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Hunt Maumee State Forest this 2026-27 season
Hunting ground of 3,332 acres, run as a state forest in Fulton County and 2 more counties.
Photo: Threeowls (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Getting to Maumee State Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Maumee State Forest
- Maumee State Forrest ATV trailsParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Horse Trailer ParkingParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Oak Openings Preserver Metropark ParkingParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.0 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.
Maumee State Forest by the numbers ODNR keeps
The ODNR Division of Forestry manages Maumee State Forest, 3,332 acres of state forest ground in Fulton County and 2 other counties. Its ODNR page places the ground about 15 miles southwest of Toledo. For wildlife work it falls under District 2, run from Findlay. Natural features on record: meadow, forest and prairie. ODNR also lists hiking, birding and mushroom hunting here, with APV Trails, snowmobile and horseback trails. By tenure the ground is owned outright by the state. It appears in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(3) as "Maumee", the legal list of public hunting land.
The property page says:
“Maumee State Forest is comprised of 3,332 acres in Fulton, Henry and Lucas counties.”
Layers give between 3,332 and 3,475 acres, so the table shows each one.
| Measure | Acres |
|---|---|
| State Forest Guide | 3,332 |
| Hunting-status layer | 3,431 |
| GIS parcel area | 3,475 |
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 Maumee State Forest
Agency notes on hunting Maumee State Forest
Quoted from the official listing for Maumee State Forest:
“Maumee State Forest is open to public hunting.”
“Maumee State Forest has a healthy population of deer and turkey.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Ground rules for hunting Maumee State Forest
Maumee State Forest is open ground in the ODNR status map.
- Feed and bait are not allowed.
- The public-area antlerless limit is two per license year.
- Hunting is allowed across the forest outside posted areas.
- Shooting from a road is illegal.
- Forest hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., but hunters may be there outside them.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules, OAC 1501:3-6-03; checked November 6, 2026.
Dates and limits for hunting Maumee State Forest
The record pairs Maumee State Forest with deer and turkey. Spring turkey rows show the 2026 dates; the 2027 spring dates were not out when checked.
| Game | Window | From | To | Daily 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 |
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.
Maumee State Forest: next-nearest open land, by miles
Closest neighbour on the ODNR map: Fulton Pond Wildlife Area, 6 miles north. Neighbour mix: 4 wildlife areas, 1 state park and 1 public access area. Do not mistake these for open ground: Girdham Road Dunes State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Lanker Wildlife Area (no open parcels) and Maumee Scenic River (scenic river land).
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton Pond Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 35 | Fulton | 6 miles | north |
| Mary Jane Thurston SP | State park | 105 | Henry | 7 miles | south |
| Van Tassel Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 102 | Wood | 7 miles | southeast |
| Maumee River Weir Rapids WA | Access area | 6 | Wood | 8 miles | southeast |
| North Turkeyfoot Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 458 | Henry | 9 miles | southwest |
| Missionary Island Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 297 | Lucas | 9 miles | east |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 3 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.
Where Maumee State Forest sits in Ohio's rules
The Fulton County deer limit is 3 this season, only one of them antlered statewide. Final 2025-26 figure for Fulton County: 1,489 deer checked. Through November 3, 2026: 289 deer checked.
| County | Bag | CWD area | Waterfowl | Turkey zone | Fall | Harvest 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | 3 deer | No | A | South | Open | 1,489 |
| Henry County | 3 deer | No | A | South | Open | 1,181 |
| Lucas County | 4 deer | No | A, B | South | Open | 965 |
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.
Supply towns and ODNR help around Maumee State Forest
Neapolis is the closest town on this site to Maumee State Forest, 2 miles in a straight line. For a full grocery run, Bowling Green (30,463 people) is the pick. ODNR staff closest to Maumee State Forest work out of Findlay, 36 miles off.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neapolis | Lucas | – | 2 miles | southeast |
| Wauseon | Fulton | 7,455 | 12 miles | west |
| Perrysburg | Wood | 25,313 | 14 miles | east |
| Napoleon | Henry | 8,724 | 14 miles | southwest |
| Bowling Green | Wood | 30,463 | 16 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Maumee State Forest legal-hour chart by opener
Ohio deer hunters may shoot from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks, geese, squirrels and fall turkeys stop at sunset; rabbits, pheasants, quail and doves wait for sunrise.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Deer | Waterfowl | Small game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:26 a.m. | 7:28 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:58 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:28 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 7:28 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:31 a.m. | 7:19 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 7:49 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 7:19 p.m. | 7:31 a.m. to 7:19 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:12 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 7:12 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:22 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:41 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:41 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:58 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:58 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 8:02 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:32 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:32 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 8:02 a.m. to 5:16 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.
Reaching Maumee State Forest and its managers
Your district office: 952 Lima Ave, Findlay, OH 45840, 419-424-5000. The officer assigned to Fulton County is Mike Ohlrich, (419) 429-8383. Call 1-800-POACHER to report a violation anonymously. The map PDF adds: fishermen may be present during other hours. The map PDF adds: 3. Horses may be ridden only on designated bridle trails.
- Area map PDF · legend: headquarters, parking area, parking, camping, trail, apv trail
- Maumee State Forest Map [Archived PDF]
- Maumee State Forest Stewardship Trail Map [Archived PDF]
- Open the point in 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, 3 parcels (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Images for sizing up a Maumee State Forest hunt
Maumee State Forest hunters: public range plus clubs
The closest ODNR-listed range to Maumee State Forest is Oxbow Lake Wildlife Area Shooting Range, about 30 miles off as the crow flies. Club and private ranges within 30 miles fill the other cards.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Common Maumee State Forest questions with sourced answers
Is hunting restricted anywhere on Maumee State Forest?
Open: no restricted parcels.
Where is Maumee State Forest relative to the nearest town?
Neapolis, 2 miles away in a straight line.
Does Ohio law allow Sunday hunts on Maumee State Forest?
Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio.
Do I have to report game shot on Maumee State Forest?
Noon the next day is the deadline for the game check.
How many acres of hunting land is Maumee State Forest?
3,332 acres, from the ODNR Division of Forestry State Forest Guide. The table above lists every source.
Which Ohio license and permits do I need for Maumee State Forest?
A hunting license and species permits, as anywhere in Ohio; no separate area permit for general hunting.
Can I apply for a drawn hunt at Maumee State Forest?
No controlled hunts are on file for it.
Which county deer limit applies to Maumee State Forest?
By county: Fulton 3; Henry 3; Lucas 4. Remember the one-antlered rule and the two-antlerless public land cap.
May I camp while hunting Maumee State Forest?
Ask the forest office about designated camps.
When can ducks be hunted on Maumee State Forest this year?
Ducks in Zone A open Oct 17 to Nov 1, 2026; Nov 14 to Dec 27, 2026.
Hunter orange rules for Maumee State Forest in deer season?
A hunter orange vest or coat during the gun deer seasons; no square-inch rule.
Stand and bait rules for Maumee State Forest?
Portable stands only, with nothing driven into the tree, and no bait: deer baiting is illegal on public hunting areas.
Which number reaches the Maumee State Forest managers?
(419) 822-3052 reaches the managers.
Maumee State Forest trip, last details
Report your deer or turkey by noon the next day, and keep your license and permits on you while hunting Maumee State Forest.
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: NPS Photo (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain).