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Hunting area · Southeast Ohio woods and fields
Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area hunting guide for 2026-27
1,175 acres on record as a public hunting area in Athens County.
Photo: pilssken (CC0 1.0)
Getting to Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area
- Hockhocking Adena Bikeway – Glen Ebon TrailheadParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 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 · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 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 Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area allows and what it bans
The hunting-status layer shows Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area as open throughout.
- Motor vehicles: designated roads and parking only.
- No campsites on this property.
- 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.
- Not state-owned: a cooperative agreement covers it.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area
Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area at a glance for hunters
Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area: 1,175 acres in Athens County, classed as a public hunting area and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Southeast Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Athens. Ownership on file: held under a cooperative agreement.
Mapping methods differ, so size ranges from 1,139 to 1,175 acres.
| Layer or document | Acres |
|---|---|
| Area map PDF | 1,175 |
| Hunting-status layer | 1,159 |
| GIS parcel area | 1,139 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
2026-27 season dates for the game on Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area
Statewide seasons apply on Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area; ODNR lists no game for it. Turkey: spring rows are 2026 dates, 2027 to be announced.
| Species | Season | Opening | Closing | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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.
Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Athens County limit of 2 deer. Athens County hunters checked 917 deer in 2025-26 (473 antlered). Running total to November 3, 2026: 308.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 917 |
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.
Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area, Waterloo Wildlife Area waits 3 miles to the southwest. Close by are 4 wildlife areas, 1 state park and 1 state forest. No hunting at Riddle State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 2,659 | Athens | 3 miles | southwest |
| Fox Lake Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 421 | Athens | 6 miles | south |
| Lake Hope State Park | State park | 2,983 | Vinton | 7 miles | southwest |
| Zaleski State Forest | State forest | 27,822 | Vinton | 7 miles | southwest |
| Turkey Ridge Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 377 | Vinton | 10 miles | west |
| Taylor Ridge Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,226 | Athens | 10 miles | northeast |
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.
Where to fuel up and grab ice near Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area
The handiest town is New Marshfield, 4 miles off. Of the five, Athens is the biggest with 24,824 residents (2024 estimate). ODNR Wildlife District 4: Southeast Ohio is the nearest Division office, roughly 8 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Marshfield | Athens | – | 4 miles | south |
| Nelsonville | Athens | 4,555 | 5 miles | north |
| Athens | Athens | 24,824 | 8 miles | southeast |
| Haydenville | Hocking | – | 8 miles | northwest |
| Murray City | Hocking | 335 | 9 miles | north |
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 Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area
Wildlife District Four: 360 E State St, Athens, OH 45701, tel. 740-589-9930. Wildlife officer for Athens County: Ryan Donnelly ((740) 541-8266). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night.
- Area map PDF (published 10/29/2024) · legend: parking area, parking, hunting area
- 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 of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
What the cover looks like around Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area
Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area: 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 Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:19 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:24 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:02 a.m. | 5:24 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:29 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:39 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:45 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:45 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 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. |
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.
Zeroing a slug gun on the way to Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area
Lake Hope State Park Archery Range is 7 miles from Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area and is the nearest public range on ODNR’s list. 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 Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area for this season
Can I hunt anywhere on Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area, or only parts?
Yes, open land.
Which town do I aim for when driving to Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
New Marshfield is the nearest, 4 miles off.
Is Sunday hunting legal on Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
When must I check game taken on Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
Acreage check: how large is Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
1,175 acres is the headline figure used on this page. Other measures appear in the table.
What paperwork must I carry on Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
No entry pass: the Ohio hunting license and the species permit are enough, such as an either-sex deer permit ($31.20 resident).
Which lottery hunts include Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
No 2026 lottery hunts are listed for it; hunt it during the regular seasons.
Deer bag limit for Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
Up to 2, by the county rule. Statewide, only one antlered deer, and no more than two antlerless deer may come from public hunting areas.
Overnight stays at Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
No camping here; stay in a nearby town.
When do the duck splits open around Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
Use Zone C: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
What orange garment do I need on Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
Yes in the deer gun and muzzleloader seasons: a solid or camouflage orange vest, coat, jacket or coveralls (waterfowl hunters excepted).
Are tree stands and bait allowed at Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area?
Portable stands are fine; baiting deer is not.
What office handles Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area for ODNR?
The number on file is 740-589-9930.
Sign-off notes for Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area hunters
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area before you load the truck.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0).