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Wildlife area in Pickaway County, Ohio
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 hunting, rules and county limits
A 51-acre Ohio state wildlife area in Pickaway County.
Photo: Dan Keck (CC0 1.0)
Getting to Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
Getting to know the Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 ground
At 51 acres, Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 is a state wildlife area in Pickaway County; the ODNR Division of Wildlife looks after it. The Division of Wildlife handles it from its Columbus office (District 1, Central Ohio). The hunting layer shows the parcels as owned outright by the state. The administrative code lists it under 1501:31-15-04(A)(1), written "Pickaway county wildlife area 8".
Pick your number: 50 acres at the low end, 51 at the high end, by source.
| Source | Acres |
|---|---|
| Area map PDF | 51 |
| Hunting-status layer | 51 |
| GIS parcel area | 50 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 hunting rules, line by line
ODNR marks every parcel of Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 open to hunting.
- Park in designated spots; off-road driving is illegal.
- No camping; only three wildlife areas allow it.
- 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.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Hunting calendar matched to Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
The property page is silent on species, so the rows below are the usual statewide seasons.
| 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 |
| Squirrels | Regular | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 daily |
| Cottontail | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 4 daily |
| Pheasant | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 2 roosters 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 |
| 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 |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (No species named by ODNR for this area); checked November 6, 2026.
County limits that apply on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
Deer bag in Pickaway County: 3, with a single antlered deer allowed across Ohio. The 2025-26 deer total for Pickaway County was 1,153, by ODNR's final report. The 2026-27 count stood at 216 on November 3, 2026.
| County | Limit | DSA | Zone | Spring | Fall turkey | 2025-26 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickaway County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Closed | 1,153 |
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.
Public hunting land within reach of Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
Drive 2 miles east and the next public tract is Pickaway County Wildlife Area 7. Around it on the map: 5 wildlife areas and 1 state park. Within 15 miles but not open to hunters: Betsch Fen State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Floyd Bartley Natural Area (natural area) and Stages Pond State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickaway County WA 7 | Wildlife area | 55 | Pickaway | 2 miles | east |
| Pickaway County WA 9 | Wildlife area | 67 | Pickaway | 3 miles | east |
| Ross County WA 3 | Wildlife area | 63 | Ross | 5 miles | south |
| Pickaway County WA 2 | Wildlife area | 95 | Pickaway | 7 miles | east |
| Pickaway County WA 1 | Wildlife area | 112 | Pickaway | 7 miles | northeast |
| Deer Creek State Park | State park | 2,337 | Pickaway | 7 miles | northwest |
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.
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 maps, address and officers
For permits and questions try the Wildlife District One office, 614-644-3925. The Pickaway County wildlife officer is Josh Elster, (614) 203-3406. Anonymous tip line: 1-800-POACHER.
- Area map PDF (published 5/13/2022) · legend: parking area, parking
- 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, 1 parcel (polygon centroid); checked November 6, 2026.
Stores, deer processors and towns serving Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
From the point, Pancoastburg sits 8 miles away. Chillicothe, 16 miles out, is larger: 21,769 people in 2024. For face-to-face help, the Mount Sterling ODNR office lies 10 miles away as the crow flies.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pancoastburg | Fayette | – | 8 miles | northwest |
| Andersonville | Ross | – | 10 miles | southeast |
| Circleville | Pickaway | 14,433 | 12 miles | east |
| Washington Court House | Fayette | 14,446 | 15 miles | west |
| Chillicothe | Ross | 21,769 | 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.
Gun-week light and other opener times on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 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 | 7:23 a.m. | 7:25 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:06 a.m. | 5:27 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:43 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:49 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:53 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 7:53 a.m. to 5:19 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 Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
Range stops on the way to Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8
Fayette County holds the ODNR-listed range nearest Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8: Deer Creek Wildlife Area Shooting Range (10 miles). 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.
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8: what Buckeye hunters keep asking
Can Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 be hunted all seven days?
No statewide Sunday limit applies.
Is any special pass needed to hunt Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8?
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.
What size is Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 on the ODNR books?
About 51 acres by the main source; other layers are in the acreage table. Different layers give slightly different totals.
Deer bag limit for Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8?
3, as set for Pickaway County. Statewide: 6 deer, 1 antlered; public hunting areas: 2 antlerless at most.
Is any hunting at Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 by permit only?
No; the 2026 lottery list does not include it.
Which zone sets the waterfowl calendar at Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8?
Zone C. Splits: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Overnight stays at Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8?
No. Camping is banned on wildlife areas except at Appalachian Hills, Simco and Woodbury.
Can I leave a tree stand or use bait on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8?
No bait, and stands must be portable.
Must I wear orange while hunting Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 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 Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8?
7:03 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. on November 30, 2026.
Which phone line answers questions on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8?
Try 614-644-3925.
Nearest town for supplies near Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8?
About 8 miles from Pancoastburg.
Is every part of Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 open to hunting?
The whole area is open.
Final word on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 for this season
Gravel lanes and parking lots can flood or close in wet weather; check access to Pickaway County Wildlife Area 8 before the drive.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0); Mas3cf (CC BY-SA 4.0).