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Wildlife area · District 3 ground
Grand River Wildlife Area: seasons, rules and access
7,664 acres managed as a state wildlife area in Trumbull County and Ashtabula County.
Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Grand River Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Grand River Wildlife Area
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- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
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- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 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.
Access and conduct rules at Grand River Wildlife Area
Status check: open, with no parcel restricted on Grand River Wildlife Area.
- Vehicles stay on marked roads and in parking areas.
- No camping; only three wildlife areas allow it.
- Closing hours apply to hikers, not to legal hunting or trapping.
- Shooting outside a hunt or a designated range is illegal.
- Hunting deer over bait is illegal here.
- No screw-in steps or nails in trees.
- Only two antlerless deer may come from public hunting areas each year.
- Some hunts here are by lottery permit only.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Grand River Wildlife Area
Grand River Wildlife Area by the numbers ODNR keeps
This state wildlife area in Trumbull County and Ashtabula County spans 7,664 acres under the ODNR Division of Wildlife. It belongs to ODNR Wildlife District 3 (Northeast Ohio), whose office is in Akron. The listing describes river, woods, grassland, crops, streams and ponds on the ground. Activities beyond the hunt: hiking, birding and fishing. Acquisition began in 1956. Land tenure in the ODNR layer: held under a cooperative agreement, protected by a conservation easement and owned outright by the state. Ohio rule 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) names it ("Grand river") as land open to public hunting.
ODNR sums it up:
“The 7,664-acre area is flat to gently rolling.”
The acreage runs from 7,577 to 8,293 depending on the layer; the headline figure is 7,664.
| Source | Size (ac) |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 7,664 |
| Property Details layer | 7,577 |
| Water (Property Details) | 390 |
| Hunting-status layer | 8,201 |
| GIS parcel area | 8,293 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Grand River Wildlife Area: open seasons for its listed game
Listed game: deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, woodcock and waterfowl. Dates follow. Duck and goose rows follow waterfowl Zone B. Read the spring turkey rows as 2026 dates.
| Species | Hunt | First day | Last day | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Chukar | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 4 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 |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 4 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 | 3 per season |
| Snipe | Snipe | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 25, 2026 | 8 daily |
| Snipe | Snipe | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 8 daily |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Oct 16, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 3 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) | 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 | 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.
Drawn hunts at Grand River Wildlife Area
ODNR runs 1 controlled hunt here in 2026: 1 trapping. Enter each drawing once per year for $3, holding the license and permits for that game first. Show up at the district office on October 3, 2026 for the trapping lottery.
| Hunt # | Drawing | Category | Apply | Rules PDF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2825 | Grand River 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.
Grand River Wildlife Area: deer limits and zones by county
Trumbull County is a 3-deer county for 2026-27. The 2025-26 deer total for Trumbull County was 5,324, by ODNR's final report. So far in 2026-27 (through November 3, 2026) the county shows 1,724.
| County | Deer limit | DSA | Duck zone | Spring turkey | Fall turkey | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trumbull County | 3 deer | No | B | Northeast | Open | 5,324 |
| Ashtabula County | 3 deer | No | B | Northeast | Open | 7,161 |
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.
Grand River Wildlife Area: fields and facilities
Grand River Wildlife Area release fields
ODNR lists Grand River Wildlife Area for public release and youth release across 35 fields (384 acres). Release days are the two youth weekends and November 6, November 14 and November 26.
Dog training at Grand River Wildlife Area
ODNR maps Grand River Dog Training Area, 349 acres, on or next to this land.
Where to sight in at Grand River Wildlife Area
Class ? shooting: 1 range on this property. Class D: no permit. The range is closed for renovation for now.
| Range | Class | Type or contact | Supervised trap/skeet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand River Wildlife Area | – | Closed for renovation. Visit wildohio.gov for updates. | No |
Limited-mobility hunters at Grand River Wildlife Area
Designated roads open to permitted mobility-impaired hunters.
From the pheasant release list, dog training layer, range list; checked November 6, 2026.
Ohio hunting ground a short drive from Grand River Wildlife Area
The nearest other public hunting ground is West Farmington Hunting Area, 3 miles off to the west. The six nearest places include 3 public hunting areas, 2 wildlife areas and 1 state park. Closed to hunting nearby: Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park (park without hunting), Eagle Creek State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and White Pine Bog Forest State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Farmington Hunting Area | Hunting area | 263 | Trumbull | 3 miles | west |
| Mesopotamia Hunting Area | Hunting area | 99 | Trumbull | 4 miles | north |
| Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 9,021 | Trumbull | 7 miles | east |
| Mosquito Lake State Park | State park | 2,483 | Trumbull | 9 miles | southeast |
| Brook Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 390 | Trumbull | 9 miles | southwest |
| Elm Road Hunting Area | Hunting area | 126 | Trumbull | 12 miles | southeast |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 3 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.
Grand River Wildlife Area hunting, as the agency puts it
The agency page has this to say about hunting Grand River Wildlife Area:
“White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, upland wildlife, and waterfowl are the principal game species.”
“Cottontail rabbits, fox squirrels, ring-necked pheasants, and most of Ohio’s furbearers are common.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Grand River Wildlife Area: towns, shops and the nearest ODNR office
Count on West Farmington, about 3 miles out, for supplies. Warren, 12 miles out, is larger: 38,683 people in 2024. The nearest ODNR office sits in West Farmington, 2 miles from the point.
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Farmington | Trumbull | 534 | 3 miles | west |
| Cortland | Trumbull | 7,069 | 11 miles | southeast |
| Warren | Trumbull | 38,683 | 12 miles | southeast |
| Burton | Geauga | 1,408 | 13 miles | west |
| Kinsman Center | Trumbull | – | 18 miles | east |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Phone numbers and maps for Grand River Wildlife Area
Wildlife District Three staff work from 912 Portage Lakes Dr, Akron, OH 44319; phone 330-644-2293. County wildlife officer: Marty Cisine, (330) 245-3037. Turn in a poacher at 1-800-POACHER (762-2437).
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, 3 parcels (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Photo strip: land and game around Grand River Wildlife Area
Sun-up to sundown hunting clock for Grand River Wildlife Area
Furbearers have no hour limit in Ohio, but in the deer gun and muzzleloader weeks coyote hunting near Grand River Wildlife Area keeps to deer hours.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer window | Ducks and squirrels | Sunrise birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:14 a.m. | 7:16 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:19 a.m. | 7:08 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:08 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 7:08 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:00 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:19 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:29 a.m. | 4:56 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:46 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. | 7:46 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:50 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 7:50 a.m. to 5:04 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.
Grand River Wildlife Area: range details
The ODNR-listed range on Grand River Wildlife Area is Grand River Wildlife Area Shooting Range; hours: The pistol, rifle, and shotgun ranges are open year-round, Wed.- Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Grand River Wildlife Area, answered one question at a time
What size is Grand River Wildlife Area on the ODNR books?
Roughly 7,664 acres all told. Other sources differ a little; see the acreage table.
How many deer may one hunter kill around Grand River Wildlife Area?
3, as set for Trumbull County. The statewide limit is six, one antlered; public land adds a two-antlerless cap.
Does Grand River Wildlife Area have lottery hunts?
Yes: trapping, 1 in all. Entry: $3.
Duck zone and split dates for Grand River Wildlife Area?
Zone B dates apply: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
Can I camp at Grand River Wildlife Area?
Camping is prohibited.
Can I hang a stand on Grand River Wildlife Area?
Stands must be portable; bait and feed are prohibited.
When is hunter orange required on Grand River Wildlife Area?
In gun and muzzleloader seasons: an orange garment, unless you hunt waterfowl.
When is legal shooting light for deer at Grand River Wildlife Area?
On the gun opener (November 30, 2026): 6:59 a.m. to 5:26 p.m.
Which phone line answers questions on Grand River Wildlife Area?
Phone (330) 644-2293.
Which town on this site is nearest to Grand River Wildlife Area?
About 3 miles from West Farmington.
Does ODNR stock pheasants at Grand River Wildlife Area?
It is a release site.
Which parts of Grand River Wildlife Area allow hunting?
It is open throughout.
Game check rules after a kill on Grand River Wildlife Area?
Deer and turkeys go through the electronic game check by noon the next day.
Last checks before loading up for Grand River Wildlife Area
Use this page to plan, then reread the official page for Grand River Wildlife Area the week before the trip.
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: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0).