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Wildlife area · Northeast Ohio woods and fields
Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area hunting guide for 2026-27
3,469 acres on record as a state wildlife area in Harrison County and Belmont County.
Photo: Paula R. Lively (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 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 Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area allows and what it bans
The hunting-status layer shows Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area as open throughout.
- Motor vehicles: designated roads and parking only.
- Leave the tent at home: no camping here.
- After 8 p.m. in season only hunters, trappers and anglers may be there.
- Firearms only while hunting or trapping, or on a designated range.
- No bait, salt or feed for deer or birds.
- Climbers and ladders are fine if nothing pierces the tree.
- Antlerless cap: two per license year across public hunting areas.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area at a glance for hunters
Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area: 3,469 acres in Harrison County and Belmont County, classed as a state wildlife area and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. By the ODNR description it lies roughly 6 miles southwest of Cadiz. Northeast Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Akron. ODNR tags the land with woods, grassland, reclaimed land, streams, ponds and brush. Besides hunting, people come for hiking, birding and fishing. Land purchases date back to 2004. Ownership on file: owned outright by the state. Legal footing: OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) ("Jockey hollow").
The agency describes it this way:
“This 3,469-acre wildlife area lies 6 miles southwest of Cadiz in Harrison County.”
Mapping methods differ, so size ranges from 3,411 to 22,663 acres.
| Layer or document | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 3,469 |
| Area map PDF | 22,663 |
| Property Details layer | 3,411 |
| Water (Property Details) | 34 |
| Hunting-status layer | 3,445 |
| GIS parcel area | 3,426 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
2026-27 season dates for the game on Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
Game on record for Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area: deer, turkey, squirrel, ruffed grouse, raccoon, coyote and fox. Turkey: spring rows are 2026 dates, 2027 to be announced. No grouse season: lottery hunts only.
| Species | Season | Opening | Closing | 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 |
| Coyote | Hunting (no closed season) | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Coyote | Trapping (no closed season) | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | No limit |
| 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 |
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.
Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Harrison County limit of 3 deer. ODNR counted 4,959 deer in Harrison County for 2025-26, 2,891 of them antlerless. Running total to November 3, 2026: 1,017.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 4,959 |
| Belmont County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 3,725 |
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.
Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area, Piedmont Lake Hunt Area waits 6 miles to the southwest. Close by are 3 public hunting areas, 1 wildlife area and 1 state forest. No hunting at Emerald Hills State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 6,743 | Belmont | 6 miles | southwest |
| Clendening Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 6,613 | Harrison | 8 miles | northwest |
| Egypt Valley Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 22,663 | Belmont | 9 miles | southwest |
| Tappan Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 7,721 | Harrison | 10 miles | northwest |
| Harrison State Forest | State forest | 1,345 | Harrison | 11 miles | northeast |
| Barkcamp State Park | State park | 1,005 | Belmont | 12 miles | south |
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.
What the managers say about Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
In the agency's own words about Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area:
“Wildlife found on the area are common forest species including wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, fox and gray squirrels, and white-tailed deer.”
“Raccoons, foxes, and coyotes are common furbearers on the area and bobcats are occasionally seen.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Towns and outfitters a short drive from Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
The handiest town is Holloway, 3 miles off. A bigger stop is St. Clairsville, population 4,954. ODNR Salt Fork Wildlife Area headquarters is the nearest Division office, roughly 20 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holloway | Belmont | 324 | 3 miles | southwest |
| Cadiz | Harrison | 2,950 | 7 miles | northeast |
| Tippecanoe | Harrison | – | 11 miles | northwest |
| Jewett | Harrison | 532 | 13 miles | northeast |
| St. Clairsville | Belmont | 4,954 | 13 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 Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
Wildlife District Three: 912 Portage Lakes Dr, Akron, OH 44319, tel. 330-644-2293. Wildlife officer for Harrison County: Nick Turner ((330) 245-3049). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night.
- Area map PDF (published 5/3/2022) · legend: parking area, parking, trail
- ODNR hunting regulations web map
- Driving directions
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.
Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area: 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 Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:14 a.m. | 7:17 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:19 a.m. | 7:09 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 6:59 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:26 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:37 a.m. | 4:59 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:43 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:47 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:47 a.m. to 5:09 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.
What the cover looks like around Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
Public range and clubs on the road to Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area hunters reach Harrison State Forest Shooting Range, the nearest ODNR-listed range, after about 11 miles. 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.
Dates held at or close to Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
Held on this property or within about 10 miles: 1 date ahead. Checked November 5, 2026.
| Scheduled | What | Away | Where held | Link | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 30, 2027 | Harrison County Ghost Gobblers Banquet · NWTF banquet, Cadiz | 7 | Cadiz, Harrison County | Tickets | Source |
Straight answers on Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area for this season
Can I hunt anywhere on Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area, or only parts?
Yes, open land.
Which town do I aim for when driving to Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
Holloway (3 miles).
Is Sunday hunting legal on Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
What is the deadline to report a deer from Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
Acreage check: how large is Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
3,469 acres is the headline figure used on this page. Other measures appear in the table.
What paperwork must I carry on Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
No entry pass: the Ohio hunting license and the species permit are enough, such as an either-sex deer permit ($31.20 resident).
Which lottery hunts include Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
No 2026 lottery hunts are listed for it; hunt it during the regular seasons.
What deer limit covers Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
3 deer, the Harrison County limit. Statewide, only one antlered deer, and no more than two antlerless deer may come from public hunting areas.
Where can hunters stay overnight at Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
No camping here; stay in a nearby town.
When do the duck splits open around Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
Use Zone C: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
What orange garment do I need on Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
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 Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
Portable stands are fine; baiting deer is not.
Who should I phone about hunting Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area?
The area phone is (330) 644-2293.
Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area: the night-before checklist
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area before you load the truck.
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: ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).