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Hunting access · Ohio wildlife area
East Fork Wildlife Area hunting, rules and county limits
Hunting ground of 2,705 acres, run as a state wildlife area in Clermont County.
Photo: David Wilson (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to East Fork Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near East Fork Wildlife Area
- Twin Bridges TrailheadTrailhead · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Todds Runs Twin Bridge TrailheadParking · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- ConcordParking · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- GateGate · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Clover Road TrailheadTrailhead · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Clover Road TrailheadParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Bethel Concord North TrailheadParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- TrailheadTrailhead · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Kain Run Creek TrailheadParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 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.
What kind of place East Fork Wildlife Area is
The ODNR Division of Wildlife manages East Fork Wildlife Area, 2,705 acres of state wildlife area ground in Clermont County. For wildlife work it falls under District 5, run from Xenia. Natural features on record: lake, river, woods, crops, streams and meadow. ODNR also lists boating, hiking, birding and fishing here, with Buckeye Trail. By tenure the ground is leased and owned outright by the state. It appears in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) as "East fork", the legal list of public hunting land.
The property page says:
“East Fork Wildlife Area is located in southwestern Ohio, on the southeast edge of Williamsburg.”
Layers give between 2,705 and 3,638 acres, so the table shows each one.
| Measure | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 2,705 |
| Property Details layer | 3,298 |
| Water (Property Details) | 340 |
| Hunting-status layer | 3,638 |
| GIS parcel area | 3,558 |
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 East Fork Wildlife Area
Agency notes on hunting East Fork Wildlife Area
Quoted from the official listing for East Fork Wildlife Area:
“Bobwhite quail, cottontail rabbit, white-tailed deer, fox and gray squirrels, and woodchuck are the major game species.”
“Waterfowl are most common during migration and good numbers of wood ducks nest and rear their broods here each spring and summer.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Permit hunts on East Fork Wildlife Area
The 2026 lottery list has 2 hunts on East Fork Wildlife Area (1 trapping and 1 pheasant). Entry fee: $3 per hunt, no refunds, one entry each. In-person trapping drawings: October 3, 2026, district offices.
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Type | Apply | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2757 | East Fork WA pheasant | Pheasant | July 1-31 | – |
| 4012 | East Fork WA 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 East Fork Wildlife Area
East Fork Wildlife Area is open ground in the ODNR status map.
- No driving off the posted roads; park in the lots.
- Overnight camping is off the table on this ground.
- 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 East Fork Wildlife Area
East Fork Wildlife Area dove plots and crops
3 dove fields cover about 30 acres here, planted in wheat. All are non-controlled, open to any licensed hunter from the opener.
| Field | Acres | Status | Planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dove Field 1 | 14 | Non-Controlled | wheat |
| Dove Field 3 | 7.8 | Non-Controlled | wheat |
| Dove Field 2 | 8.4 | Non-Controlled | wheat |
Pheasants on East Fork Wildlife Area
The release map shows controlled-hunt fields on East Fork Wildlife Area: 14 field(s), 146 acres. Birds go out for the youth weekends and on November 6, November 14 and November 26.
East Fork Wildlife Area dog training area
The dog training layer places East Fork Dog Training Area (131 acres) here.
Mobility-impaired access at East Fork 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; checked November 6, 2026.
Dates and limits for hunting East Fork Wildlife Area
The record pairs East Fork Wildlife Area with deer, squirrel, rabbit, quail, waterfowl, raccoon and fox. For ducks and geese it sits in Zone C.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Bobwhite quail | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 2 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 |
| Bobwhite quail | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 2 daily |
| Bobwhite quail | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 2 daily |
| Red fox | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Red fox | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Gray fox | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Gray fox | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No 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 | 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 | 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.
East Fork Wildlife Area: next-nearest open land, by miles
Closest neighbour on the ODNR map: East Fork State Park, 3 miles west. Neighbour mix: 4 wildlife areas and 2 state parks.
