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State park · Ohio public hunting land
Van Buren State Park hunting, rules and county limits
296 acres of public state park ground in Hancock County.
Photo: Nyttend (Public domain)
Getting to Van Buren State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Van Buren State Park
- Horse trailer parkingParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 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 Van Buren State Park is
Expect 296 acres of state park here, in Hancock County, with the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft in charge. In ODNR terms this is District 2 country, with district staff based in Findlay. Non-hunters share the ground for camping, 3d archery, disc golf and hiking and use the hiking trails, horseback trails and mountain bike. In the parcel data the land is owned outright by the state. In the Ohio Administrative Code it is "Van Buren" (1501:31-15-04(A)(2)).
In the words of its ODNR page:
“Dam Notching and Water Level Lowering Underway (August 2025): As part of the Rocky Ford Creek Restoration project, the lake at Van Buren State Park is not navigable.”
Not every ODNR source agrees: the spread is 294 to 296 acres.
| Where the figure comes from | Acres |
|---|---|
| Property Details layer | 296 |
| Water (Property Details) | 45 |
| Hunting-status layer | 294 |
| GIS parcel area | 296 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Official word on Van Buren State Park game
Two lines from the agency page on hunting Van Buren State Park, quoted as written:
“Mammals found in the area include red fox, red squirrel, white-tailed deer, raccoon, skunk and opossum.”
“Other animals found include eastern garter snake, spring peeper, eastern bluebird, eastern meadowlark, cowbird, woodcock and short-eared owl.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Before the first shot on Van Buren State Park
Restricted status means only some of Van Buren State Park is open; take the map along.
- Baiting deer is banned on all public hunting areas.
- Public land limit: no more than two antlerless deer a year.
- Stay inside the mapped hunting zones of the park.
- Stay 400 feet away from shelters and parking lots.
- Do not fire from or over a road, driveway or trail.
- Permanent duck blinds require a park permit.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules, OAC 1501:46-15-07; checked November 6, 2026.
Van Buren State Park season dates, game by game
For deer, squirrel, woodcock, raccoon, fox and trapping, here are the 2026-27 windows that apply on Van Buren State Park.
| Game | Kind | Begins | Ends | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | County limit |
| Deer | Archery (DSA) | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | 6 deer (DSA) |
| Deer | Early gun (DSA) | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | 6 deer (DSA) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Oct 16, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 3 daily |
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 Van Buren State Park on the map
First on the neighbour list is Hancock County Wildlife Area 1, 2 miles away and north of here. Six neighbours by kind: 6 wildlife areas. Off limits to hunting close by: Springville Marsh State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County WA 1 | Wildlife area | 57 | Hancock | 2 miles | north |
| Wood County WA 6 | Wildlife area | 72 | Wood | 3 miles | northeast |
| Hancock County WA 2 | Wildlife area | 51 | Hancock | 5 miles | west |
| Hancock County WA 4 | Wildlife area | 53 | Hancock | 7 miles | southwest |
| Wood County WA 8 | Wildlife area | 39 | Wood | 8 miles | northwest |
| Wood County WA 4 | Wildlife area | 74 | Wood | 9 miles | north |
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 Van Buren State Park
County limit where it lies: 3 deer (Hancock County). 2025-26 harvest, Hancock County: 2,345 deer. Early 2026-27 tally (to November 3, 2026): 428 deer.
| County | Deer bag | DSA | Duck zone | Turkey | Fall | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 3 deer | Some townships | B | South | Open | 2,345 |
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 Van Buren State Park
Fuel, ice and groceries: Findlay is nearest, 6 miles away. The closest ODNR desk: Findlay, 8 miles in a straight line.
| Nearest towns | County | Population | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Findlay | Hancock | 40,343 | 6 miles | south |
| Bowling Green | Wood | 30,463 | 17 miles | north |
| Ottawa | Putnam | 4,422 | 23 miles | west |
| Tiffin | Seneca | 17,729 | 23 miles | east |
| Upper Sandusky | Wyandot | 6,627 | 28 miles | southeast |
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 Van Buren State Park, 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 Van Buren State Park rather than a Columbus table.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Waterfowl, squirrel | Rabbit, pheasant, dove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | DSA archery opens | 7:11 a.m. | 7:51 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 8:21 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:25 a.m. | 7:27 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:57 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:30 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | DSA early gun | 7:39 a.m. | 7:04 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:11 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:29 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:39 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:56 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:56 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 8:00 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 8:00 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.
Maps and contacts for Van Buren State Park
The Wildlife District Two office is at 952 Lima Ave, Findlay, OH 45840 (419-424-5000). Report problems to Ryan Burke, the county wildlife officer, at (419) 429-8384. Report poaching at 1-800-762-2437. Map text: Except for areas that are closer than 400 feet from any structure, parking lot, or trail. Map text: distribution or publication, this source must be referenced.
- Hunting map PDF · legend: boat ramp, parking, restroom, latrine, camping, closed to hunting, trail, lake
- Download the Hunting Map
- Van Buren State Park Map
- Point on 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 of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Pictures from Van Buren State Park country and its game
Public range and clubs on the road to Van Buren State Park
For a no-dues line, Van Buren State Park hunters head 8 miles to Wildlife District 2 Office Shooting Range. 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.
Van Buren State Park questions, from permits to parking
Can I hunt Van Buren State Park on a Sunday in Ohio?
Ohio law has no Sunday closure.
Do I need more than an Ohio hunting license for Van Buren State Park?
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.
How big is the Van Buren State Park property in acres?
It takes in 296 acres of ground. GIS and map figures vary.
What is the deer limit at Van Buren State Park?
The county limit of 3 applies. One antlered deer statewide; public areas cap antlerless deer at two a year.
Does ODNR draw permits for Van Buren State Park?
None on the 2026 list, so regular seasons apply.
Which Ohio waterfowl zone covers Van Buren State Park?
Waterfowl Zone B: ducks Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
Is there a campground at Van Buren State Park?
Campsites exist on the property; hunt away from them.
What are the stand and baiting rules on Van Buren State Park?
Bait is banned on public land; use portable stands only.
Orange clothing rules at Van Buren State Park?
Wear an orange vest, coat or coveralls in all deer gun weeks; duck hunters are exempt.
What time can I start deer hunting at Van Buren State Park?
Legal deer light on November 30, 2026: 7:09 a.m. to 5:38 p.m.
Where do I take questions about Van Buren State Park?
Call (419) 832-7662.
How far is Van Buren State Park from the closest town?
Findlay sits 6 miles from the point.
Are parts of Van Buren State Park closed to hunters?
It is restricted; check the map.
Other photos on this page: Fyn Kynd (CC BY 2.0); DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain).