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Hunting access · Ohio wildlife area
Hunt Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area this 2026-27 season
Hunting ground of 6,696 acres, run as a state wildlife area in Hocking County and Athens County.
Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Wallace H. O’Dowd Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Wallace H. O’Dowd Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Long Ridge THTrailhead · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Monday Creek THTrailhead · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 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.
Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area by the numbers ODNR keeps
Expect 6,696 acres of state wildlife area here, in Hocking County and Athens County, with the ODNR Division of Wildlife in charge. For wildlife work it falls under District 4, run from Athens. ODNR also lists hiking and birding here, with Buckeye Trail. By tenure the ground is owned outright by the state. It appears in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) as "Wallace H. O'Dowd", the legal list of public hunting land.
The property page says:
“The 6,696-acre Wallace O'Dowd Wildlife Area includes the former Trimble Wildlife Area and the Sunday Creek Wildlife Area.”
Layers give between 6,696 and 10,149 acres, so the table shows each one.
| Measure | Acres |
|---|---|
| Area map PDF | 6,696 |
| Property Details layer | 10,074 |
| Water (Property Details) | 26 |
| Hunting-status layer | 10,149 |
| GIS parcel area | 9,996 |
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 Wallace H. O’Dowd Wildlife Area
Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area lottery hunts for 2026
The 2026 lottery list has 1 hunt on Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area (1 trapping). Entry fee: $3 per hunt, no refunds, one entry each. In-person trapping drawings: October 3, 2026, district offices.
| Number | Name | Kind | When to apply | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2948 | Wallace H Odowd 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.
Ground rules for hunting Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area
Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area is open ground in the ODNR status map.
- No driving off the posted roads; park in the lots.
- No campsites on this property.
- Closed 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. from September through May 1 to anything but hunting, trapping and fishing.
- Guns may be fired only in lawful hunting, trapping or range use.
- Feed and bait are not allowed.
- Bring a portable stand; permanent stands are illegal.
- The public-area antlerless limit is two per license year.
- Parts of the season need a controlled-hunt permit.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Dates and limits for hunting Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area
The record pairs Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area with deer and trapping.
| 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 |
| 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 |
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.
Mapped hunting places beside Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area
Closest neighbour on the ODNR map: Taylor Ridge Wildlife Area, 3 miles southeast. Neighbour mix: 3 wildlife areas, 2 public hunting areas and 1 state park. Do not mistake these for open ground: Riddle State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Ridge Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,226 | Athens | 3 miles | southeast |
| Burr Oak State Park | State park | 2,593 | Morgan | 8 miles | east |
| Imhoff Preserve Wildlife Area | Hunting area | 106 | Perry | 9 miles | northwest |
| Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area | Hunting area | 1,175 | Athens | 10 miles | south |
| Wolf Creek Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 3,978 | Morgan | 12 miles | east |
| Waterloo Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 2,659 | Athens | 13 miles | southwest |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 3 parcels (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 Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area sits in Ohio's rules
The Hocking County deer limit is 2 this season, only one of them antlered statewide. Hocking County hunters checked 2,643 deer in 2025-26 (1,236 antlered). Through November 3, 2026: 496 deer checked.
| County | Bag | CWD area | Waterfowl | Turkey zone | Fall | Harvest 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hocking County | 2 deer | No | C | South | Open | 2,643 |
| 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.
Where to fuel up and grab ice near Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area
Murray City is the closest town on this site to Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area, under a mile in a straight line. Of the five, Logan is the biggest with 7,142 residents (2024 estimate). For face-to-face help, the Malta ODNR office lies 12 miles away as the crow flies.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray City | Hocking | 335 | under a mile | south |
| Nelsonville | Athens | 4,555 | 5 miles | southwest |
| Trimble | Athens | 329 | 5 miles | southeast |
| Haydenville | Hocking | – | 9 miles | west |
| Logan | Hocking | 7,142 | 13 miles | west |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area 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 | 7:19 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 | 7:23 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:02 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:23 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. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 5:05 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. | 5:15 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:15 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 Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area and its managers
Your district office: 360 E State St, Athens, OH 45701, 740-589-9930. The officer assigned to Hocking County is Chris Dodge, (614) 257-7792. Call 1-800-POACHER to report a violation anonymously.
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, 3 parcels (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Images for sizing up a Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area hunt
Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area hunters: public range plus clubs
Morgan County holds the ODNR-listed range nearest Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area: Wolf Creek Wildlife Area Shooting Range (13 miles). 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.
Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area: what Buckeye hunters keep asking
Can I apply for a drawn hunt at Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
ODNR lists 1: trapping. Each costs $3 to enter.
Which county deer limit applies to Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
Up to 2, by the county rule. Remember the one-antlered rule and the two-antlerless public land cap.
Overnight stays at Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
No overnight camping.
When can ducks be hunted on Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area this year?
Ducks in Zone C open Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
When is hunter orange required on Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
A hunter orange vest or coat during the gun deer seasons; no square-inch rule.
Stand and bait rules for Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
Portable stands only, with nothing driven into the tree, and no bait: deer baiting is illegal on public hunting areas.
What office handles Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area for ODNR?
Try (740) 589-9930.
What are deer hunting hours at Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area on the gun opener?
Deer hours run 6:59 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. on November 30, 2026, worked out for this spot.
Is hunting restricted anywhere on Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
Open: no restricted parcels.
Which town on this site is nearest to Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
Head to Murray City, under a mile away.
Is Sunday hunting legal on Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio.
When must I check game taken on Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
Noon the next day is the deadline for the game check.
How many acres of hunting land is Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area?
6,696 acres, from the ODNR area map PDF. The table above lists every source.
Sign-off notes for Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area hunters
Report your deer or turkey by noon the next day, and keep your license and permits on you while hunting Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area.
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: ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain).