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Wildlife area · Ohio public hunting land
Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area hunting, rules and county limits
3,039 acres of public state wildlife area ground in Sandusky County.
Photo: peardg (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- RV ParkingParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 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 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.
What kind of place Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area is
Expect 3,039 acres of state wildlife area here, in Sandusky County, with the ODNR Division of Wildlife in charge. In ODNR terms this is District 2 country, with district staff based in Findlay. Habitat named by ODNR includes fall color, woods, grassland, streams, wetlands and brush. Non-hunters share the ground for hiking, birding and fishing. In the parcel data the land is owned outright by the state. In the Ohio Administrative Code it is "Pickerel creek" (1501:31-15-04(A)(1)).
Not every ODNR source agrees: the spread is 3,039 to 3,256 acres.
| Where the figure comes from | Acres |
|---|---|
| Property Details layer | 3,039 |
| Water (Property Details) | 107 |
| Hunting-status layer | 3,224 |
| GIS parcel area | 3,256 |
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 Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
Official word on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area game
Two lines from the agency page on hunting Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area, quoted as written:
“During the spring and fall migrations, large numbers of waterfowl are attracted to the area.”
“Mallard, wood duck, black duck, blue-winged teal, and green-winged teal are the more abundant species, with wigeon, pintail, gadwall, and shoveler appearing in smaller numbers.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Permit hunts on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
For 2026 the controlled hunts here number 9: 3 waterfowl, 2 trapping, 2 tue/thu waterfowl, 1 deer gun and 1 pheasant. You pay $3 per hunt applied for, online, in the app or by phone. A controlled-hunt deer is extra: it does not count toward the county or statewide limit. Furbearer and beaver-otter permits are drawn at district offices on the first Saturday in October. Midweek permits: apply 10 a.m. to noon the day before.
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Type | Apply | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2720 | Pickerel Creek WA mentor deer | Deer gun | July 1-31 | – |
| 2756 | Pickerel Creek WA pheasant | Pheasant | July 1-31 | – |
| 2943 | Pickerel Creek beaver/otter trapping | Trapping | In person, Oct. 3 | packet |
| 2989 | Pickerel Creek furbearer trapping | Trapping | In person, Oct. 3 | packet |
| daily | Pickerel Creek WA september goose and teal | Tue/Thu waterfowl | Mon/Wed, day before | – |
| daily | Pickerel Creek WA thursday waterfowl | Tue/Thu waterfowl | Mon/Wed, day before | – |
| 2519 | Pickerel Creek WA waterfowl | Waterfowl | July 1-31 | – |
| 2527 | Pickerel Creek WA sept goose and teal | Waterfowl | July 1-31 | – |
| 2724 | Pickerel Creek WA youth waterfowl | Waterfowl | July 1-31 | – |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
Before the first shot on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
Restricted status means only some of Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area is open; take the map along.
- Keep trucks on the open roads and in marked lots.
- Overnight camping is off the table on this ground.
- Hours: other visitors leave by 8 p.m. from September 1 to May 1.
- No casual shooting: guns are for hunting, trapping or a Division range.
- Baiting deer is banned on all public hunting areas.
- Tree stands must be portable, with no nails or screw-in steps.
- Public land limit: no more than two antlerless deer a year.
- A few hunts are permit-only.
- Midweek waterfowl days go by daily drawing.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area dove, pheasant and range facts
Managed dove ground at Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
The dove layer shows 7 field(s) totalling 92 acres, with wheat, millet and bare ground. No drawing applies to these fields.
| Field | Acres | Status | Planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jena's | 18 | Non-Controlled | wheat, bare ground |
| Boggy Dove | 11 | Non-Controlled | wheat, millet |
| State | 8.0 | Non-Controlled | wheat, millet |
| 216 Dove | 22 | Non-Controlled | wheat, millet |
| Brome | 12 | Non-Controlled | wheat, millet |
| Jim's | 15 | Non-Controlled | wheat, bare ground |
| South | 6.4 | Non-Controlled | wheat, bare ground |
Stocked roosters on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
Released pheasants: controlled-hunt fields; the layer maps 5 field(s) and 92 acres. ODNR releases before the youth weekends and on November 6, November 14 and November 26.
From the ODNR dove fields layer, pheasant release list; checked November 6, 2026.
Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area season dates, game by game
For deer, squirrel, rabbit, woodcock, dove, waterfowl and snipe, here are the 2026-27 windows that apply on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area. Zone A sets the duck and goose splits.
| Game | Kind | Begins | Ends | 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 |
| Chukar | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 4 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 |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Coyote | Hunting (no closed season) | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Coyote | Trapping (no closed season) | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Red fox | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Red fox | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Gray fox | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Gray fox | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Mink | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| Muskrat | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| Mink | Lake Erie trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | No limit |
| Muskrat | Lake Erie trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Lake Erie trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | No limit |
| Beaver | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| River otter | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 1 of the 3 |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | 15 daily |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 15 daily |
| Rails | Rail | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 25 daily |
| Snipe | Snipe | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 25, 2026 | 8 daily |
| Snipe | Snipe | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 8 daily |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Oct 16, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 3 daily |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | 5 daily |
| Teal | Early teal | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | 6 daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 6 ducks daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | 6 ducks daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 5 daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 1, 2027 | 5 daily |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | Regular limits |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | Regular limits |
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.
What else lies near Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area on the map
First on the neighbour list is Millers Blue Hole Wildlife Area, 3 miles away and east of here. Six neighbours by kind: 6 wildlife areas. Off limits to hunting close by: Catawba Island State Park (park without hunting), Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millers Blue Hole WA | Wildlife area | 13 | Sandusky | 3 miles | east |
| Willow Point Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 432 | Erie | 4 miles | east |
| Ottawa County WA 1 | Wildlife area | 64 | Ottawa | 6 miles | north |
| Sandusky County WA 3 | Wildlife area | 58 | Sandusky | 6 miles | west |
| Resthaven Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 2,218 | Erie | 6 miles | east |
| Little Portage Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 357 | Ottawa | 7 miles | northwest |
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.
Zone and limit check for Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
County limit where it lies: 3 deer (Sandusky County). 2025-26 harvest, Sandusky County: 1,485 deer. Early 2026-27 tally (to November 3, 2026): 360 deer.
| County | Deer bag | DSA | Duck zone | Turkey | Fall | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandusky County | 3 deer | No | A | South | Closed | 1,485 |
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.
Stores, deer processors and towns serving Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
Fuel, ice and groceries: Wightmans Grove is nearest, 5 miles away. Sandusky tops the list at 24,174 people. The closest ODNR desk: Vickery, 1 mile in a straight line.
| Nearest towns | County | Population | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wightmans Grove | Sandusky | – | 5 miles | west |
| Port Clinton | Ottawa | 5,915 | 6 miles | north |
| Castalia | Erie | 746 | 8 miles | east |
| Fremont | Sandusky | 15,814 | 10 miles | southwest |
| Sandusky | Erie | 24,174 | 13 miles | east |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Daylight math for Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area, worked from its own point
The sun comes up roughly a quarter hour later in Defiance than in Marietta, so use the times worked out for Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area rather than a Columbus table.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Waterfowl, squirrel | Rabbit, pheasant, dove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:22 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:08 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:18 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:37 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:54 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:54 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:58 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:58 a.m. to 5:12 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.
Maps and contacts for Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
The Wildlife District Two office is at 952 Lima Ave, Findlay, OH 45840 (419-424-5000). Report problems to Charles McMullen, the county wildlife officer, at (419) 429-8393. Report poaching at 1-800-762-2437.
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.
Pictures from Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area country and its game
Zeroing a slug gun on the way to Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
Resthaven Wildlife Area Shooting Range (the shooting range permit for adults ($5.00 a day)) is 6 miles from Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area. Private and club lines no more than 30 miles away complete the set.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area questions, from permits to parking
Can I hunt Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area on a Sunday in Ohio?
Ohio law has no Sunday closure.
Do I need more than an Ohio hunting license for Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Carry a valid Ohio hunting license; add a deer, turkey or fur taker permit, and for ducks the federal duck stamp, the $15 Ohio wetlands stamp and HIP. Some hunts here are by lottery permit.
How big is the Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area property in acres?
It takes in 3,039 acres of ground. GIS and map figures vary.
What is the deer limit at Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
The county limit of 3 applies. One antlered deer statewide; public areas cap antlerless deer at two a year.
Does ODNR draw permits for Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Yes, 9 hunts in 2026: waterfowl, trapping, tue/thu waterfowl, deer gun and pheasant. The fee is $3 a hunt.
Which Ohio waterfowl zone covers Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Waterfowl Zone A: ducks Oct 17 to Nov 1, 2026; Nov 14 to Dec 27, 2026.
Is there a campground at Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Not allowed; only three wildlife areas have camping.
What are the stand and baiting rules on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Bait is banned on public land; use portable stands only.
Orange clothing rules at Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Wear an orange vest, coat or coveralls in all deer gun weeks; duck hunters are exempt.
What time can I start deer hunting at Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Legal deer light on November 30, 2026: 7:07 a.m. to 5:34 p.m.
Where do I take questions about Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Call (419) 547-6007.
How far is Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area from the closest town?
Wightmans Grove sits 5 miles from the point.
How many dove fields sit on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Yes, 7 in the ODNR dove layer.
Final word on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area for this season
Saw a violation on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area? Call 1-800-POACHER; tips can stay anonymous.
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: 小福 (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Fyn Kynd (CC BY 2.0).