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3-deer county
Pickaway County for Hunters
From September squirrels to the January muzzleloader days, this Pickaway County page collects deer limits, harvest counts, bird zones, public land and ODNR contacts for the county.
Photo: Paul Hurtado (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Pickaway County deer rules and harvest
Pickaway County sits in the 3-deer class on the 2026-27 bag limit map, which caps what one hunter may take inside the county. Cross into Franklin (4) and Hocking (2) and a different county limit takes over. Deer from several counties can be combined up to six, but just one may carry an antler 3 inches or longer.
Hunters choose between the either-sex permit ($31.20 resident, $218.40 nonresident) and the $15.00 deer management permit, which ODNR now honours all season. A deer from a controlled hunting access lottery sits outside the county count.
Disease Surveillance Area status for Pickaway County
No part of Pickaway County is in the DSA, and ODNR has listed no wild CWD case from the county through June 2026. The nearest county with DSA ground is Delaware, about 44 miles away centre to centre. Bringing deer parts home from the DSA or another state means following the carcass rules.
Deer tallies for Pickaway County over four seasons
Last season ended with 1,153 deer checked in Pickaway County, 2% fewer than the 1,181 of the year before. That places it 73rd of 88 counties for 2025-26. Bows and crossbows took 47% of the 2025-26 total, and antlered deer made up 44%. ODNR's in-season report gives 216 deer for the county through November 3, 2026. Of the 2025 seasons, crossbow produced the most deer here: 416.
| Season | Deer tagged | Antlered | Antlerless | Bowhunters | Gunners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 910 | 412 | 498 | 387 | — |
| 2023-24 | 954 | 483 | 471 | 463 | — |
| 2024-25 | 1,181 | 447 | 734 | 498 | 683 |
| 2025-26 | 1,153 | 504 | 649 | 547 | 606 |
2025 deer by season type in Pickaway County
| Season | Bucks | Does | Button bucks | Total | 3-yr avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun | 146 | 218 | 36 | 400 | 371 |
| Crossbow | 199 | 181 | 36 | 416 | 317 |
| Longbow | 74 | 42 | 7 | 123 | 128 |
| Bonus Gun | 24 | 38 | 10 | 72 | 78 |
| Muzzleloader | 21 | 39 | 7 | 67 | 53 |
| Youth | 49 | 16 | 5 | 70 | 54 |
| Total | 516 | 536 | 101 | 1,153 | 1,015 |
Bag limit from the 2026-27 deer bag limit map and deer rules (digest pp. 6-11); DSA from OAC 1501:31-19-03 and CWD rules; detections from the ODNR CWD page and tests from the 2025-26 CWD summary; harvest from the 2022-23 final weekly report; 2023-24 final weekly report; 2024-25 final weekly report; 2025-26 final weekly report, the 2026-27 report through Nov. 3 and the 2025-26 deer summary; permit prices from the license list. Checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Pickaway County Hunting Guide
What is open when around Pickaway County
For Pickaway County the table lists 50 seasons for 2026-27: deer, turkey, small game, upland birds, waterfowl, doves, woodcock and furbearers.
| Game | Split or method | Zone | Opening | Closing | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Deer | Youth gun | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Deer | Gun | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Deer | Bonus gun | Statewide | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Chukar | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 1) | Zone C | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Zone C | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Zone C | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Zone C | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Statewide | Oct 16, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 25, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Rails | Rail | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Gallinule | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Crow (Fri-Sun) | Statewide | Jun 5, 2026 | Mar 7, 2027 | |
| Groundhog | No closed season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting (no closed season) | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Trapping (no closed season) | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Mink | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Muskrat | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| River otter | Trapping | Otter Zone B | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Beaver | Trapping | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
From the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and the 2026-27 hunting seasons list (ODNR Division of Wildlife), checked November 6, 2026.
Pickaway County bird and trapping seasons
Pickaway County duck and goose seasons
All of Pickaway County falls in waterfowl Zone C, one of the three duck and goose zones ODNR drew for 2026-27. Zone C ducks reopen on December 12 after the October split and last until January 31, 2027. Goose hunters in Zone C have until February 15, 2027. Before the zone seasons, all of Ohio gets early teal and goose from September 5 to September 13, 2026, then youth and military days on October 3 to October 4, 2026. Mourning dove hunting has two statewide splits, September 1 to November 8, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 1, 2027, and woodcock fall between them. The Ohio wetlands stamp ($15.00) and federal duck stamp ($25.00) go with HIP for anyone 16 or older after ducks or geese.
| Zone | Duck windows | Goose windows |
|---|---|---|
| Zone C | Oct 17-25 Dec 12-Jan 31 | Oct 17-25 Nov 21-Feb 15 |
Pickaway County turkey numbers
In the South zone, which includes Pickaway County, spring 2026 ran April 25 to May 24, 2026; no 2027 dates were out at our check. The youth spring weekend was April 18 to April 19, 2026 in 2026. The 2026 spring count for Pickaway County was 16 birds (30 in 2023); that ranked 83rd in Ohio. Fall turkey is closed in Pickaway County; it is one of the 18 counties left off the fall list.
| Spring | Total | Adult males | Jakes | Bearded hens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 30 | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| 2026 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
Small game and trapping in Pickaway County
Pickaway County is outside the quail counties, so bobwhites are off limits. Statewide small game dates apply: squirrel from September 1, cottontail and pheasant from November 6. River otter Zone B covers Pickaway County. Furbearers open November 10, 2026, beaver and otter December 26, 2026. The otter season limit reads: 3 total, max. 1 from Zone B. Mink and muskrat close on February 28, 2027.
Zones from OAC 1501:31-7-07 and the digest waterfowl pages; seasons from the 2026-27 season dates; turkey from the turkey rules with spring and fall results (2023 spring; 2024 spring; 2025 spring; 2026 spring); quail from OAC 1501:31-15-21; otter zones from the trapping pages; stamps from the license list. Checked November 6, 2026.
Where the public ground is in Pickaway County
About 4,908 acres, or 1.5% of Pickaway County, is mapped public hunting land; that puts it 36th of 88. By acreage, Deer Creek Wildlife Area leads the places in Pickaway County, 4,220 acres in total. Count in 2,463 acres of huntable state park, at Deer Creek State Park.
| Kind | Mapped acres |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas | 2,645 |
| Corps of Engineers land | 3,419 |
| State parks (hunting) | 2,463 |
There are also 292 acres of state nature preserve land, closed to hunting and left out above. ODNR lists no L/HAP property for Pickaway County. Lottery hunts: Deer Creek Wildlife Area, Deer Creek State Park and A W Marion State Park host 12 controlled hunts in 2026.
Pickaway County hunting places
- Pickaway County Wildlife Area 7
- Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
- Pickaway County Wildlife Area 6
- Pickaway County Wildlife Area 10
- Pickaway County Wildlife Area 5
- Elmon Richards Scioto River Conservation Area
- Circleville Canal Wildlife Area
Wildlife areas and forests near Pickaway County
- Ross County Wildlife Area 314 miles · Ross County
- Ross County Wildlife Area 114 miles · Ross County
- Kinnikinnick Wildlife Area15 miles · Ross County
- Fayette County Wildlife Area 316 miles · Fayette County
- Fayette County Wildlife Area 816 miles · Fayette County
- Fayette County Wildlife Area 1016 miles · Fayette County
GIS acres from the ODNR lands layer, PAD-US 4.1 and the Census county file as compiled in counties.json (polygons, not official acreage; large water removed); lands and acreage from each land record; L/HAP counts from the ODNR L/HAP page; controlled hunts from the 2026 controlled hunt list. Checked November 6, 2026.
Pickaway County hunting calendar and results
On November 5, 2026 the county showed 1 date ahead and 1 past row.
| Day | Name | Place | Next step | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2027 | RMEF Central Ohio Chapter Banquet · RMEF banquet, Orient | Orient, Pickaway County | Tickets | Source |
Recently held
| Date run | Event | Where held | Result | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 2026 | Pickaway Plains 40th Annual Banquet · DU dinner, Circleville | Circleville, Pickaway County | Source |
Calling ODNR about Pickaway County
The county answers to the Central Ohio district of the Division of Wildlife, based in Columbus. Pickaway County has its own state wildlife officer, Josh Elster, listed at (614) 203-3406. Deer Creek Wildlife Area headquarters (Mt. Sterling) is the closest wildlife area office, roughly 11 miles from the county centre.
Circleville is the county seat; Pickaway County had 62,158 residents in the 2024 Census estimate across 501 square miles of land.
Base towns in Pickaway County
Open a town page to see public ground around Circleville.
- Circleville14,433 people
Pickaway County has 2 taxidermists and 1 sporting goods store in the services list. For a deer processor, look across the county line: none is listed inside Pickaway County.
Closest deer processors beyond Pickaway County
Shoulder mounts made near Pickaway County
Guns and bows, Pickaway County
Nearest guide or preserve listings outside Pickaway County
District offices, officers and wildlife area headquarters from the digest wildlife officer page and the ODNR county contacts and work units layers (counties.json); population from the Census 2024 estimates; services from store locators, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry and Yellow Pages listings (not individually verified). Checked November 6, 2026.
Benches, bays and trap houses for Pickaway County
Up to six Pickaway County ranges appear as cards, any others in the table beneath.
Nearest range on the ODNR list: Deer Creek Wildlife Area Shooting Range in Fayette County, about 12 miles from the Pickaway County centre. Full page
Ranges from ODNR’s public range list, ranges’ own sites, the ATA club list and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Pickaway County legal shooting light
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Pickaway County below are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for its own location.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:22 a.m. | 7:25 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:05 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:43 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:49 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:53 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 7:53 a.m. to 5:18 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.
Pickaway County license costs and rules
An Ohio hunting license costs $19.00 for residents and $180.96 for nonresidents; youth and senior licenses are $10.00. Hunter orange in Ohio means a whole garment: a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls, solid or camo orange, during the firearm deer seasons, for everyone but waterfowl hunters.
Ohio allows deer baiting on private ground outside the Disease Surveillance Area; public land, turkey hunting and migratory bird hunting stay bait-free. Game check deadlines, by app, website, phone line or license agent: noon the next day for deer, and for turkeys 11:30 p.m. the same day. There is no Sunday restriction in the Ohio rules; hunters may go out on Sundays in any open season. Buying a license for the first time means a hunter education card, unless you go the apprentice route with a licensed adult 21 or older. Score sheets go to the Buckeye Big Buck Club, the private keeper of Ohio deer records.
From the license and permit list, hunter orange rule, baiting rules, game check, season calendar, hunter education and the Buckeye Big Buck Club notice in the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Common Pickaway County questions
Which river otter zone covers Pickaway County?
Zone B.
How were the Pickaway County sunrise times on this page worked out?
With the NOAA solar formula for the county centre.
What deer bag limit did ODNR give Pickaway County for 2026-27?
3 deer per hunter; the map group reads three-deer.
Which Pickaway County townships fall inside the DSA?
None.
Which of the new A, B and C waterfowl zones covers Pickaway County?
Zone C.
Has ODNR posted spring 2027 turkey dates for Pickaway County?
Not at our check; the 2026 dates are shown and labelled.
Which public tract touching Pickaway County is largest?
Deer Creek Wildlife Area.
Which state wildlife officer patrols Pickaway County?
Josh Elster, (614) 203-3406.
How many deer were checked in Pickaway County in 2025-26?
1,153 on the final weekly report.
How long does a Pickaway County field stay baited after cleanup?
10 days after complete removal.
Answers from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, the deer bag limit map, the DSA rule, the waterfowl zone rule, shooting hours and the sources above. Checked November 6, 2026.
Keeping Pickaway County current
Pickaway County rules last checked November 6, 2026; watch for ODNR updates on spring turkey 2027 and for new weekly deer reports.
Other photos on this page: James St. John (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain); Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0).