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Wildlife area · Southeast Ohio woods and fields
Ross County Wildlife Area 5 hunting guide for 2026-27
53 acres on record as a state wildlife area in Ross County.
Photo: Nyttend (Public domain)
Getting to Ross County Wildlife Area 5
What Ross County Wildlife Area 5 allows and what it bans
The hunting-status layer shows Ross County Wildlife Area 5 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.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Ross County Wildlife Area 5
Ross County Wildlife Area 5 at a glance for hunters
Ross County Wildlife Area 5: 53 acres in Ross County, classed as a state wildlife area and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Southeast Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Athens. Ownership on file: owned outright by the state. Legal footing: OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) ("Ross county wildlife area 5").
Mapping methods differ, so size ranges from 52 to 53 acres.
| Layer or document | Acres |
|---|---|
| Area map PDF | 53 |
| Hunting-status layer | 53 |
| GIS parcel area | 52 |
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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5
Statewide seasons apply on Ross County Wildlife Area 5; 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.
Ross County Wildlife Area 5 counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Ross County limit of 3 deer. Ross County hunters checked 3,402 deer in 2025-26 (1,625 antlered). Running total to November 3, 2026: 579.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 3,402 |
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.
Ross County Wildlife Area 5 and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Ross County Wildlife Area 5, Ross County Wildlife Area 2 waits 5 miles to the northeast. Close by are 4 wildlife areas, 1 public access area and 1 state park. No hunting at Rocky Fork Gorge – Etawah Woods State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Miller Nature Sanctuary (nature preserve) and Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (NPS park).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross County WA 2 | Wildlife area | 59 | Ross | 5 miles | northeast |
| Ross County WA 4 | Wildlife area | 59 | Ross | 6 miles | northeast |
| Fayette County WA 9 | Wildlife area | 40 | Fayette | 7 miles | north |
| Paint Creek Fishing Access | Access area | 22 | Fayette | 8 miles | northwest |
| Paint Creek State Park | State park | 5,652 | Highland | 8 miles | south |
| Paint Creek Lake WA | Wildlife area | 5,090 | Highland | 8 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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5
The handiest town is Greenfield, 2 miles off. Of the five, Washington Court House is the biggest with 14,446 residents (2024 estimate). ODNR Fallsville Wildlife Area headquarters is the nearest Division office, roughly 15 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenfield | Highland | 4,350 | 2 miles | west |
| Washington Court House | Fayette | 14,446 | 13 miles | north |
| Cynthiana | Pike | – | 13 miles | south |
| Hillsboro | Highland | 6,599 | 17 miles | southwest |
| New Vienna | Clinton | 1,097 | 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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5
Wildlife District Four: 360 E State St, Athens, OH 45701, tel. 740-589-9930. Wildlife officer for Ross County: Bob Nelson ((614) 565-9754). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night.
- Area map PDF (published 5/20/2022) · 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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5
Ross County Wildlife Area 5: 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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:23 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:56 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:28 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:06 a.m. | 5:28 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:44 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 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. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:53 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 7:53 a.m. to 5:20 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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5
Ross County Wildlife Area 5 hunters reach Paint Creek State Park Archery Range, the nearest ODNR-listed range, after about 9 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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5 for this season
Can I camp at Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
No camping here; stay in a nearby town.
When do the duck splits open around Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
Use Zone C: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
What orange garment do I need on Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
Portable stands are fine; baiting deer is not.
Who should I phone about hunting Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
The number on file is 740-589-9930.
Shooting hours for deer on Ross County Wildlife Area 5 this season?
For the gun opener: 7:03 a.m. until 5:42 p.m.
Can I hunt anywhere on Ross County Wildlife Area 5, or only parts?
Yes, open land.
Which town do I aim for when driving to Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
Greenfield is the nearest, 2 miles off.
Is Sunday hunting legal on Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
How do I report a deer from Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
How much ground does Ross County Wildlife Area 5 take in?
53 acres is the headline figure used on this page. Other measures appear in the table.
What paperwork must I carry on Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
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 Ross County Wildlife Area 5?
No 2026 lottery hunts are listed for it; hunt it during the regular seasons.
Wrapping up the Ross County Wildlife Area 5 plan
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Ross County Wildlife Area 5 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: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0).