Home › Ohio › Public land › Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
Wildlife area in Perry County, Ohio
Clouse Lake Wildlife Area hunting, rules and county limits
A 96-acre Ohio state wildlife area in Perry County.
Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 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 Clouse Lake Wildlife Area ground
At 96 acres, Clouse Lake Wildlife Area is a state wildlife area in Perry County; the ODNR Division of Wildlife looks after it. Look roughly 3 miles south of Somerset on the map. The Division of Wildlife handles it from its Athens office (District 4, Southeast Ohio). Cover on the property page: lake. Other uses listed: kayaking, birding and fishing; trails are marked as hunter access. The state started assembling it in 1941, with several state funds. The hunting layer shows the parcels as owned outright by the state. The administrative code lists it under 1501:31-15-04(A)(1), written "Clouse lake".
Pick your number: 95 acres at the low end, 96 at the high end, by source.
| Source | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 96 |
| Area map PDF | 96 |
| Hunting-status layer | 96 |
| GIS parcel area | 95 |
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 Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
Clouse Lake Wildlife Area hunting rules, line by line
ODNR marks every parcel of Clouse Lake Wildlife Area open to hunting.
- 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 Clouse Lake Wildlife 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 Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
Deer bag in Perry County: 3, with a single antlered deer allowed across Ohio. The 2025-26 deer total for Perry County was 2,989, by ODNR's final report. The 2026-27 count stood at 565 on November 3, 2026.
| County | Limit | DSA | Zone | Spring | Fall turkey | 2025-26 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,989 |
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 Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
Drive 5 miles east and the next public tract is Perry State Forest. Around it on the map: 4 public hunting areas, 1 state forest and 1 wildlife area. Within 15 miles but not open to hunters: Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Kessler Swamp State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry State Forest | State forest | 4,706 | Perry | 5 miles | east |
| Twin Churches Lake PHA | Hunting area | 72 | Perry | 5 miles | south |
| Rush Creek Lake PHFA | Hunting area | 1,015 | Fairfield | 6 miles | west |
| Flagdale Lake PHA | Hunting area | 132 | Perry | 6 miles | southwest |
| Oakthorpe Lake PHFA | Hunting area | 78 | Fairfield | 9 miles | west |
| Hanby Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 20 | Perry | 10 miles | northwest |
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.
Clouse Lake Wildlife Area maps, address and officers
For permits and questions try the Wildlife District Four office, 740-589-9930. The Perry County wildlife officer is Mark Basinger, (614) 565-0137. Anonymous tip line: 1-800-POACHER.
- Area map PDF (published 4/26/2022) · legend: parking area, parking, trail, lake
- ODNR hunting regulations web map
- Map pin
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.
Clouse Lake Wildlife Area: towns, shops and the nearest ODNR office
From the point, New Lexington sits 6 miles away. Lancaster, 17 miles out, is larger: 41,671 people in 2024. For face-to-face help, the Malta ODNR office lies 22 miles away as the crow flies.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Lexington | Perry | 4,463 | 6 miles | southeast |
| Lancaster | Fairfield | 41,671 | 17 miles | west |
| Logan | Hocking | 7,142 | 17 miles | south |
| Rockbridge | Hocking | – | 17 miles | southwest |
| Murray City | Hocking | 335 | 19 miles | south |
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 Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Clouse Lake Wildlife 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 | 7:19 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:24 a.m. | 7:14 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:44 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:03 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:30 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:41 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:41 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:46 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:46 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:50 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:50 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.
Clouse Lake Wildlife Area and the Ohio event calendar
This ground and its 10-mile ring: 1 date ahead.
| Starts | Event | Miles off | Site | Go | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 2027 | Perry County Longbeards NWTF Banquet · NWTF banquet, New Lexington | 6 | New Lexington, Perry County | Tickets | Source |
Field and woods views near Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
Clouse Lake Wildlife Area: the nearest public range, then clubs
Licking County holds the ODNR-listed range nearest Clouse Lake Wildlife Area: Hebron Fish Hatchery Shooting Range (17 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.
Clouse Lake Wildlife Area: what Buckeye hunters keep asking
Can I camp at Clouse Lake Wildlife 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 Clouse Lake Wildlife Area?
No bait, and stands must be portable.
Must I wear orange while hunting Clouse Lake Wildlife 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 Clouse Lake Wildlife Area?
7:00 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. on November 30, 2026.
Which phone line answers questions on Clouse Lake Wildlife Area?
Try 740-589-9930.
Nearest town for supplies near Clouse Lake Wildlife Area?
About 6 miles from New Lexington.
Is every part of Clouse Lake Wildlife Area open to hunting?
The whole area is open.
Game check rules after a kill on Clouse Lake Wildlife Area?
Report deer and turkeys by noon the day after the kill, online, by phone or in the HuntFish OH app.
Can Clouse Lake Wildlife Area be hunted all seven days?
No statewide Sunday limit applies.
Is any special pass needed to hunt Clouse Lake Wildlife 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.
What size is Clouse Lake Wildlife Area on the ODNR books?
About 96 acres by the main source; other layers are in the acreage table. Different layers give slightly different totals.
How many deer may one hunter kill around Clouse Lake Wildlife Area?
3, as set for Perry County. Statewide: 6 deer, 1 antlered; public hunting areas: 2 antlerless at most.
Is any hunting at Clouse Lake Wildlife Area by permit only?
No; the 2026 lottery list does not include it.
Last checks before loading up for Clouse Lake Wildlife Area
Gravel lanes and parking lots can flood or close in wet weather; check access to Clouse Lake Wildlife Area before the drive.
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: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain).