Home › Ohio › Public land › Ladue Hunting Area
Hunting area in Geauga County, Ohio
Ladue Hunting Area hunting, rules and county limits
A 8,427-acre Ohio public hunting area in Geauga County and Portage County.
Photo: Nathan (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Ladue Hunting Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Ladue Hunting Area
- Boat RampBoat ramp · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 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.
Getting to know the Ladue Hunting Area ground
At 8,427 acres, Ladue Hunting Area is a public hunting area in Geauga County and Portage County; the ODNR Division of Wildlife looks after it. The Division of Wildlife handles it from its Akron office (District 3, Northeast Ohio). Cover on the property page: lake, river, woods, grassland, streams and wetlands. Other uses listed: boating, hiking, birding and fishing. The hunting layer shows the parcels as held under a cooperative agreement. The administrative code lists it under 1501:31-15-04(A)(1), written "Wendell R. LaDue".
From the ODNR property page:
“This area is owned by the city of Akron and is under the authority of its Water Supply Division.”
Pick your number: 8,427 acres at the low end, 9,937 at the high end, by source.
| Source | Acres |
|---|---|
| Property Details layer | 8,427 |
| Water (Property Details) | 2,411 |
| Hunting-status layer | 9,827 |
| GIS parcel area | 9,937 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Ladue Hunting Area
Ladue Hunting Area hunting rules, line by line
Restricted on the ODNR layer: read the map for Ladue Hunting Area before you set up.
- Park in designated spots; off-road driving is illegal.
- Overnight camping is off the table on this ground.
- Night closure (8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in fall and winter) does not apply to hunters and trappers.
- Plinking is not allowed outside the designated ranges.
- Leave the corn at home: no bait on public land.
- Stands: portable, no devices driven into the bark.
- Two antlerless deer at most from all public hunting areas in a license year.
- Hunting rights come from a cooperative agreement.
- Certain hunts are drawn by lottery.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Permit hunts on Ladue Hunting Area
4 drawings cover Ladue Hunting Area this year: 3 waterfowl and 1 trapping. Each application costs $3 and is non-refundable; apply at wildohio.gov, in HuntFish OH or by phone. Trapping lotteries are drawn in person on October 3, 2026 at the five district offices.
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Type | Apply | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2832 | Ladue Public Area beaver/otter trapping | Trapping | In person, Oct. 3 | packet |
| 2520 | Ladue WA sept goose and Teal* | Waterfowl | July 1-31 | – |
| 2555 | Ladue WA Waterfowl* | Waterfowl | July 1-31 | – |
| 2736 | Ladue WA youth Waterfowl* | Waterfowl | July 1-31 | – |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
Hunting calendar matched to Ladue Hunting Area
The sources name deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, waterfowl and trapping on Ladue Hunting Area; the table shows the 2026-27 dates for that game. Waterfowl dates here are the Zone B dates. The spring turkey dates are from 2026, since ODNR had not published 2027.
| Quarry | Season | Start | End | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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.
County limits that apply on Ladue Hunting Area
Deer bag in Geauga County: 3, with a single antlered deer allowed across Ohio. 2025-26 harvest, Geauga County: 3,215 deer. The 2026-27 count stood at 874 on November 3, 2026.
| County | Limit | DSA | Zone | Spring | Fall turkey | 2025-26 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geauga County | 3 deer | No | B | Northeast | Open | 3,215 |
| Portage County | 3 deer | No | B | South | Open | 3,498 |
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.
Ladue Hunting Area hunting, as the agency puts it
Hunting notes from the Ladue Hunting Area page:
“White-tailed deer, wild turkey, and squirrel can be found throughout the area primarily in woodland habitat.”
“In more open land, cottontail rabbit and woodchuck are present.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Public hunting land within reach of Ladue Hunting Area
Drive 3 miles northwest and the next public tract is Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area. Around it on the map: 3 wildlife areas, 2 state parks and 1 public hunting area. Within 15 miles but not open to hunters: White Pine Bog Forest State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Burton Wetlands State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Novak Sanctuary State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn Marsh Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 466 | Geauga | 3 miles | northwest |
| Punderson State Park | State park | 741 | Geauga | 5 miles | north |
| Marsh Wetlands SNP | Wildlife area | 152 | Portage | 7 miles | south |
| Tinkers Creek State Park | State park | 397 | Portage | 11 miles | southwest |
| West Farmington Hunting Area | Hunting area | 263 | Trumbull | 11 miles | east |
| Aquilla Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 60 | Geauga | 12 miles | north |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 2 parcels (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside) of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Ladue Hunting Area maps, address and officers
For permits and questions try the Wildlife District Three office, 330-644-2293. The Geauga County wildlife officer is Matt Madgar, (330) 245-3035. Anonymous tip line: 1-800-POACHER. Printed on the map: acre Wendell R. LaDue Reservoir. Printed on the map: and surrounding land in Portage County.
- Area map PDF · legend: boat ramp, parking, waterfowl hunting, no hunting, hunting area, no hunting zone, marsh, grassland
- LaDue Hunting Area Map [pdf]
- Map pin
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 (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside) of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Stores, deer processors and towns serving Ladue Hunting Area
From the point, Burton sits 7 miles away. Kent tops the list at 27,720 people. For face-to-face help, the West Farmington ODNR office lies 13 miles away as the crow flies.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | Geauga | 1,408 | 7 miles | northeast |
| West Farmington | Trumbull | 534 | 12 miles | east |
| Chardon | Geauga | 5,233 | 14 miles | north |
| Ravenna | Portage | 11,236 | 15 miles | south |
| Kent | Portage | 27,720 | 18 miles | southwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Gun-week light and other opener times on Ladue Hunting Area
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Ladue Hunting Area below are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for its own location.
| Date | Opener | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game | Duck window | Pheasant window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:15 a.m. | 7:17 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:20 a.m. | 7:09 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:01 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:20 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:30 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:47 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. | 7:47 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:51 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:51 a.m. to 5:06 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.
Field and woods views near Ladue Hunting Area
Zeroing a slug gun on the way to Ladue Hunting Area
Punderson State Park Archery Range (free (Class D)) is 5 miles from Ladue Hunting Area. Next to it: the nearest club ranges, all inside 30 miles.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Ladue Hunting Area: what Buckeye hunters keep asking
Is any hunting at Ladue Hunting Area by permit only?
Yes. The 2026 list has 4 (waterfowl and trapping). Applications are $3.
Which zone sets the waterfowl calendar at Ladue Hunting Area?
Zone B. Splits: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
Is there a campground at Ladue Hunting Area?
No. Camping is banned on wildlife areas except at Appalachian Hills, Simco and Woodbury.
Can I leave a tree stand or use bait on Ladue Hunting Area?
No bait, and stands must be portable.
Must I wear orange while hunting Ladue Hunting Area in winter?
During the youth gun, gun, bonus gun, DSA early gun and muzzleloader seasons, every hunter except waterfowl hunters wears a hunter orange vest, coat, jacket or coveralls.
When does legal deer light start on Ladue Hunting Area?
7:00 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. on November 30, 2026.
Where do I take questions about Ladue Hunting Area?
Call (330) 644-2293.
Nearest town for supplies near Ladue Hunting Area?
Burton sits 7 miles from the point.
Is every part of Ladue Hunting Area open to hunting?
Restricted: only mapped zones are open.
How is a turkey or deer from Ladue Hunting Area checked?
Report deer and turkeys by noon the day after the kill, online, by phone or in the HuntFish OH app.
Can Ladue Hunting Area be hunted all seven days?
No statewide Sunday limit applies.
Is any special pass needed to hunt Ladue Hunting Area?
An Ohio hunting license ($19 resident, $180.96 nonresident) plus the permit for your game: deer or turkey permit, fur taker permit, or HIP and stamps for waterfowl. Some hunts here are by lottery permit.
How big is the Ladue Hunting Area property in acres?
About 8,427 acres by the main source; other layers are in the acreage table. Different layers give slightly different totals.
Final word on Ladue Hunting Area for this season
Gravel lanes and parking lots can flood or close in wet weather; check access to Ladue Hunting Area before the drive.
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); Birding for Climate (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).