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Wildlife area · Central Ohio woods and fields
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 hunting guide for 2026-27
67 acres on record as a state wildlife area in Pickaway County.
Photo: Nick Bowers (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
Parking, trailheads and gates near Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 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.
What Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 allows and what it bans
The hunting-status layer shows Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 as open throughout.
- Motor vehicles: designated roads and parking only.
- Leave the tent at home: no camping here.
- 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.
- 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 Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 at a glance for hunters
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9: 67 acres in Pickaway County, classed as a state wildlife area and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Central Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Columbus. Ownership on file: owned outright by the state. Legal footing: OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) ("Pickaway county wildlife area 9").
Mapping methods differ, so size ranges from 66 to 67 acres.
| Layer or document | Acres |
|---|---|
| Area map PDF | 67 |
| Hunting-status layer | 67 |
| GIS parcel area | 66 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
2026-27 season dates for the game on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
Game on record for Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9: dove.
| Species | Season | Opening | Closing | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Permit hunts on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
Lottery hunts on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 for 2026: 1 dove. Applications are $3 apiece through wildohio.gov, the HuntFish OH app or by phone.
| No. | Hunt name | Type | Application | Packet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2579 | Pickaway County WA 9 dove | Dove | July 1-31 | – |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Pickaway County limit of 3 deer. ODNR counted 1,153 deer in Pickaway County for 2025-26, 649 of them antlerless. Running total to November 3, 2026: 216.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Fields, dogs and ranges on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 dove fields, field by field
Dove hunters get 1 managed field (18 acres); crops include two-sided, corn, wheat and sunflower. Lottery permits cover 1 of these fields early in September.
| Field | Acres | Status | Planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 18 | Controlled | two-sided, corn, wheat, sunflower, millet, stakes 1-36 |
From the ODNR dove fields layer; checked November 6, 2026.
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9, Pickaway County Wildlife Area 7 waits 2 miles to the northwest. Close by are 6 wildlife areas. No hunting at Betsch Fen State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Floyd Bartley Natural Area (natural area) and Stages Pond State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickaway County WA 7 | Wildlife area | 55 | Pickaway | 2 miles | northwest |
| Pickaway County WA 8 | Wildlife area | 51 | Pickaway | 3 miles | west |
| Pickaway County WA 2 | Wildlife area | 95 | Pickaway | 4 miles | northeast |
| Circleville Canal Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 4 | Pickaway | 5 miles | east |
| Pickaway County WA 1 | Wildlife area | 112 | Pickaway | 6 miles | north |
| Ross County WA 3 | Wildlife area | 63 | Ross | 7 miles | southwest |
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.
Supply towns and ODNR help around Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
The handiest town is Andersonville, 8 miles off. A bigger stop is Chillicothe, population 21,769. ODNR Deer Creek Wildlife Area headquarters is the nearest Division office, roughly 12 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andersonville | Ross | – | 8 miles | southeast |
| Circleville | Pickaway | 14,433 | 10 miles | northeast |
| Pancoastburg | Fayette | – | 11 miles | northwest |
| Chillicothe | Ross | 21,769 | 15 miles | south |
| Washington Court House | Fayette | 14,446 | 18 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 Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
Wildlife District One: 1500 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215, tel. 614-644-3925. Wildlife officer for Pickaway County: Josh Elster ((614) 203-3406). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night.
- Area map PDF (published 5/13/2022) · legend: parking area, parking
- 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); checked November 6, 2026.
What the cover looks like around Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9: 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 Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:22 a.m. | 7:25 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:05 a.m. | 5:27 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:32 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:32 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. | 5:11 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:11 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.
Ranges to visit before hunting Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9
Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 hunters reach Deer Creek Wildlife Area Shooting Range, the nearest ODNR-listed range, after about 12 miles. 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 Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 for this season
Shooting hours for deer on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 this season?
For the gun opener: 7:02 a.m. until 5:40 p.m.
What orange garment do I need on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
Yes in the deer gun and muzzleloader seasons: a solid or camouflage orange vest, coat, jacket or coveralls (waterfowl hunters excepted).
Which town do I aim for when driving to Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
Andersonville (8 miles).
Who should I phone about hunting Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
The number on file is 614-644-3925.
Can I hunt anywhere on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9, or only parts?
Yes, open land.
Does ODNR plant for doves on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
1: 4.
Is Sunday hunting legal on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
How do I report a deer from Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
How much ground does Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 take in?
67 acres is the headline figure used on this page. Other measures appear in the table.
What paperwork must I carry on Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
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 Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
Dove: 1 lottery hunt(s). $3 per entry.
How many deer may one hunter kill around Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
3 deer, the Pickaway County limit. Statewide, only one antlered deer, and no more than two antlerless deer may come from public hunting areas.
Can I camp at Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9?
No camping here; stay in a nearby town.
Wrapping up the Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 plan
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Pickaway County Wildlife Area 9 before you load the truck.
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: ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0); cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); greenebriar (Public domain).