Home › Ohio › Public land › Pater Wildlife Area
Buckeye state wildlife area with open hunting
Pater Wildlife Area: seasons, rules and access
One state wildlife area of 192 acres in Butler County, open to licensed hunters.
Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Pater Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Pater Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 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.
Pater Wildlife Area: size, setting and history
Pater Wildlife Area covers 192 acres in Butler County, a state wildlife area run by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. ODNR puts it around 2 miles to the southeast of Reily. Questions go to District 5 in Xenia, the district that covers it. Walk it and you will find woods, grassland, crops, streams and brush, according to the agency listing. Expect company: the page names hiking and birding, plus hiking trails and hunter access. Its story as public land begins in 1947 and runs to 1953, using several state funds. Parcels are owned outright by the state. You will find it as "Pater" in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1).
Sources disagree on size, from 189 to 192 acres; this page uses 192 (ODNR property page).
| Record | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 192 |
| Property Details layer | 191 |
| Water (Property Details) | 0 |
| Hunting-status layer | 192 |
| GIS parcel area | 189 |
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 Pater Wildlife Area
Pater Wildlife Area: rules that apply on the ground
No restricted parcels: Pater Wildlife Area is open land in the status layer.
- Drive and park only on designated roads and lots.
- Leave the tent at home: no camping here.
- From May 2 to August 31 the night closure runs 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Target practice only at a designated Division of Wildlife range.
- No salt, grain or feed may be put out.
- Portable stands only; nothing inserted into a tree.
- Count your does: two antlerless deer from public areas per year.
- Lottery permits cover some hunts.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Pater Wildlife Area: 2026 controlled hunting
Pater Wildlife Area carries 1 lottery hunt in 2026, namely 1 pheasant. A $3 fee buys one entry per hunt; results come by email.
| No. | Hunt name | Type | Application | Packet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2760 | Pater WA pheasant | Pheasant | July 1-31 | – |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
When the Pater Wildlife Area game is in season
ODNR and the lottery list tie pheasant and dove to Pater Wildlife Area.
| Game | Season | Opens | Closes | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pheasant | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 2 roosters daily |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 2 roosters daily |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 2 roosters daily |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | 15 daily |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 15 daily |
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.
Managed hunting features at Pater Wildlife Area
Where ODNR plants for doves on Pater Wildlife Area
Pater Wildlife Area has 9 acres of dove fields in 1 block(s) (wheat). Non-controlled fields: no permit beyond the license and HIP.
| Field | Acres | Status | Planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a | 8.8 | Non-Controlled | wheat |
Pheasant ground: Pater Wildlife Area
Pheasants are stocked here: controlled-hunt fields, 1 field on 17 acres. Fresh releases come on the youth weekends and November 6, November 14 and November 26.
From the ODNR dove fields layer, pheasant release list; checked November 6, 2026.
County rules around Pater Wildlife Area
Butler County allows 3 deer per hunter in 2026-27. ODNR counted 1,466 deer in Butler County for 2025-26, 819 of them antlerless. This season to November 3, 2026, 387 deer have been checked there.
| County | Deer limit | CWD | Zone | Spring | Fall | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 1,466 |
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.
Mapped hunting places beside Pater Wildlife Area
Hueston Woods State Park lies 11 miles north of the Pater Wildlife Area point, the nearest open land. Nearby public places: 3 state parks and 3 wildlife areas. Neighbours closed to hunting: Doty Highbank State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Hueston Woods State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Newberry Wildlife Sanctuary State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hueston Woods State Park | State park | 2,936 | Preble | 11 miles | north |
| Rush Run Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,165 | Preble | 13 miles | northeast |
| Woodland Trails Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 718 | Preble | 17 miles | north |
| Great Miami River WA | Wildlife area | 18 | Hamilton | 21 miles | south |
| Sycamore State Park | State park | 2,384 | Montgomery | 33 miles | northeast |
| Stonelick State Park | State park | 1,058 | Clermont | 38 miles | east |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Pater Wildlife Area: who to call and which map to carry
District help: Wildlife District Five, 1076 Old Springfield Pike, Xenia, OH 45385, 937-372-9261. Butler County is patrolled by officer Andrew Dowdell ((513) 403-6591). Poaching tips go to 1-800-POACHER, any hour. A note on the map reads: rabbits. The wooded hillsides and areas along Indian Creek are the best areas to find fox squirrels and whitetail deer. A note on the map reads: Two parking lots and interior roads provide easy access to the area for hunters and anglers alike.
- Area map PDF · legend: parking, woodland, cropland
- ODNR hunting regulations web map
- Route to the point
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); checked November 6, 2026.
Towns and outfitters a short drive from Pater Wildlife Area
Measured straight, Hamilton is 9 miles from Pater Wildlife Area. Allow for 13 miles of straight-line distance to the Somerville ODNR office.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | Butler | 63,953 | 9 miles | east |
| Somerville | Butler | – | 11 miles | northeast |
| Fairfield | Butler | 45,094 | 12 miles | southeast |
| Lake Lakengren | Preble | – | 18 miles | north |
| Middletown | Butler | 52,291 | 21 miles | east |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
First and last legal minutes across Pater Wildlife Area seasons
Around Pater Wildlife Area, deer light opens 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; rabbit and pheasant hunters keep strict sunrise to sunset.
| Day | Marker | Sun up | Sun down | Deer hours | Duck hours | Upland hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:29 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 8:02 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:34 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:12 a.m. | 5:34 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 6:04 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:12 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:39 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:49 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:55 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 7:55 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:59 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 7:59 a.m. to 5:26 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.
Pater Wildlife Area district scenes and wildlife photos
Pater Wildlife Area hunters: public range plus clubs
Pater Wildlife Area hunters reach Hueston Woods State Park Archery Range, the nearest ODNR-listed range, after about 11 miles. After it come club ranges that sit inside 30 miles.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Things people ask before driving to Pater Wildlife Area
Where can hunters stay overnight at Pater Wildlife Area?
No; book a room in a nearby town.
What are this season's duck dates for Pater Wildlife Area?
It is in Zone C; duck splits run Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Do I need hunter orange on Pater Wildlife Area during gun week?
Ohio requires a visible orange garment during deer gun seasons; camo orange counts.
May I bait deer on Pater Wildlife Area?
Portable stands yes, bait no.
Who should I phone about hunting Pater Wildlife Area?
The area phone is 1-800-WILDLIFE.
Deer hours at Pater Wildlife Area on the first gun day?
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty after sunset; on November 30, 2026 that is 7:09 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. here (NOAA solar formula).
Does Pater Wildlife Area have managed dove fields?
Yes: 1 field, 3a.
Where do hunters buy supplies near Pater Wildlife Area?
Hamilton (9 miles).
Is Pater Wildlife Area fully open to hunters in the ODNR layer?
All parcels are open in the status layer.
Are pheasants released on Pater Wildlife Area?
Yes; check the release days above.
Are Sundays open for hunting on Pater Wildlife Area?
Ohio has no statewide Sunday restriction, so Sundays follow the regular seasons unless a lottery permit sets the day.
What is the deadline to report a deer from Pater Wildlife Area?
Check it in by noon the next day; no check station visit is needed.
How many acres of hunting land is Pater Wildlife Area?
192 acres, according to the ODNR property page. The acreage table shows the spread.
Pater Wildlife Area: the night-before checklist
Rules, closures and lottery details for Pater Wildlife Area can change mid-season; posted signs and the ODNR page have the last word.
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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0); Peter Wallack (CC BY-SA 3.0).