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Hunting area in Ashland County, Ohio
Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area: seasons, rules and access
A 124-acre Ohio public hunting area in Ashland County.
Photo: Tim Kiser (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Getting to Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Esbenshade Landis Wetland AreaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area by the numbers ODNR keeps
At 124 acres, Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area is a public hunting area in Ashland County; the ODNR Division of Wildlife looks after it. The Division of Wildlife handles it from its Akron office (District 3, Northeast Ohio). The hunting layer shows the parcels as protected by a conservation easement.
Pick your number: 124 acres at the low end, 125 at the high end, by source.
| Source | Acres |
|---|---|
| Hunting-status layer | 124 |
| GIS parcel area | 125 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area hunting rules, line by line
Restricted on the ODNR layer: read the map for Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area before you set up.
- Park in designated spots; off-road driving is illegal.
- No camping; only three wildlife areas allow it.
- Night closure (8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in fall and winter) does not apply to hunters and trappers.
- Plinking is not allowed outside the designated ranges.
- Leave the corn at home: no bait on public land.
- Stands: portable, no devices driven into the bark.
- Two antlerless deer at most from all public hunting areas in a license year.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Hunting calendar matched to Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
The property page is silent on species, so the rows below are the usual statewide seasons. The spring turkey dates are from 2026, since ODNR had not published 2027.
| Quarry | Season | Start | End | 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.
County limits that apply on Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
Deer bag in Ashland County: 3, with a single antlered deer allowed across Ohio. The 2025-26 deer total for Ashland County was 5,108, by ODNR's final report. The 2026-27 count stood at 1,082 on November 3, 2026.
| County | Limit | DSA | Zone | Spring | Fall turkey | 2025-26 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland County | 3 deer | No | B, C | South | Open | 5,108 |
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.
Public hunting land within reach of Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
Drive under a mile southeast and the next public tract is Cherp's Eagle Valley Wildlife Area. Around it on the map: 3 public hunting areas, 2 wildlife areas and 1 state park. Within 15 miles but not open to hunters: Fowler Woods State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherp's Eagle Valley WA | Hunting area | 177 | Richland | under a mile | southeast |
| Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 3,234 | Ashland | 4 miles | southeast |
| Malabar Farm State Park | State park | 875 | Richland | 12 miles | south |
| Pleasant Hill Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 2,198 | Richland | 12 miles | south |
| Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,536 | Wayne | 15 miles | east |
| Cool Springs Wildlife Conservation Park | Wildlife area | 192 | Ashland | 15 miles | east |
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.
Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area maps, address and officers
For permits and questions try the Wildlife District Three office, 330-644-2293. The Ashland County wildlife officer is Evan Huegel, (330) 245-3044. Anonymous tip line: 1-800-POACHER.
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.
Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area: towns, shops and the nearest ODNR office
From the point, Ashland sits 6 miles away. Mansfield, 7 miles out, is larger: 47,593 people in 2024. For face-to-face help, the Shreve ODNR office lies 25 miles away as the crow flies.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | Ashland | 18,770 | 6 miles | northeast |
| Mansfield | Richland | 47,593 | 7 miles | southwest |
| Lucas | Richland | 586 | 8 miles | south |
| Jeromesville | Ashland | 528 | 11 miles | east |
| Loudonville | Ashland | 2,778 | 15 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Gun-week light and other opener times on Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area below are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for its own location.
| Date | Opener | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game | Duck window | Pheasant window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:20 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:25 a.m. | 7:14 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:44 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:05 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:23 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:50 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:50 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:54 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:54 a.m. to 5:12 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.
Field and woods views near Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
Public range and clubs on the road to Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
Medina County holds the ODNR-listed range nearest Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area: Spencer Lake Wildlife Area Shooting Range (27 miles). Next to it: the nearest club ranges, all inside 30 miles.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area: what Buckeye hunters keep asking
Can I camp at Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area?
No. Camping is banned on wildlife areas except at Appalachian Hills, Simco and Woodbury.
Can I leave a tree stand or use bait on Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area?
No bait, and stands must be portable.
Must I wear orange while hunting Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area in winter?
During the youth gun, gun, bonus gun, DSA early gun and muzzleloader seasons, every hunter except waterfowl hunters wears a hunter orange vest, coat, jacket or coveralls.
When does legal deer light start on Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area?
7:03 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. on November 30, 2026.
Which phone line answers questions on Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area?
Try 330-644-2293.
Nearest town for supplies near Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area?
About 6 miles from Ashland.
Is every part of Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area open to hunting?
Restricted: only mapped zones are open.
Game check rules after a kill on Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area?
Report deer and turkeys by noon the day after the kill, online, by phone or in the HuntFish OH app.
Can Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area be hunted all seven days?
No statewide Sunday limit applies.
Is any special pass needed to hunt Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area?
An Ohio hunting license ($19 resident, $180.96 nonresident) plus the permit for your game: deer or turkey permit, fur taker permit, or HIP and stamps for waterfowl.
How big is the Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area property in acres?
About 124 acres by the main source; other layers are in the acreage table.
How many deer may one hunter kill around Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area?
3, as set for Ashland County. Statewide: 6 deer, 1 antlered; public hunting areas: 2 antlerless at most.
Is any hunting at Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area by permit only?
No; the 2026 lottery list does not include it.
Last checks before loading up for Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area
Gravel lanes and parking lots can flood or close in wet weather; check access to Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area before the drive.
Sources: source 1 · source 2; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain).