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Wildlife area · Northwest Ohio woods and fields
Willard Marsh Wildlife Area hunting guide for 2026-27
1,670 acres on record as a state wildlife area in Huron County.
Photo: JBTHEMILKER (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Getting to Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 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 Willard Marsh Wildlife Area allows and what it bans
The hunting-status layer shows Willard Marsh Wildlife Area as open throughout.
- Motor vehicles: designated roads and parking only.
- Overnight camping is off the table on this ground.
- 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 Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
Willard Marsh Wildlife Area at a glance for hunters
Willard Marsh Wildlife Area: 1,670 acres in Huron County, classed as a state wildlife area and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. By the ODNR description it lies roughly 3 miles southwest of Willard. Northwest Ohio is its home district; the district office sits in Findlay. ODNR tags the land with woods, grassland, crops, streams, wetlands and ponds. Besides hunting, people come for hiking and birding, on hunter access. Land purchases date back to 1942, the last in 1961; several state funds and Wildlife Restoration money paid for them. Ownership on file: owned outright by the state. Legal footing: OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) ("Willard marsh").
Mapping methods differ, so size ranges from 1,390 to 1,680 acres.
| Layer or document | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 1,670 |
| Property Details layer | 1,390 |
| Water (Property Details) | 281 |
| Hunting-status layer | 1,671 |
| GIS parcel area | 1,680 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
2026-27 season dates for the game on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
Game on record for Willard Marsh Wildlife Area: dove.
| Species | Season | Opening | Closing | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mourning dove | Dove | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | 15 daily |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 15 daily |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (dove fields layer); checked November 6, 2026.
Willard Marsh Wildlife Area counties, limits and harvest
Hunters on this ground follow the Huron County limit of 3 deer. 2025-26 harvest, Huron County: 3,520 deer. Running total to November 3, 2026: 618.
| County | Deer | Surveillance | Ducks | Spring zone | Fall season | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huron County | 3 deer | No | B | South | Open | 3,520 |
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.
Fields, dogs and ranges on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
Willard Marsh Wildlife Area dove fields, field by field
Dove hunters get 1 managed field (8 acres); crops include winter wheat and annual seed producing plants. Every field is first come, first served.
| Field | Acres | Status | Planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 8.0 | Non-Controlled | winter wheat, annual seed producing plants |
From the ODNR dove fields layer; checked November 6, 2026.
Willard Marsh Wildlife Area and the open ground around it
When parking fills at Willard Marsh Wildlife Area, Silver Creek Wildlife Area waits 13 miles to the west. Close by are 5 wildlife areas and 1 scenic river area.
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Creek Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 42 | Seneca | 13 miles | west |
| Milan Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 300 | Erie | 20 miles | north |
| Seneca County WA 3 | Wildlife area | 70 | Seneca | 22 miles | northwest |
| Seneca County WA 1 | Wildlife area | 40 | Seneca | 22 miles | northwest |
| Heck Bridge Area – Sandusky Scenic River | Scenic river | 22 | Seneca | 22 miles | west |
| Sandusky County WA 4 | Wildlife area | 75 | Sandusky | 22 miles | northwest |
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.
Stores, deer processors and towns serving Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
The handiest town is Celeryville, 2 miles off. Mansfield tops the list at 47,593 people. ODNR Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area headquarters is the nearest Division office, roughly 31 miles away.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celeryville | Huron | – | 2 miles | northeast |
| Bucyrus | Crawford | 11,567 | 18 miles | southwest |
| Norwalk | Huron | 17,172 | 18 miles | northeast |
| Mansfield | Richland | 47,593 | 21 miles | southeast |
| Tiffin | Seneca | 17,729 | 23 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 Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
Wildlife District Two: 952 Lima Ave, Findlay, OH 45840, tel. 419-424-5000. Wildlife officer for Huron County: Matthew D. Smith ((419) 429-8387). See a violation? 1-800-POACHER takes calls day and night. From the map sheet: city of Willard. Section Line Road provides access to the area from U.S. Route 224, three miles west of Willard. From the map sheet: continuing 1.5 miles past the village of Celeryville.
- Area map PDF · legend: parking, hunting area, marsh, grassland, brushland, woodland, lake
- ODNR hunting regulations web map
- 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.
Willard Marsh Wildlife Area: 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 Willard Marsh Wildlife Area.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer light | Marsh light | Field light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:21 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:26 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:07 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:25 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:35 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:35 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:52 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:52 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:56 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 7:56 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.
What the cover looks like around Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
Willard Marsh Wildlife Area hunters: public range plus clubs
Resthaven Wildlife Area Shooting Range (the shooting range permit for adults ($5.00 a day)) is 28 miles from Willard Marsh Wildlife Area. 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.
What meets on or near Willard Marsh Wildlife Area
Held on this property or within about 10 miles: 1 date ahead. Checked November 5, 2026. 1 of them was full or sold out on the check date.
| On | Listing | Away | Venue and county | Button | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 | Full ODNR Hunter Education Class (Shiloh) · hunter education class, Shiloh | 9 | Shiloh, Richland County | Class page (full) | Source |
Straight answers on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area for this season
Is Sunday hunting legal on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
Yes, Sundays are open in season.
How is a turkey or deer from Willard Marsh Wildlife Area checked?
Game check closes at noon the next day; use the app, the website or the phone line.
How many acres of hunting land is Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
1,670 acres is the headline figure used on this page. Other measures appear in the table.
What paperwork must I carry on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
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 Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
No 2026 lottery hunts are listed for it; hunt it during the regular seasons.
What is the deer limit at Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
The county limit of 3 applies. Statewide, only one antlered deer, and no more than two antlerless deer may come from public hunting areas.
Is there a campground at Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
No camping here; stay in a nearby town.
When do the duck splits open around Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
Use Zone B: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
What orange garment do I need on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
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 Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
Portable stands are fine; baiting deer is not.
Where do I take questions about Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
Call (419) 424-5000.
Shooting hours for deer on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area this season?
For the gun opener: 7:05 a.m. until 5:35 p.m.
Does ODNR plant for doves on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area?
1: 23.
Final word on Willard Marsh Wildlife Area for this season
Confirm the county limit, the zone and the open dates for Willard Marsh Wildlife Area before you load the truck.
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: greenebriar (Public domain); Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0); Peter Wallack (CC BY-SA 3.0).