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Fork State Park | State park | 4,870 | Clermont | 3 miles | west |
| Grant Lake Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 412 | Brown | 8 miles | east |
| Stonelick State Park | State park | 1,058 | Clermont | 14 miles | north |
| Indian Creek Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,695 | Brown | 15 miles | northeast |
| Della Gates & Edward Charles Bott WA | Wildlife area | 168 | Brown | 16 miles | north |
| Oldaker Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 140 | Highland | 23 miles | northeast |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 2 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 East Fork Wildlife Area sits in Ohio's rules
The Clermont County deer limit is 3 this season, only one of them antlered statewide. 2025-26 harvest, Clermont County: 2,759 deer. Through November 3, 2026: 651 deer checked.
| County | Bag | CWD area | Waterfowl | Turkey zone | Fall | Harvest 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clermont County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,759 |
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.
Stores, deer processors and towns serving East Fork Wildlife Area
Williamsburg is the closest town on this site to East Fork Wildlife Area, 3 miles in a straight line. Georgetown tops the list at 4,498 people. ODNR staff closest to East Fork Wildlife Area work out of Fayetteville, 15 miles off.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsburg | Clermont | 2,645 | 3 miles | northeast |
| Batavia | Clermont | 2,026 | 7 miles | northwest |
| Fayetteville | Brown | 317 | 14 miles | northeast |
| Georgetown | Brown | 4,498 | 14 miles | southeast |
| Ripley | Brown | 1,591 | 24 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
East Fork 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 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:26 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:31 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 7:31 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:08 a.m. | 5:32 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:35 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:35 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:46 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | 7:46 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:51 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 7:51 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:55 a.m. | 5:24 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 7:55 a.m. to 5:24 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 East Fork Wildlife Area and its managers
Your district office: 1076 Old Springfield Pike, Xenia, OH 45385, 937-372-9261. Vacant post in Clermont County; the officer line (513) 673-1566 still reaches the district. Call 1-800-POACHER to report a violation anonymously. The map PDF adds: distribution or publication, this source must be referenced. The map PDF adds: shoot on, from, or across any road, driveway, or trail within any area administered by the division.
- Hunting map PDF · legend: boat ramp, parking, shooting range, latrine, camping, open to hunting, closed to hunting, trail
- 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, 2 parcels (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Images for sizing up a East Fork Wildlife Area hunt
Zeroing a slug gun on the way to East Fork Wildlife Area
Indian Creek Wildlife Area Shooting Range (the shooting range permit for adults ($5.00 a day)) is 14 miles from East Fork Wildlife Area. 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 East Fork Wildlife Area questions with sourced answers
Hunter orange rules for East Fork 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 East Fork Wildlife Area?
Portable stands only, with nothing driven into the tree, and no bait: deer baiting is illegal on public hunting areas.
Where do I take questions about East Fork Wildlife Area?
1-800-WILDLIFE reaches the managers.
What are deer hunting hours at East Fork Wildlife Area on the gun opener?
Deer hours run 7:05 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. on November 30, 2026, worked out for this spot.
Can I hunt doves on planted fields at East Fork Wildlife Area?
Yes, 3 managed dove field(s).
Where is East Fork Wildlife Area relative to the nearest town?
Williamsburg sits 3 miles from the point.
Is hunting restricted anywhere on East Fork Wildlife Area?
Open: no restricted parcels.
Pheasant hunting at East Fork Wildlife Area?
Pheasants are stocked here.
Does Ohio law allow Sunday hunts on East Fork Wildlife Area?
Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio.
How is a turkey or deer from East Fork Wildlife Area checked?
Noon the next day is the deadline for the game check.
Acreage check: how large is East Fork Wildlife Area?
2,705 acres, from the ODNR property page. The table above lists every source.
Which Ohio license and permits do I need for East Fork 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.
Can I apply for a drawn hunt at East Fork Wildlife Area?
ODNR lists 2: trapping and pheasant. Each costs $3 to enter.
Final word on East Fork Wildlife Area for this season
Report your deer or turkey by noon the next day, and keep your license and permits on you while hunting East Fork 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: Birding for Climate (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0).