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Hunting access · Ohio state park
Hunt Burr Oak State Park this 2026-27 season
Hunting ground of 2,593 acres, run as a state park in Morgan County and Athens County.
Photo: Ohio Department of Natural Resources (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Burr Oak State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Burr Oak State Park
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 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.
Burr Oak State Park by the numbers ODNR keeps
The ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft manages Burr Oak State Park, 2,593 acres of state park ground in Morgan County and Athens County. For wildlife work it falls under District 4, run from Athens. Natural features on record: lake, fall color, woods and forest. ODNR also lists camping, kayaking, naturalist programs, 3d archery, boating and disc golf here, with Buckeye Trail, hiking trails, horseback trails and backpacking trails. By tenure the ground is owned outright by the state. It appears in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(2) as "Burr oak", the legal list of public hunting land.
The property page says:
“As one of Ohio's resort parks, Burr Oak State Park blends modern convenience with Ohio's wilderness spirit.”
Layers give between 2,593 and 3,279 acres, so the table shows each one.
| Measure | Acres |
|---|---|
| Property Details layer | 2,593 |
| Water (Property Details) | 664 |
| Hunting-status layer | 3,279 |
| GIS parcel area | 3,231 |
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 Burr Oak State Park
Agency notes on hunting Burr Oak State Park
Quoted from the official listing for Burr Oak State Park:
“The woodlands support a variety of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, box turtles, and wild turkey.”
“The lake’s shore is inhabited by bald eagles, great blue herons, and various waterfowl.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Ground rules for hunting Burr Oak State Park
Not all of Burr Oak State Park is huntable; the restricted tag points you to the map.
- Feed and bait are not allowed.
- The public-area antlerless limit is two per license year.
- Hunt only in the areas the park hunting map shows open.
- Keep 400 feet from camping areas, lots and buildings.
- Never shoot across a park road or trail.
- Blind permits apply to permanent waterfowl blinds.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules, OAC 1501:46-15-07; checked November 6, 2026.
Dates and limits for hunting Burr Oak State Park
The record pairs Burr Oak State Park with deer, turkey, ruffed grouse, waterfowl and trapping. For ducks and geese it sits in Zone C. Spring turkey rows show the 2026 dates; the 2027 spring dates were not out when checked. Ruffed grouse has no open season; only controlled lottery hunts allow it.
| Game | Window | From | To | Daily 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 |
| 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 |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | 5 daily |
| Teal | Early teal | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | 6 daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 6 ducks daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 ducks daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 5 daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | 5 daily |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | Regular limits |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | Regular limits |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (ODNR property page hunting text); checked November 6, 2026.
Burr Oak State Park: next-nearest open land, by miles
Closest neighbour on the ODNR map: Wolf Creek Wildlife Area, 5 miles northeast. Neighbour mix: 3 wildlife areas, 1 state forest and 1 state park. Do not mistake these for open ground: Muskingum River State Park (park without hunting) and Riddle State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Creek Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 3,978 | Morgan | 5 miles | northeast |
| Taylor Ridge Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,226 | Athens | 6 miles | southwest |
| Wallace H. O'Dowd WA | Wildlife area | 6,696 | Hocking | 8 miles | west |
| Gifford State Forest | State forest | 320 | Athens | 10 miles | southeast |
| Strouds Run State Park | State park | 2,606 | Athens | 13 miles | south |
| Imhoff Preserve Wildlife Area | Hunting area | 106 | Perry | 15 miles | west |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 2 parcels (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Where Burr Oak State Park sits in Ohio's rules
The Morgan County deer limit is 2 this season, only one of them antlered statewide. ODNR counted 1,529 deer in Morgan County for 2025-26, 955 of them antlerless. Through November 3, 2026: 333 deer checked.
| County | Bag | CWD area | Waterfowl | Turkey zone | Fall | Harvest 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 1,529 |
| Athens County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 917 |
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.
Towns and outfitters a short drive from Burr Oak State Park
Trimble is the closest town on this site to Burr Oak State Park, 5 miles in a straight line. A bigger stop is Nelsonville, population 4,555. ODNR staff closest to Burr Oak State Park work out of Malta, 5 miles off.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trimble | Athens | 329 | 5 miles | southwest |
| Murray City | Hocking | 335 | 8 miles | west |
| Chesterhill | Morgan | 267 | 9 miles | east |
| Malta | Morgan | 548 | 12 miles | northeast |
| Nelsonville | Athens | 4,555 | 12 miles | southwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Burr Oak State Park legal-hour chart by opener
Ohio deer hunters may shoot from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks, geese, squirrels and fall turkeys stop at sunset; rabbits, pheasants, quail and doves wait for sunrise.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Deer | Waterfowl | Small game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:18 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:23 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:01 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:28 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:39 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:45 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 7:45 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:48 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | 7:48 a.m. to 5:14 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.
Reaching Burr Oak State Park and its managers
Your district office: 360 E State St, Athens, OH 45701, 740-589-9930. The officer assigned to Morgan County is Ben Smith, (614) 563-5338. Call 1-800-POACHER to report a violation anonymously.
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, 2 parcels (polygon centroid); checked November 6, 2026.
Images for sizing up a Burr Oak State Park hunt
Burr Oak State Park hunters: public range plus clubs
Burr Oak State Park hunters reach Wolf Creek Wildlife Area Shooting Range, the nearest ODNR-listed range, after about 6 miles. Club and private ranges within 30 miles fill the other cards.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Common Burr Oak State Park questions with sourced answers
Where can hunters stay overnight at Burr Oak State Park?
There is a campground; check the park page.
When can ducks be hunted on Burr Oak State Park this year?
Ducks in Zone C open Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Hunter orange rules for Burr Oak State Park in deer season?
A hunter orange vest or coat during the gun deer seasons; no square-inch rule.
Stand and bait rules for Burr Oak State Park?
Portable stands only, with nothing driven into the tree, and no bait: deer baiting is illegal on public hunting areas.
Who should I phone about hunting Burr Oak State Park?
The area phone is (740) 767-3570.
What are deer hunting hours at Burr Oak State Park on the gun opener?
Deer hours run 6:58 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. on November 30, 2026, worked out for this spot.
Is hunting restricted anywhere on Burr Oak State Park?
Parts are closed or limited; carry the map.
Where is Burr Oak State Park relative to the nearest town?
Trimble (5 miles).
Does Ohio law allow Sunday hunts on Burr Oak State Park?
Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio.
What is the deadline to report a deer from Burr Oak State Park?
Noon the next day is the deadline for the game check.
How many acres of hunting land is Burr Oak State Park?
2,593 acres, from the ODNR Property Details layer. The table above lists every source.
Which Ohio license and permits do I need for Burr Oak State Park?
A hunting license and species permits, as anywhere in Ohio; no separate area permit for general hunting.
Can I apply for a drawn hunt at Burr Oak State Park?
No controlled hunts are on file for it.
Burr Oak State Park: the night-before checklist
Report your deer or turkey by noon the next day, and keep your license and permits on you while hunting Burr Oak State Park.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5 · source 6; 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); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain).