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Hunt Sycamore State Park this 2026-27 season
Hunting ground of 2,384 acres, run as a state park in Montgomery County.
Photo: Logan Rickert (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Sycamore State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Sycamore State Park
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 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.
Sycamore State Park by the numbers ODNR keeps
The ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft manages Sycamore State Park, 2,384 acres of state park ground in Montgomery County. For wildlife work it falls under District 5, run from Xenia. Natural features on record: fall color. ODNR also lists kayaking, hiking, paddling and fishing here, with snowmobile, hiking trails and horseback trails. By tenure the ground is owned outright by the state. It appears in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(2) as "Sycamore", the legal list of public hunting land.
The property page says:
“The first inhabitants of the area were the Adena Native Americans who resided in Ohio around 800 B.C. to 700 A.D. Evidence of their presence can be seen at the ceremonial mound found in the park.”
Layers give between 2,368 and 2,395 acres, so the table shows each one.
| Measure | Acres |
|---|---|
| Property Details layer | 2,384 |
| Water (Property Details) | 5 |
| Hunting-status layer | 2,395 |
| GIS parcel area | 2,368 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Agency notes on hunting Sycamore State Park
Quoted from the official listing for Sycamore State Park:
“By 1880, farm production in the area was greater than anywhere else in Ohio ending the abundance of forest and game.”
“The increasing wildlife population includes red fox, deer, woodchuck, raccoon and coyote in addition to a variety of songbirds and waterfowl.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Ground rules for hunting Sycamore State Park
Not all of Sycamore State Park is huntable; the restricted tag points you to the map.
- Feed and bait are not allowed.
- The public-area antlerless limit is two per license year.
- Hunt only in the areas the park hunting map shows open.
- Keep 400 feet from camping areas, lots and buildings.
- Never shoot across a park road or trail.
- Blind permits apply to permanent waterfowl blinds.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules, OAC 1501:46-15-07; checked November 6, 2026.
What ODNR plants and maintains on Sycamore State Park
Archery practice is offered on site.
From the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Dates and limits for hunting Sycamore State Park
The record pairs Sycamore State Park with deer, turkey, squirrel, waterfowl, raccoon, coyote and fox. For ducks and geese it sits in Zone C.
| Game | Window | From | To | Daily 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 |
| 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 |
| Beaver | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| River otter | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 1 of the 3 |
| 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 | Oct 25, 2026 | 6 ducks daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 ducks daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 5 daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 15, 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.
Sycamore State Park: next-nearest open land, by miles
Closest neighbour on the ODNR map: Stillwater Wildlife Area, 9 miles east. Neighbour mix: 5 wildlife areas and 1 military site.
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stillwater Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 5 | Montgomery | 9 miles | east |
| Wright-Patterson Air Force Base | Military | 5,169 | Greene | 17 miles | east |
| Woodland Trails Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 718 | Preble | 19 miles | southwest |
| Beaver Creek Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 373 | Greene | 19 miles | east |
| Rush Run Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,165 | Preble | 20 miles | southwest |
| Darke Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 316 | Darke | 23 miles | north |
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.
Where Sycamore State Park sits in Ohio's rules
The Montgomery County deer limit is 3 this season, only one of them antlered statewide. Montgomery County hunters checked 980 deer in 2025-26 (434 antlered). Through November 3, 2026: 261 deer checked.
| County | Bag | CWD area | Waterfowl | Turkey zone | Fall | Harvest 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Closed | 980 |
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.
Where to fuel up and grab ice near Sycamore State Park
Dayton is the closest town on this site to Sycamore State Park, 9 miles in a straight line. ODNR staff closest to Sycamore State Park work out of Somerville, 21 miles off.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | Montgomery | 136,346 | 9 miles | east |
| Kettering | Montgomery | 57,028 | 13 miles | southeast |
| Huber Heights | Montgomery | 43,590 | 14 miles | east |
| Eaton | Preble | 8,337 | 15 miles | west |
| Centerville | Montgomery | 26,311 | 16 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Sycamore State Park legal-hour chart by opener
Ohio deer hunters may shoot from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks, geese, squirrels and fall turkeys stop at sunset; rabbits, pheasants, quail and doves wait for sunrise.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Deer | Waterfowl | Small game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:27 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:11 a.m. | 5:31 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 6:01 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:38 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:38 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:49 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:55 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:55 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:59 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:59 a.m. to 5:23 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.
Reaching Sycamore State Park and its managers
Your district office: 1076 Old Springfield Pike, Xenia, OH 45385, 937-372-9261. The officer assigned to Montgomery County is Trent Weaver, (937) 545-6768. Call 1-800-POACHER to report a violation anonymously. The map PDF adds: distribution or publication, this source must be referenced. The map PDF adds: shoot on, from, or across any road, driveway, or trail within any area administered by the division.
- Hunting map PDF · legend: parking, latrine, camping, campground, closed to hunting, hunting permitted, trail, lake
- Sycamore State Park Map
- Sycamore Hiking Map
- Open the point in Google Maps
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.
Images for sizing up a Sycamore State Park hunt
Sycamore State Park hunters: public range plus clubs
Rush Run Wildlife Area Shooting Range is 20 miles from Sycamore State Park and is the nearest public range on ODNR’s list. Club and private ranges within 30 miles fill the other cards.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Common Sycamore State Park questions with sourced answers
Is hunting restricted anywhere on Sycamore State Park?
Parts are closed or limited; carry the map.
Where is Sycamore State Park relative to the nearest town?
Dayton is the nearest, 9 miles off.
Does Ohio law allow Sunday hunts on Sycamore State Park?
Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio.
When must I check game taken on Sycamore State Park?
Noon the next day is the deadline for the game check.
How many acres of hunting land is Sycamore State Park?
2,384 acres, from the ODNR Property Details layer. The table above lists every source.
Which Ohio license and permits do I need for Sycamore State Park?
A hunting license and species permits, as anywhere in Ohio; no separate area permit for general hunting.
Can I apply for a drawn hunt at Sycamore State Park?
No controlled hunts are on file for it.
Deer bag limit for Sycamore State Park?
Up to 3, by the county rule. Remember the one-antlered rule and the two-antlerless public land cap.
Overnight stays at Sycamore State Park?
There is a campground; check the park page.
When can ducks be hunted on Sycamore State Park this year?
Ducks in Zone C open Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Hunter orange rules for Sycamore State Park in deer season?
A hunter orange vest or coat during the gun deer seasons; no square-inch rule.
Stand and bait rules for Sycamore State Park?
Portable stands only, with nothing driven into the tree, and no bait: deer baiting is illegal on public hunting areas.
What office handles Sycamore State Park for ODNR?
Try (513) 523-6347.
Sign-off notes for Sycamore State Park hunters
Report your deer or turkey by noon the next day, and keep your license and permits on you while hunting Sycamore State Park.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5 · source 6; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0); 小福 (CC BY-SA 2.0).