Home › Ohio › Public land › Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Ranger district · Southeast Ohio woods and fields
Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest hunting guide for 2026-27
107,002 acres on record as a national forest ranger district in Lawrence County and 3 more counties.
Photo: Wayne National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Johns Creek TrailheadTrailhead · 4.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Telegraph THTrailhead · 4.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Superior THTrailhead · 5.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Wolcott THTrailhead · 5.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.5 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.
Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest acreage county by county
Of the Wayne's 244,351 acres, 107,002 fall in Ironton Ranger District. Lawrence County leads with 75,225 acres. Expect the Wayne rules: Ohio seasons, buffers of 150 yards and OHV trail limits.
| County | NFS acres | Share | Deer limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 75,225 | 70% | 2 deer |
| Gallia County | 18,465 | 17% | 3 deer |
| Scioto County | 11,668 | 11% | 3 deer |
| Jackson County | 1,643 | 2% | 2 deer |
From the USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics and the Wayne NF hunting page; checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
What Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest allows and what it bans
- No hunting within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite or developed site.
- No cross-country OHV riding to your stand.
- Check ownership lines; private ground is common.
From the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest at a glance for hunters
Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest: 107,002 acres in Lawrence County and 3 other counties, classed as a national forest ranger district and managed by the USDA Forest Service. Southeast Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Athens.
From the agency page; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
2026-27 season dates for the game on Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Game on record for Ironton Ranger District: trapping.
| Species | Season | Opening | Closing | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (The Wayne hunting page names no species ("a variety of species to be hunted")); checked November 6, 2026.
Permit hunts on Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Lottery hunts on Ironton Ranger District for 2026: 1 trapping. Applications are $3 apiece through wildohio.gov, the HuntFish OH app or by phone. Trappers draw in person at a district office on October 3, 2026.
| No. | Lottery hunt | Game | Window | Packet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2949 | Wayne NF-Ironton Dist 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.
Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Lawrence County limit of 2 deer. Final 2025-26 figure for Lawrence County: 1,682 deer checked. Running total to November 3, 2026: 363.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 1,682 |
| Gallia County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,956 |
| Scioto County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,576 |
| Jackson County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,643 |
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.
Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Ironton Ranger District, Dean State Forest waits 3 miles to the southwest. Close by are 4 wildlife areas, 1 state forest and 1 state park. No hunting at Anderson Compass Plant Prairie State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Jackson Lake Wildlife Area (no open parcels) and Mudsoc Woods Dedicated Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean State Forest | State forest | 2,759 | Lawrence | 3 miles | southwest |
| Symmes Township Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 114 | Lawrence | 6 miles | east |
| Jackson Lake State Park | State park | 106 | Jackson | 13 miles | north |
| Crown City Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 11,120 | Gallia | 15 miles | east |
| Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 5,744 | Jackson | 16 miles | north |
| Tycoon Lake Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 684 | Gallia | 20 miles | northeast |
Point: USFS EDW Basic Ownership (USDA Forest Service land) inside the EDW ranger district boundary (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.
Supply towns and ODNR help around Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
The handiest town is South Webster, 9 miles off. For a full grocery run, Portsmouth (17,489 people) is the pick. ODNR Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area headquarters is the nearest Division office, roughly 16 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Webster | Scioto | 651 | 9 miles | northwest |
| Oak Hill | Jackson | 1,404 | 13 miles | north |
| Ironton | Lawrence | 10,147 | 13 miles | south |
| Portsmouth | Scioto | 17,489 | 18 miles | west |
| Crown City | Gallia | 417 | 19 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Contact and map files for Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Wildlife District Four: 360 E State St, Athens, OH 45701, tel. 740-589-9930. Wildlife officer for Lawrence County: Darin Abbott ((614) 563-3946). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night.
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 USFS EDW Basic Ownership (USDA Forest Service land) inside the EDW ranger district boundary (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
What the cover looks like around Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest
Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest: shooting minutes for each Ohio opener
Three sets of hours apply in Ohio: deer, then waterfowl, squirrel and turkey, then the sunrise-to-sunset upland and dove rule. The table shows all three for Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:20 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:25 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:02 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:28 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:39 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:45 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:45 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:48 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 7:48 a.m. to 5:19 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.
Ironton Ranger District (Wayne National Forest) hunters: public range plus clubs
The closest ODNR-listed range to Ironton Ranger District (Wayne National Forest) is Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area Shooting Range, about 16 miles off as the crow flies. The remaining cards are clubs within a 30-mile radius.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Straight answers on Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest for this season
How many acres of hunting land is Ironton Ranger District?
107,002 acres is the headline figure used on this page.
What paperwork must I carry on Ironton Ranger District?
No federal permit: Ohio licenses, seasons and limits cover it.
Which lottery hunts include Ironton Ranger District?
Trapping: 1 lottery hunt(s). $3 per entry.
Which county deer limit applies to Ironton Ranger District?
Limits: Lawrence 2; Gallia 3; Scioto 3; Jackson 2. Statewide, only one antlered deer, and no more than two antlerless deer may come from public hunting areas.
May I camp while hunting Ironton Ranger District?
Use the designated camps.
When do the duck splits open around Ironton Ranger District?
Use Zone C: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
What orange garment do I need on Ironton Ranger District?
Yes in the deer gun and muzzleloader seasons: a solid or camouflage orange vest, coat, jacket or coveralls (waterfowl hunters excepted).
Are tree stands and bait allowed at Ironton Ranger District?
Portable stands are fine; baiting deer is not.
Which number reaches the Ironton Ranger District managers?
The number on file is 740-589-9930.
Shooting hours for deer on Ironton Ranger District this season?
For the gun opener: 6:58 a.m. until 5:40 p.m.
Do I have to report game shot on Ironton Ranger District?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
Which town do I aim for when driving to Ironton Ranger District?
South Webster, 9 miles away in a straight line.
Is Sunday hunting legal on Ironton Ranger District?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
Wrapping up the Ironton Ranger District, Wayne National Forest plan
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Ironton Ranger District before you load the truck.
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: Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0).