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Hunting area · Northeast Ohio woods and fields
Leesville Lake Hunt Area hunting guide for 2026-27
3,732 acres on record as a public hunting area in Carroll County.
Photo: Roseohioresident (Public domain)
Getting to Leesville Lake Hunt Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Leesville Lake Hunt Area
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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 Leesville Lake Hunt Area allows and what it bans
ODNR lists Leesville Lake Hunt Area as restricted: hunting is limited to parts of it, so the hunting map matters.
- Motor vehicles: designated roads and parking only.
- Camping is prohibited (Appalachian Hills, Simco and Woodbury are the exceptions).
- 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.
- Not state-owned: a cooperative agreement covers it.
- Controlled lottery hunts run here too.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Leesville Lake Hunt Area
Leesville Lake Hunt Area at a glance for hunters
Leesville Lake Hunt Area: 3,732 acres in Carroll County, classed as a public hunting area and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Northeast Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Akron. Ownership on file: held under a cooperative agreement.
Mapping methods differ, so size ranges from 3,725 to 3,732 acres.
| Layer or document | Acres |
|---|---|
| Hunting-status layer | 3,732 |
| GIS parcel area | 3,725 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
2026-27 season dates for the game on Leesville Lake Hunt Area
Game on record for Leesville Lake Hunt Area: 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 | 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 (controlled hunt lotteries); checked November 6, 2026.
Lottery permits for Leesville Lake Hunt Area
Lottery hunts on Leesville Lake Hunt Area 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2822 | Leesville Lake MWCD 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.
Leesville Lake Hunt Area counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Carroll County limit of 3 deer. Final 2025-26 figure for Carroll County: 6,077 deer checked. Running total to November 3, 2026: 1,266.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 6,077 |
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.
Leesville Lake Hunt Area and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Leesville Lake Hunt Area, Leesville Wildlife Area waits under a mile to the southwest. Close by are 3 wildlife areas, 2 public hunting areas and 1 state forest.
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leesville Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 400 | Carroll | under a mile | southwest |
| Atwood Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 4,565 | Carroll | 6 miles | northwest |
| Valley Run Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 304 | Carroll | 8 miles | north |
| Tappan Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 7,721 | Harrison | 10 miles | south |
| Harrison State Forest | State forest | 1,345 | Harrison | 13 miles | southeast |
| Keen Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 85 | Harrison | 15 miles | southwest |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (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 Leesville Lake Hunt Area
The handiest town is Bowerston, 4 miles off. For a full grocery run, New Philadelphia (17,378 people) is the pick. ODNR Highlandtown Wildlife Area headquarters is the nearest Division office, roughly 24 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowerston | Harrison | 348 | 4 miles | south |
| Dellroy | Carroll | 265 | 5 miles | north |
| Carrollton | Carroll | 3,060 | 8 miles | northeast |
| Jewett | Harrison | 532 | 12 miles | southeast |
| New Philadelphia | Tuscarawas | 17,378 | 14 miles | west |
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 Leesville Lake Hunt Area
Wildlife District Three: 912 Portage Lakes Dr, Akron, OH 44319, tel. 330-644-2293. Wildlife officer for Carroll County: Scott Cartwright ((330) 802-9163). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night. From the map sheet: wildlife area. Access to the public land is from State Route 164, Delta Road, and Edgewood Road. From the map sheet: Purchase of the land for this wildlife area began in 1944 and additional land was obtained as funds became available.
- Area map PDF · legend: boat ramp, parking, camping, hunting area, wetland, brushland, woodland, lake
- 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, 1 parcel (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
What the cover looks like around Leesville Lake Hunt Area
Leesville Lake Hunt 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 Leesville Lake Hunt Area.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 7:00 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:27 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:38 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. | 7:38 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:44 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:48 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:48 a.m. to 5:08 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.
Leesville Lake Hunt Area hunters: public range plus clubs
The closest ODNR-listed range to Leesville Lake Hunt Area is Harrison State Forest Shooting Range, about 14 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 Leesville Lake Hunt Area for this season
May I camp while hunting Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
No camping here; stay in a nearby town.
When do the duck splits open around Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
Use Zone C: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
What orange garment do I need on Leesville Lake Hunt 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 Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
Portable stands are fine; baiting deer is not.
Which number reaches the Leesville Lake Hunt Area managers?
The number on file is 330-644-2293.
Shooting hours for deer on Leesville Lake Hunt Area this season?
For the gun opener: 6:57 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Can I hunt anywhere on Leesville Lake Hunt Area, or only parts?
Some zones are off limits.
Which town do I aim for when driving to Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
Bowerston, 4 miles away in a straight line.
Is Sunday hunting legal on Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
Do I have to report game shot on Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
How many acres of hunting land is Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
3,732 acres is the headline figure used on this page.
What paperwork must I carry on Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
No entry pass: the Ohio hunting license and the species permit are enough, such as an either-sex deer permit ($31.20 resident). Some hunts here are by lottery permit.
Which lottery hunts include Leesville Lake Hunt Area?
Trapping: 1 lottery hunt(s). $3 per entry.
Leesville Lake Hunt Area trip, last details
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Leesville Lake Hunt Area before you load the truck.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3; 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); James St. John (CC BY 2.0).