Home › Ohio › Public land › Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
Buckeye state wildlife area with open hunting
Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area: seasons, rules and access
One state wildlife area of 466 acres in Geauga County, open to licensed hunters.
Photo: Nathan (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat RampBoat ramp · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.4 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.
Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area: size, setting and history
Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area covers 466 acres in Geauga County, a state wildlife area run by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. ODNR puts it around 1 miles to the north of Auburn Center. Questions go to District 3 in Akron, the district that covers it. Walk it and you will find woods, grassland, marsh and brush, according to the agency listing. Expect company: the page names hiking and birding. Its story as public land begins in 1954 and runs to 1960, using several state funds. Parcels are owned outright by the state. You will find it as "Auburn marsh" in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1).
Sources disagree on size, from 461 to 471 acres; this page uses 466 (ODNR property page).
| Record | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 466 |
| Property Details layer | 461 |
| Water (Property Details) | 5 |
| Hunting-status layer | 466 |
| GIS parcel area | 471 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area: rules that apply on the ground
Part of Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area is off limits or carries special limits, according to the status layer.
- Drive and park only on designated roads and lots.
- No camping; only three wildlife areas allow it.
- From May 2 to August 31 the night closure runs 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Target practice only at a designated Division of Wildlife range.
- No salt, grain or feed may be put out.
- Portable stands only; nothing inserted into a tree.
- Count your does: two antlerless deer from public areas per year.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
When the Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area game is in season
No game is named in the sources for Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area; statewide dates hold. Spring gobbler dates listed are the 2026 ones.
| Game | Season | Opens | Closes | 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 rules around Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
Geauga County allows 3 deer per hunter in 2026-27. The 2025-26 deer total for Geauga County was 3,215, by ODNR's final report. This season to November 3, 2026, 874 deer have been checked there.
| County | Deer limit | CWD | Zone | Spring | Fall | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geauga County | 3 deer | No | B | Northeast | Open | 3,215 |
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.
Mapped hunting places beside Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
Ladue Hunting Area lies 3 miles southeast of the Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area point, the nearest open land. Nearby public places: 2 public hunting areas, 2 state parks and 2 wildlife areas. Neighbours closed to hunting: White Pine Bog Forest State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Burton Wetlands State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Novak Sanctuary State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladue Hunting Area | Hunting area | 8,427 | Geauga | 3 miles | southeast |
| Punderson State Park | State park | 741 | Geauga | 4 miles | north |
| Marsh Wetlands SNP | Wildlife area | 152 | Portage | 8 miles | south |
| Tinkers Creek State Park | State park | 397 | Portage | 11 miles | southwest |
| Aquilla Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 60 | Geauga | 11 miles | north |
| West Farmington Hunting Area | Hunting area | 263 | Trumbull | 13 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.
Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area: who to call and which map to carry
District help: Wildlife District Three, 912 Portage Lakes Dr, Akron, OH 44319, 330-644-2293. Geauga County is patrolled by officer Matt Madgar ((330) 245-3035). Poaching tips go to 1-800-POACHER, any hour. A note on the map reads: benefits include woodcock and a variety of nongame species such as marsh birds and shorebirds. A note on the map reads: Many kinds of songbirds can be found throughout the area, especially during spring and fall migrations.
- Area map PDF · legend: parking, waterfowl hunting, hunting area, marsh, grassland, brushland, woodland
- ODNR hunting regulations web map
- Route to the point
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.
Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area: towns, shops and the nearest ODNR office
Measured straight, Burton is 7 miles from Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area. Shaker Heights, 17 miles out, is larger: 28,689 people in 2024. Allow for 15 miles of straight-line distance to the West Farmington ODNR office.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | Geauga | 1,408 | 7 miles | northeast |
| Chardon | Geauga | 5,233 | 12 miles | north |
| West Farmington | Trumbull | 534 | 14 miles | east |
| Ravenna | Portage | 11,236 | 17 miles | south |
| Shaker Heights | Cuyahoga | 28,689 | 17 miles | west |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
First and last legal minutes across Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area seasons
Around Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area, deer light opens 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; rabbit and pheasant hunters keep strict sunrise to sunset.
| Day | Marker | Sun up | Sun down | Deer hours | Duck hours | Upland hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:15 a.m. | 7:17 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:20 a.m. | 7:09 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:02 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:20 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:30 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:47 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. | 7:47 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:51 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:51 a.m. to 5:06 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.
Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area district scenes and wildlife photos
Public range and clubs on the road to Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
Geauga County holds the ODNR-listed range nearest Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area: Punderson State Park Archery Range (4 miles). After it come club ranges that sit inside 30 miles.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Things people ask before driving to Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
Can I camp at Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
No; book a room in a nearby town.
What are this season's duck dates for Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
It is in Zone B; duck splits run Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
Do I need hunter orange on Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area during gun week?
Ohio requires a visible orange garment during deer gun seasons; camo orange counts.
May I bait deer on Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
Portable stands yes, bait no.
Which phone line answers questions on Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
Phone (330) 644-2293.
Deer hours at Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area on the first gun day?
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty after sunset; on November 30, 2026 that is 7:00 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. here (NOAA solar formula).
Is Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area fully open to hunters in the ODNR layer?
Only part of it is open.
Where do hunters buy supplies near Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
About 7 miles from Burton.
Are Sundays open for hunting on Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
Ohio has no statewide Sunday restriction, so Sundays follow the regular seasons unless a lottery permit sets the day.
Game check rules after a kill on Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
Check it in by noon the next day; no check station visit is needed.
Acreage check: how large is Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
466 acres, according to the ODNR property page. The acreage table shows the spread.
What must I hold to hunt Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area legally?
Ohio license first, then the game permit. Public hunting land in Ohio charges no access fee.
Are there controlled hunts on Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area?
No drawn hunts here in 2026.
Last checks before loading up for Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area
Rules, closures and lottery details for Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area can change mid-season; posted signs and the ODNR page have the last word.
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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0).