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Hunt Delaware Wildlife Area this 2026-27 season
Hunting ground of 4,670 acres, run as a state wildlife area in Delaware County and 2 more counties.
Photo: Kris Lucius (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Delaware Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Delaware Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 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.
Delaware Wildlife Area by the numbers ODNR keeps
The ODNR Division of Wildlife manages Delaware Wildlife Area, 4,670 acres of state wildlife area ground in Delaware County and 2 other counties. Its ODNR page places the ground about 8 miles north of Delaware. For wildlife work it falls under District 1, run from Columbus. Natural features on record: river, woods and grassland. ODNR also lists boating, hiking, birding and fishing here, with hunter access. By tenure the ground is leased and owned outright by the state. It appears in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) as "Delaware", the legal list of public hunting land.
The property page says:
“The 4,670-acre wildlife area is situated in central Ohio eight miles north of Delaware, 10 miles south of Marion, and between U.S. Routes 42 and 23.”
Layers give between 4,603 and 5,786 acres, so the table shows each one.
| Measure | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 4,670 |
| Property Details layer | 4,603 |
| Water (Property Details) | 854 |
| Hunting-status layer | 5,786 |
| GIS parcel area | 5,770 |
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 Delaware Wildlife Area
Delaware Wildlife Area: 2026 controlled hunting
The 2026 lottery list has 1 hunt on Delaware Wildlife Area (1 trapping). Entry fee: $3 per hunt, no refunds, one entry each. In-person trapping drawings: October 3, 2026, district offices.
| No. | Hunt name | Type | Application | Packet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2915 | Delaware Wildlife Area 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.
Ground rules for hunting Delaware Wildlife Area
Delaware Wildlife Area is open ground in the ODNR status map.
- No driving off the posted roads; park in the lots.
- Leave the tent at home: no camping here.
- Closed 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. from September through May 1 to anything but hunting, trapping and fishing.
- Guns may be fired only in lawful hunting, trapping or range use.
- Feed and bait are not allowed.
- Bring a portable stand; permanent stands are illegal.
- The public-area antlerless limit is two per license year.
- Parts of the season need a controlled-hunt permit.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
What ODNR plants and maintains on Delaware Wildlife Area
Delaware Wildlife Area dove plots and crops
3 dove fields cover about 34 acres here, planted in wheat lure crop, two-sided, eygptian wheat cover crop and wheat and millet lure crop. All are non-controlled, open to any licensed hunter from the opener.
| Field | Acres | Status | Planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| E7 | 12 | Non-Controlled | two-sided, eygptian wheat cover crop, wheat and millet lure crop |
| A8 | 11 | Non-Controlled | one-sided, corn cover crop, wheat lure crop |
| L8 | 10 | Non-Controlled | field edge for cover, wheat lure crop |
Pheasants on Delaware Wildlife Area
The release map shows public release and youth release on Delaware Wildlife Area: 24 field(s), 324 acres. Birds go out for the youth weekends and on November 6, November 14 and November 26.
Delaware Wildlife Area dog training area
The dog training layer places Delaware Dog Training and Field Trial Area (420 acres) here.
Shooting range at Delaware Wildlife Area
1 range of class A C D sit on Delaware Wildlife Area. Free use: class D range.
| Range | Class | Type or contact | Supervised trap/skeet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware Wildlife Area | A C D | Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, & Archery | No |
Mobility-impaired access at Delaware Wildlife Area
A mobility-impaired permit allows vehicle use on set access roads.
From the ODNR dove fields layer, pheasant release list, dog training layer, range list; checked November 6, 2026.
Dates and limits for hunting Delaware Wildlife Area
The record pairs Delaware Wildlife Area with pheasant, waterfowl, trapping and dove. For ducks and geese it sits in Zone A and Zone B and Zone C. Know which zone your blind is in.
| Game | Window | From | To | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pheasant | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 2 roosters 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 |
| 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 | 1 of the 3 |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | 15 daily |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 15 daily |
| 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 | Nov 1, 2026 | 6 ducks daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | 6 ducks daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 5 daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 1, 2027 | 5 daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 6 ducks daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 10, 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 | 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.
Delaware Wildlife Area: next-nearest open land, by miles
Closest neighbour on the ODNR map: Delaware State Park, 2 miles southwest. Neighbour mix: 3 state parks and 3 wildlife areas. Do not mistake these for open ground: Olentangy Scenic River (scenic river land), Stratford Woods State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Seymour Woods – Olentangy Scenic River (scenic river land).
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware State Park | State park | 1,686 | Delaware | 2 miles | southwest |
| Alum Creek State Park | State park | 4,630 | Delaware | 14 miles | south |
| Mt Gilead State Park | State park | 181 | Morrow | 16 miles | northeast |
| Big Island Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 5,872 | Marion | 17 miles | northwest |
| Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 9,054 | Wyandot | 25 miles | northwest |
| Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,060 | Knox | 25 miles | east |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 7 parcels (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.
Where Delaware Wildlife Area sits in Ohio's rules
The Delaware County deer limit is 3 this season, only one of them antlered statewide. Inside the surveillance area (Delaware County (Marlboro), Delaware County (Oxford) and Delaware County (Troy)), deer rules change. ODNR counted 1,877 deer in Delaware County for 2025-26, 974 of them antlerless. Through November 3, 2026: 501 deer checked.
| County | Bag | CWD area | Waterfowl | Turkey zone | Fall | Harvest 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County | 3 deer | Some townships | C | South | Open | 1,877 |
| Marion County | 6 deer | Whole county | A | South | Closed | 1,384 |
| Morrow County | 3 deer | Some townships | B | South | Open | 2,767 |
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 Delaware Wildlife Area
Waldo is the closest town on this site to Delaware Wildlife Area, 4 miles in a straight line. A bigger stop is Delaware, population 46,521. ODNR staff closest to Delaware Wildlife Area work out of Ashley, 2 miles off.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waldo | Marion | 317 | 4 miles | northwest |
| Delaware | Delaware | 46,521 | 9 miles | south |
| Marion | Marion | 35,576 | 13 miles | north |
| Mount Gilead | Morrow | 3,543 | 15 miles | northeast |
| New Bloomington | Marion | 414 | 18 miles | northwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Delaware Wildlife Area 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 12, 2026 | DSA archery opens | 7:09 a.m. | 7:48 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 8:18 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. |
| 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. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:27 a.m. | 7:16 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | DSA early gun | 7:36 a.m. | 7:02 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 7:02 p.m. | 7:36 a.m. to 7:02 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:07 a.m. | 5:25 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:55 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:35 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:35 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:46 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:46 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:51 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:51 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:55 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:55 a.m. to 5:16 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 Delaware Wildlife Area and its managers
Your district office: 1500 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215, 614-644-3925. The officer assigned to Delaware County is Maurice Irish, (614) 902-4221. Call 1-800-POACHER to report a violation anonymously.
- Area map PDF (published 3/9/2021) · legend: wildlife area headquarters, headquarters, boat ramp, dog training area, shooting range
- ODNR hunting regulations web map
- Open the point in Google Maps
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, 7 parcels (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Dates held at or close to Delaware Wildlife Area
About 10 straight-line miles from here there are 3 dates ahead.
| Scheduled | What | Mi | Where held | Link | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2026 | ODNR Hunter Education Class (Ashley) · hunter education class, Ashley | At this place | Ashley, Delaware County | Register | Source |
| Nov 19, 2026 | ODNR Hunter Education Class (Waldo) · hunter education class, Waldo | 4 | Register | Source | |
| Mar 20, 2027 | RMEF Two Rivers Chapter Banquet · RMEF banquet, Delaware | 9 | Delaware, Delaware County | Tickets | Source |
Images for sizing up a Delaware Wildlife Area hunt
The range on Delaware Wildlife Area, plus clubs nearby
ODNR lists Delaware Wildlife Area Shooting Range on Delaware Wildlife Area; entry is the shooting range permit for adults ($5.00 a day).
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Common Delaware Wildlife Area questions with sourced answers
Hunter orange rules for Delaware Wildlife Area in deer season?
A hunter orange vest or coat during the gun deer seasons; no square-inch rule.
Stand and bait rules for Delaware Wildlife Area?
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 Delaware Wildlife Area?
The area phone is (614) 644-3925.
What are deer hunting hours at Delaware Wildlife Area on the gun opener?
Deer hours run 7:05 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. on November 30, 2026, worked out for this spot.
CWD rules at Delaware Wildlife Area?
It touches the DSA at Delaware County (Marlboro), Delaware County (Oxford) and Delaware County (Troy).
Where is Delaware Wildlife Area relative to the nearest town?
Waldo (4 miles).
Pheasant hunting at Delaware Wildlife Area?
Pheasants are stocked here.
Can I hunt doves on planted fields at Delaware Wildlife Area?
Yes, 3 managed dove field(s).
What is the deadline to report a deer from Delaware Wildlife Area?
Noon the next day is the deadline for the game check.
Is hunting restricted anywhere on Delaware Wildlife Area?
Open: no restricted parcels.
Which Ohio license and permits do I need for Delaware Wildlife Area?
A hunting license and species permits, as anywhere in Ohio; no separate area permit for general hunting. Some hunts here are by lottery permit.
Does Ohio law allow Sunday hunts on Delaware Wildlife Area?
Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio.
What deer limit covers Delaware Wildlife Area?
By county: Delaware 3; Marion 6; Morrow 3. Remember the one-antlered rule and the two-antlerless public land cap.
Delaware Wildlife Area: the night-before checklist
Report your deer or turkey by noon the next day, and keep your license and permits on you while hunting Delaware Wildlife Area.
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: Yellowstone National Park (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).