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Buckeye state wildlife area with open hunting
Gavin Wildlife Area: seasons, rules and access
One state wildlife area of 1,346 acres in Gallia County, open to licensed hunters.
Photo: Warren LeMay (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Gavin Wildlife Area
Gavin Wildlife Area: size, setting and history
Gavin Wildlife Area covers 1,346 acres in Gallia County, a state wildlife area run by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Questions go to District 4 in Athens, the district that covers it. Parcels are held under a cooperative agreement.
Sources disagree on size, from 1,316 to 1,346 acres; this page uses 1,346 (ODNR lands layer SUM_CALC_ACRES).
| Record | Acres |
|---|---|
| Hunting-status layer | 1,346 |
| GIS parcel area | 1,316 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Gavin Wildlife Area
Gavin Wildlife Area: rules that apply on the ground
No restricted parcels: Gavin Wildlife Area is open land in the status layer.
- Drive and park only on designated roads and lots.
- No campsites on this property.
- 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 Gavin Wildlife Area game is in season
No game is named in the sources for Gavin 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 Gavin Wildlife Area
Gallia County allows 3 deer per hunter in 2026-27. Gallia County hunters checked 2,956 deer in 2025-26 (1,257 antlered). This season to November 3, 2026, 555 deer have been checked there.
| County | Deer limit | CWD | Zone | Spring | Fall | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallia County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,956 |
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 Gavin Wildlife Area
AEP Southern Ohio Recreation Area lies 5 miles northwest of the Gavin Wildlife Area point, the nearest open land. Nearby public places: 4 wildlife areas, 1 public hunting area and 1 public access area. Neighbours closed to hunting: Wilson Wetland Wildlife Area (no open parcels) and Miriam Walter Barrens State Dedicated Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Southern Ohio Recreation Area | Hunting area | 3,740 | Meigs | 5 miles | northwest |
| Samuels Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 83 | Gallia | 7 miles | west |
| Tycoon Lake Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 684 | Gallia | 10 miles | southwest |
| Ohio River Access – Racine WA | Access area | 21 | Meigs | 15 miles | east |
| Jackson County Line WA | Wildlife area | 42 | Jackson | 16 miles | northwest |
| Vinton Furnace Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 3,533 | Vinton | 16 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.
Gavin Wildlife Area: who to call and which map to carry
District help: Wildlife District Four, 360 E State St, Athens, OH 45701, 740-589-9930. Gallia County officer: vacant at last check, phone (614) 563-1843. Poaching tips go to 1-800-POACHER, any hour.
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.
Where to fuel up and grab ice near Gavin Wildlife Area
Measured straight, Rutland is 4 miles from Gavin Wildlife Area. Of the five, Wellston is the biggest with 5,493 residents (2024 estimate). Allow for 17 miles of straight-line distance to the Oak Hill ODNR office.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutland | Meigs | 412 | 4 miles | northeast |
| Pomeroy | Meigs | 1,505 | 9 miles | east |
| Gallipolis | Gallia | 3,282 | 12 miles | south |
| Wellston | Jackson | 5,493 | 21 miles | northwest |
| Hamden | Vinton | 717 | 21 miles | northwest |
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 Gavin Wildlife Area seasons
Around Gavin 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 | 7:19 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 7:19 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. | 5:24 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:27 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:38 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 7:38 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:44 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:47 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 7:47 a.m. to 5:17 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.
Gavin Wildlife Area district scenes and wildlife photos
Gavin Wildlife Area hunters: public range plus clubs
Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area Shooting Range is 19 miles from Gavin Wildlife Area and is the nearest public range on ODNR’s list. 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 Gavin Wildlife Area
Are there controlled hunts on Gavin Wildlife Area?
No drawn hunts here in 2026.
Deer bag limit for Gavin Wildlife Area?
Up to 3, by the county rule. Only one buck per season in Ohio, and two antlerless deer at most from public land.
Overnight stays at Gavin Wildlife Area?
No; book a room in a nearby town.
What are this season's duck dates for Gavin Wildlife Area?
It is in Zone C; duck splits run Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Do I need hunter orange on Gavin Wildlife Area during gun week?
Ohio requires a visible orange garment during deer gun seasons; camo orange counts.
May I bait deer on Gavin Wildlife Area?
Portable stands yes, bait no.
What office handles Gavin Wildlife Area for ODNR?
The Wildlife District Four office, 740-589-9930.
Deer hours at Gavin Wildlife Area on the first gun day?
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty after sunset; on November 30, 2026 that is 6:57 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. here (NOAA solar formula).
Is Gavin Wildlife Area fully open to hunters in the ODNR layer?
All parcels are open in the status layer.
Where do hunters buy supplies near Gavin Wildlife Area?
Rutland is the nearest, 4 miles off.
Are Sundays open for hunting on Gavin Wildlife Area?
Ohio has no statewide Sunday restriction, so Sundays follow the regular seasons unless a lottery permit sets the day.
When must I check game taken on Gavin Wildlife Area?
Check it in by noon the next day; no check station visit is needed.
How many acres of hunting land is Gavin Wildlife Area?
1,346 acres, according to the ODNR lands layer SUM_CALC_ACRES.
Sign-off notes for Gavin Wildlife Area hunters
Rules, closures and lottery details for Gavin Wildlife Area can change mid-season; posted signs and the ODNR page have the last word.
Sources: source 1 · source 2; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: NPS Photo (Public domain); Vince pahkala (CC BY-SA 3.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain).