind | When to apply | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2753 | Tranquility WA pheasant | Pheasant | July 1-31 | – |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
Tranquility Wildlife Area counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Adams County limit of 3 deer. Adams County hunters checked 3,895 deer in 2025-26 (1,679 antlered). Running total to November 3, 2026: 884.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 3,895 |
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.
Fields, dogs and ranges on Tranquility Wildlife Area
Tranquility Wildlife Area pheasant fields
Tranquility Wildlife Area gets stocked birds (controlled-hunt fields) on 48 acres in 3 field(s). Plan on the youth weekends or November 6, November 14 and November 26 for fresh birds.
Practice range on Tranquility Wildlife Area
Tranquility Wildlife Area has range class B listed. Shooters 18 and older need a shooting range permit ($24 a year or $5 a day) at class A, B and C ranges.
| Range | Class | Type or contact | Supervised trap/skeet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tranquility Wildlife Area | B | Rifle & Pistol | No |
From the pheasant release list, range list; checked November 6, 2026.
Tranquility Wildlife Area and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Tranquility Wildlife Area, Adams Lake State Park waits 12 miles to the south. Close by are 3 state parks, 2 state forests and 1 wildlife area. No hunting at Bluejay Barrens State Nature Preserve (natural area), Plum Run Prairie State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Lake State Park | State park | 50 | Adams | 12 miles | south |
| Rocky Fork State Park | State park | 1,384 | Highland | 14 miles | north |
| Pike State Forest | State forest | 12,531 | Pike | 17 miles | northeast |
| Paint Creek State Park | State park | 5,652 | Highland | 19 miles | north |
| Fallsville South Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 379 | Highland | 19 miles | north |
| Brush Creek Forest | State forest | 13,518 | Scioto | 20 miles | east |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside) of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Where to fuel up and grab ice near Tranquility Wildlife Area
The handiest town is Seaman, 5 miles off. Of the five, Hillsboro is the biggest with 6,599 residents (2024 estimate). ODNR Fallsville Wildlife Area headquarters is the nearest Division office, roughly 22 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaman | Adams | 970 | 5 miles | southwest |
| West Union | Adams | 3,088 | 14 miles | south |
| Cynthiana | Pike | – | 15 miles | northeast |
| Hillsboro | Highland | 6,599 | 16 miles | north |
| Georgetown | Brown | 4,498 | 23 miles | west |
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 Tranquility Wildlife Area
Wildlife District Five: 1076 Old Springfield Pike, Xenia, OH 45385, tel. 937-372-9261. Wildlife officer for Adams County: Gus Kiebel ((937) 776-0688). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night.
- Area map PDF (published 5/13/2022) · legend: parking area, parking, trail
- Driving directions
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 (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside) of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Tranquility 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 Tranquility Wildlife Area.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:24 a.m. | 7:27 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:57 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:29 a.m. | 7:19 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 7:49 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 7:19 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 7:19 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:06 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:43 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:49 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:53 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | 7:53 a.m. to 5:22 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 Tranquility Wildlife Area
Zeroing a slug gun at Tranquility Wildlife Area itself
Before a hunt on Tranquility Wildlife Area, the range on the property (Tranquility Wildlife Area Shooting Range) is the obvious place to check a gun or bow.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Classes, hunts and dinners near Tranquility Wildlife Area
Held on this property or within about 10 miles: 1 date ahead. Checked November 5, 2026.
| When | Title | Away | Location | Register or details | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 10, 2026 | ODNR Hunter Education Class (Winchester) · hunter education class, Winchester | 9 | Winchester, Adams County | Register | Source |
Straight answers on Tranquility Wildlife Area for this season
Will there be pheasants on Tranquility Wildlife Area?
Yes, it is on the ODNR release list; see the fields section for the type of release.
Which town do I aim for when driving to Tranquility Wildlife Area?
Seaman is the nearest, 5 miles off.
When must I check game taken on Tranquility Wildlife Area?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
Can I hunt anywhere on Tranquility Wildlife Area, or only parts?
Yes, open land.
What paperwork must I carry on Tranquility 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). Some hunts here are by lottery permit.
Is Sunday hunting legal on Tranquility Wildlife Area?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
Deer bag limit for Tranquility Wildlife Area?
Up to 3, by the county rule. Statewide, only one antlered deer, and no more than two antlerless deer may come from public hunting areas.
Acreage check: how large is Tranquility Wildlife Area?
4,490 acres is the headline figure used on this page. Other measures appear in the table.
When do the duck splits open around Tranquility Wildlife Area?
Use Zone C: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Which lottery hunts include Tranquility Wildlife Area?
Pheasant: 1 lottery hunt(s). $3 per entry.
Are tree stands and bait allowed at Tranquility Wildlife Area?
Portable stands are fine; baiting deer is not.
Overnight stays at Tranquility Wildlife Area?
No camping here; stay in a nearby town.
Shooting hours for deer on Tranquility Wildlife Area this season?
For the gun opener: 7:03 a.m. until 5:43 p.m.
Sign-off notes for Tranquility Wildlife Area hunters
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Tranquility Wildlife Area before you load the truck.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: lwolfartist (CC BY 2.0); ALAN SCHMIERER (CC0 1.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0).