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Wildlife area in Muskingum County, Ohio
Powelson Wildlife Area hunting, rules and county limits
A 2,729-acre Ohio state wildlife area in Muskingum County.
Photo: Dan Keck (CC0 1.0)
Getting to Powelson Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Powelson Wildlife Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 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 · 3.5 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, 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.
Getting to know the Powelson Wildlife Area ground
At 2,729 acres, Powelson Wildlife Area is a state wildlife area in Muskingum County; the ODNR Division of Wildlife looks after it. Look roughly 4 miles north of Zanesville on the map. The Division of Wildlife handles it from its Athens office (District 4, Southeast Ohio). Cover on the property page: river, grassland, reclaimed land, streams, ponds and forest. Other uses listed: hiking, birding and fishing; trails are marked as hunter access. The state started assembling it in 1958 and kept buying through 2003, with state funds and Wildlife Restoration money. 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 "Powelson".
Pick your number: 2,704 acres at the low end, 2,775 at the high end, by source.
| Source | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 2,729 |
| Property Details layer | 2,704 |
| Water (Property Details) | 26 |
| Hunting-status layer | 2,775 |
| GIS parcel area | 2,754 |
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 Powelson Wildlife Area
Powelson Wildlife Area hunting rules, line by line
ODNR marks every parcel of Powelson Wildlife Area open to hunting.
- Park in designated spots; off-road driving is illegal.
- Leave the tent at home: no camping here.
- 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.
- Certain hunts are drawn by lottery.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Powelson Wildlife Area: 2026 controlled hunting
1 drawing cover Powelson Wildlife Area this year: 1 trapping. Each application costs $3 and is non-refundable; apply at wildohio.gov, in HuntFish OH or by phone. Trapping lotteries are drawn in person on October 3, 2026 at the five district offices.
| No. | Hunt name | Type | Application | Packet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2977 | Powelson WA beaver/otter trapping | Trapping | In person, Oct. 3 | packet |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
Hunting calendar matched to Powelson Wildlife Area
The sources name trapping on Powelson Wildlife Area; the table shows the 2026-27 dates for that game.
| Quarry | Season | Start | End | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mink | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| Muskrat | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| Beaver | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| River otter | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 3 per season |
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.
County limits that apply on Powelson Wildlife Area
Deer bag in Muskingum County: 3, with a single antlered deer allowed across Ohio. ODNR counted 6,283 deer in Muskingum County for 2025-26, 3,725 of them antlerless. The 2026-27 count stood at 1,349 on November 3, 2026.
| County | Limit | DSA | Zone | Spring | Fall turkey | 2025-26 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskingum County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 6,283 |
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 Powelson Wildlife Area
Drive 5 miles northeast and the next public tract is Tri-Valley Wildlife Area. Around it on the map: 5 wildlife areas and 1 state park. Within 15 miles but not open to hunters: Unglaciated Appalachian Plateau Forest (forest unit closed), Muskingum Lock & Dam 3 State Park (park without hunting) and Black Run Wetland Conservation Area (no open parcels).
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Valley Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 16,200 | Muskingum | 5 miles | northeast |
| Dillon State Park | State park | 2,285 | Muskingum | 6 miles | southwest |
| Munro Basin Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 23 | Muskingum | 7 miles | north |
| Dillon Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 3,612 | Muskingum | 8 miles | west |
| Meiners Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 36 | Muskingum | 13 miles | south |
| Conesville Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 2,931 | Coshocton | 13 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.
Powelson Wildlife Area maps, address and officers
For permits and questions try the Wildlife District Four office, 740-589-9930. The Muskingum County wildlife officer is Jeff Berry, (740) 447-0570. Anonymous tip line: 1-800-POACHER. Printed on the map: Several small parking lots are available and good access is provided throughout the area by secondary roads. Printed on the map: 43844; or the Wildlife District Four Office, 360 East State Street, Athens, Ohio 45701, telephone (740) 589-9930.
- Area map PDF · legend: parking, marsh, brushland, woodland, pond, lake
- ODNR hunting regulations web map
- 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 of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Towns and outfitters a short drive from Powelson Wildlife Area
From the point, Dresden sits 4 miles away. A bigger stop is Zanesville, population 24,916. For face-to-face help, the Warsaw ODNR office lies 16 miles away as the crow flies.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dresden | Muskingum | 1,647 | 4 miles | north |
| Zanesville | Muskingum | 24,916 | 7 miles | south |
| Nashport | Muskingum | – | 8 miles | west |
| Conesville | Coshocton | 329 | 11 miles | northeast |
| Philo | Muskingum | 723 | 15 miles | south |
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 Powelson Wildlife Area
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Powelson Wildlife Area 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 | 7:18 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:23 a.m. | 7:12 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:02 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:30 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:40 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | 7:40 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:46 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:46 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:50 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 7:50 a.m. to 5:13 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.
Dates held at or close to Powelson Wildlife Area
This ground and its 10-mile ring: 1 date ahead.
| Scheduled | What | Miles off | Where held | Link | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 8, 2027 | Y-Bridge Longbeards NWTF Banquet · NWTF banquet, Zanesville | 7 | Zanesville, Muskingum County | Tickets | Source |
Field and woods views near Powelson Wildlife Area
Zeroing a slug gun on the way to Powelson Wildlife Area
Powelson Wildlife Area hunters reach Tri-Valley Wildlife Area Archery Range, the nearest ODNR-listed range, after about 4 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.
Powelson Wildlife Area: what Buckeye hunters keep asking
Where can hunters stay overnight at Powelson Wildlife Area?
No. Camping is banned on wildlife areas except at Appalachian Hills, Simco and Woodbury.
Can I leave a tree stand or use bait on Powelson Wildlife Area?
No bait, and stands must be portable.
Must I wear orange while hunting Powelson Wildlife Area 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 Powelson Wildlife Area?
7:00 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. on November 30, 2026.
Who should I phone about hunting Powelson Wildlife Area?
The area phone is (740) 589-9930.
Nearest town for supplies near Powelson Wildlife Area?
Dresden (4 miles).
Is every part of Powelson Wildlife Area open to hunting?
The whole area is open.
What is the deadline to report a deer from Powelson Wildlife Area?
Report deer and turkeys by noon the day after the kill, online, by phone or in the HuntFish OH app.
Can Powelson Wildlife Area be hunted all seven days?
No statewide Sunday limit applies.
Is any special pass needed to hunt Powelson Wildlife Area?
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. Some hunts here are by lottery permit.
How big is the Powelson Wildlife Area property in acres?
About 2,729 acres by the main source; other layers are in the acreage table. Different layers give slightly different totals.
What deer limit covers Powelson Wildlife Area?
3 deer, the Muskingum County limit. Statewide: 6 deer, 1 antlered; public hunting areas: 2 antlerless at most.
Is any hunting at Powelson Wildlife Area by permit only?
Yes. The 2026 list has 1 (trapping). Applications are $3.
Powelson Wildlife Area: the night-before checklist
Gravel lanes and parking lots can flood or close in wet weather; check access to Powelson Wildlife Area before the drive.
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: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); Scott Bauer, USDA NRCS (Public domain).