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Ranger district in Washington County, Ohio
Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest hunting, rules and county limits
A 137,168-acre Ohio national forest ranger district in Washington County and 7 more counties.
Photo: Wayne National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
- Monday Creek THTrailhead · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Ora E. Anderson Nature TrailTrailhead · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Long Ridge THTrailhead · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- White Oak THTrailhead · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- New Straitsville TrailheadTrailhead · 3.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Blow THTrailhead · 4.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.0 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.
Getting to know the Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest ground
At 137,168 acres, Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest is a national forest ranger district in Washington County and 7 other counties; the USDA Forest Service looks after it. The Division of Wildlife handles it from its Athens office (District 4, Southeast Ohio).
From the agency page; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
The ground of Athens Ranger District, county by county
Athens Ranger District holds 137,168 of the 244,351 forest acres in Ohio, about 56 percent. Most district land lies in Washington County: 39,314 acres. Ohio regulations plus the forest buffer and OHV rules apply here.
| County | NFS acres | Share | Deer limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 39,314 | 29% | 2 deer |
| Hocking County | 26,001 | 19% | 2 deer |
| Monroe County | 24,660 | 18% | 3 deer |
| Perry County | 22,392 | 16% | 3 deer |
| Athens County | 18,815 | 14% | 2 deer |
| Morgan County | 3,369 | 2% | 2 deer |
| Vinton County | 1,901 | 1% | 2 deer |
| Noble County | 716 | 1% | 3 deer |
From the USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics and the Wayne NF hunting page; checked November 6, 2026.
Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest hunting rules, line by line
- 150 yards from any house or campsite.
- Use OHV trails only, and unload only in OHV areas.
- Private land in the forest needs written permission.
From the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest: 2026 controlled hunting
1 drawing cover Athens Ranger District this year: 1 trapping. Each application costs $3 and is non-refundable; apply at wildohio.gov, in HuntFish OH or by phone. Trapping lotteries are drawn in person on October 3, 2026 at the five district offices.
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Type | Apply | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8006 | Wayne NF-Athens Dist beaver-otter trapping | Trapping | In person, Oct. 3 | packet |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
Hunting calendar matched to Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
The sources name trapping on Athens Ranger District; the table shows the 2026-27 dates for that game.
| Quarry | Season | Start | End | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mink | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| Muskrat | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| Beaver | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| River otter | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 3 per season |
| River otter | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 1 of the 3 |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (The Wayne hunting page names no species ("a variety of species to be hunted")); checked November 6, 2026.
County limits that apply on Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Deer bag in Washington County: 2, with a single antlered deer allowed across Ohio. 2025-26 harvest, Washington County: 783 deer. The 2026-27 count stood at 309 on November 3, 2026.
| County | Limit | DSA | Zone | Spring | Fall turkey | 2025-26 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 783 |
| Hocking County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,643 |
| Monroe County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,195 |
| Perry County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,989 |
| Athens County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 917 |
| Morgan County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 1,529 |
| Vinton County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 1,931 |
| Noble County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,260 |
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 Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Drive 3 miles east and the next public tract is Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area. Around it on the map: 3 wildlife areas, 2 public hunting areas and 1 state park. Within 15 miles but not open to hunters: Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Riddle State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallace H. O'Dowd WA | Wildlife area | 6,696 | Hocking | 3 miles | east |
| Taylor Ridge Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,226 | Athens | 5 miles | east |
| Imhoff Preserve Wildlife Area | Hunting area | 106 | Perry | 7 miles | northwest |
| Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area | Hunting area | 1,175 | Athens | 9 miles | south |
| Burr Oak State Park | State park | 2,593 | Morgan | 10 miles | east |
| Waterloo Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 2,659 | Athens | 12 miles | south |
Point: USFS EDW Basic Ownership (USDA Forest Service land) inside the EDW ranger district boundary (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest maps, address and officers
For permits and questions try the Wildlife District Four office, 740-589-9930. The Washington County wildlife officer is Scot Gardner, (740) 412-9184. 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 USFS EDW Basic Ownership (USDA Forest Service land) inside the EDW ranger district boundary (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Stores, deer processors and towns serving Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
From the point, Murray City sits 3 miles away. Logan tops the list at 7,142 people. For face-to-face help, the Athens ODNR office lies 14 miles away as the crow flies.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray City | Hocking | 335 | 3 miles | east |
| Nelsonville | Athens | 4,555 | 4 miles | south |
| Haydenville | Hocking | – | 6 miles | southwest |
| Trimble | Athens | 329 | 8 miles | east |
| Logan | Hocking | 7,142 | 10 miles | west |
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 Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest 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 | 7:19 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:24 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:02 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:29 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:40 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:40 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:45 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:45 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 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. |
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 Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Zeroing a slug gun on the way to Athens Ranger District (Wayne National Forest)
Lake Hope State Park Archery Range (free (Class D)) is 14 miles from Athens Ranger District (Wayne National Forest). 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.
Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest: what Buckeye hunters keep asking
Can Athens Ranger District be hunted all seven days?
No statewide Sunday limit applies.
Is any special pass needed to hunt Athens Ranger District?
Ohio license and permits only. Ohio rules apply on forest land.
How big is the Athens Ranger District property in acres?
About 137,168 acres by the main source; other layers are in the acreage table.
What is the deer limit at Athens Ranger District?
Each county sets its own: Washington 2; Hocking 2; Monroe 3; Perry 3; Athens 2; Morgan 2. Statewide: 6 deer, 1 antlered; public hunting areas: 2 antlerless at most.
Is any hunting at Athens Ranger District by permit only?
Yes. The 2026 list has 1 (trapping). Applications are $3.
Which zone sets the waterfowl calendar at Athens Ranger District?
Zone C. Splits: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Is there a campground at Athens Ranger District?
Designated forest camps only.
Can I leave a tree stand or use bait on Athens Ranger District?
No bait, and stands must be portable.
Must I wear orange while hunting Athens Ranger District 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 Athens Ranger District?
6:59 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. on November 30, 2026.
Where do I take questions about Athens Ranger District?
Try 740-589-9930.
Nearest town for supplies near Athens Ranger District?
Murray City sits 3 miles from the point.
How is a turkey or deer from Athens Ranger District checked?
Report deer and turkeys by noon the day after the kill, online, by phone or in the HuntFish OH app.
Final word on Athens Ranger District, Wayne National Forest for this season
Gravel lanes and parking lots can flood or close in wet weather; check access to Athens Ranger District before the drive.
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: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain).