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Hunting Hancock County Wildlife Area 5: what the ODNR record shows
40 acres of public state wildlife area ground in Hancock County.
Photo: Nyttend (Public domain)
Getting to Hancock County Wildlife Area 5
What kind of place Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 is
Expect 40 acres of state wildlife area here, in Hancock County, with the ODNR Division of Wildlife in charge. In ODNR terms this is District 2 country, with district staff based in Findlay. In the parcel data the land is owned outright by the state. In the Ohio Administrative Code it is "Hancock county wildlife area 5" (1501:31-15-04(A)(1)).
Not every ODNR source agrees: the spread is 40 to 41 acres.
| Where the figure comes from | Acres |
|---|---|
| Hunting-status layer | 40 |
| GIS parcel area | 41 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Hancock County Wildlife Area 5
Lottery permits for Hancock County Wildlife Area 5
For 2026 the controlled hunts here number 1: 1 pheasant. You pay $3 per hunt applied for, online, in the app or by phone.
| Hunt # | Drawing | Category | Apply | Rules PDF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2764 | Hancock County WA 5 pheasant | Pheasant | July 1-31 | – |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
Before the first shot on Hancock County Wildlife Area 5
Restricted status means only some of Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 is open; take the map along.
- Keep trucks on the open roads and in marked lots.
- No camping; only three wildlife areas allow it.
- Hours: other visitors leave by 8 p.m. from September 1 to May 1.
- No casual shooting: guns are for hunting, trapping or a Division range.
- Baiting deer is banned on all public hunting areas.
- Tree stands must be portable, with no nails or screw-in steps.
- Public land limit: no more than two antlerless deer a year.
- A few hunts are permit-only.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 dove, pheasant and range facts
Stocked roosters on Hancock County Wildlife Area 5
Released pheasants: release fields; the layer maps 3 field(s) and 27 acres. ODNR releases before the youth weekends and on November 6, November 14 and November 26.
From the pheasant release list; checked November 6, 2026.
Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 season dates, game by game
For pheasant, here are the 2026-27 windows that apply on Hancock County Wildlife Area 5.
| Game | Kind | Begins | Ends | 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 |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (controlled hunt lotteries); checked November 6, 2026.
What else lies near Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 on the map
First on the neighbour list is Andreoff Wildlife Area, 7 miles away and southeast of here. Six neighbours by kind: 6 wildlife areas.
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andreoff Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 865 | Hardin | 7 miles | southeast |
| Hancock County WA 3 | Wildlife area | 47 | Hancock | 9 miles | west |
| Hancock County WA 6 | Wildlife area | 46 | Hancock | 10 miles | northwest |
| Wyandot Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 336 | Wyandot | 15 miles | northeast |
| Hancock County WA 4 | Wildlife area | 53 | Hancock | 16 miles | north |
| Lawrence Woods Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 160 | Hardin | 17 miles | south |
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.
Zone and limit check for Hancock County Wildlife Area 5
County limit where it lies: 3 deer (Hancock County). It touches the DSA (Hancock County (Madison)), so the six-deer limit and the bait ban apply there. The 2025-26 deer total for Hancock County was 2,345, by ODNR's final report. Early 2026-27 tally (to November 3, 2026): 428 deer.
| County | Deer bag | DSA | Duck zone | Turkey | Fall | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 3 deer | Some townships | B | South | Open | 2,345 |
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.
Where to fuel up and grab ice near Hancock County Wildlife Area 5
Fuel, ice and groceries: Kenton is nearest, 12 miles away. Findlay, 16 miles out, is larger: 40,343 people in 2024. The closest ODNR desk: Findlay, 14 miles in a straight line.
| Nearest towns | County | Population | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenton | Hardin | 7,857 | 12 miles | south |
| Findlay | Hancock | 40,343 | 16 miles | north |
| Upper Sandusky | Wyandot | 6,627 | 19 miles | east |
| New Bloomington | Marion | 414 | 23 miles | southeast |
| Morral | Marion | 369 | 24 miles | east |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Daylight math for Hancock County Wildlife Area 5, worked from its own point
The sun comes up roughly a quarter hour later in Defiance than in Marietta, so use the times worked out for Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 rather than a Columbus table.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Waterfowl, squirrel | Rabbit, pheasant, dove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | DSA archery opens | 7:11 a.m. | 7:51 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 8:21 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:25 a.m. | 7:27 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:57 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:30 a.m. | 7:19 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 7:49 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 7:19 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 7:19 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | DSA early gun | 7:39 a.m. | 7:04 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:10 a.m. | 5:27 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:28 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:38 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:38 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:55 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:55 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:59 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 7:59 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.
Maps and contacts for Hancock County Wildlife Area 5
The Wildlife District Two office is at 952 Lima Ave, Findlay, OH 45840 (419-424-5000). Report problems to Ryan Burke, the county wildlife officer, at (419) 429-8384. Report poaching at 1-800-762-2437.
- Area map PDF (published 7/13/2022) · legend: parking area, parking
- Point on 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, 1 parcel (polygon centroid); checked November 6, 2026.
Pictures from Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 country and its game
Hancock County Wildlife Area 5: the nearest public range, then clubs
For a no-dues line, Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 hunters head 14 miles to Wildlife District 2 Office Shooting Range. Private and club lines no more than 30 miles away complete the set.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 questions, from permits to parking
Orange clothing rules at Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
Wear an orange vest, coat or coveralls in all deer gun weeks; duck hunters are exempt.
What time can I start deer hunting at Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
Legal deer light on November 30, 2026: 7:08 a.m. to 5:39 p.m.
Who manages hunting on Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 day to day?
Phone 419-424-5000.
How far is Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 from the closest town?
About 12 miles from Kenton.
CWD rules at Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
The DSA reaches it (Hancock County (Madison)).
Pheasant stocking at Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
Yes, ODNR releases birds here.
Are parts of Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 closed to hunters?
It is restricted; check the map.
When must I check game taken on Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
By noon the following day, through HuntFish OH, wildohio.gov or by phone.
Can I hunt Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 on a Sunday in Ohio?
Ohio law has no Sunday closure.
Do I need more than an Ohio hunting license for Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
Carry a valid Ohio hunting license; add a deer, turkey or fur taker permit, and for ducks the federal duck stamp, the $15 Ohio wetlands stamp and HIP. Some hunts here are by lottery permit.
Acreage check: how large is Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
It takes in 40 acres of ground.
What deer limit covers Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
3, as set for Hancock County. One antlered deer statewide; public areas cap antlerless deer at two a year.
Does ODNR draw permits for Hancock County Wildlife Area 5?
Yes, 1 hunt in 2026: pheasant. The fee is $3 a hunt.
Hancock County Wildlife Area 5 trip, last details
Saw a violation on Hancock County Wildlife Area 5? Call 1-800-POACHER; tips can stay anonymous.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: ALAN SCHMIERER (CC0 1.0); lwolfartist (CC BY 2.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain).