Lorain County, District 3
Hunting Near Lorain
City of Lorain County, Northeast Ohio. Expect a 17-mile trip to the first public hunting ground, Camp Belden Wildlife Area.
Photo: Josh Gross (CC BY 2.0)
The Lorain hunting picture
More than 25,000 people live in Lorain, a Lorain County city served by the Akron district office. Lorain counted 65,751 residents in the 2024 Census population estimates. Lorain is one of 37 Ohio towns here with no public hunting ground inside 10 miles, so plan on driving to Camp Belden Wildlife Area, 17 miles out. Lorain County is a 3-deer county for 2026-27, so that is the most deer one hunter may tag in the county this season.
Town point, population and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; wildlife district from the ODNR County Contacts layer; public land rings from ODNR and PAD-US boundaries (GIS acres); deer limit from the 2026-27 deer bag limit map. Checked November 6, 2026.
Lorain County rules that reach Lorain
Lorain County falls in the three-deer class this season, and no hunter may pass 6 deer statewide. The DSA does not reach Lorain County; deer baiting on private land there follows the statewide rule. The Zone B duck and goose calendar covers Lorain County. Spring gobblers near Lorain follow the South zone; fall birds are legal in the county. Other county rules: river otter trapping is in Otter Zone B. License money first: $19.00 for residents, $180.96 for visitors, and a separate deer or turkey permit on top. Pack an orange vest or coat for the gun weeks; Ohio sets no square-inch figure, just the garment. The game check deadline for deer is noon the next day.
Deer limits from the 2026-27 deer bag limit map and regulations; DSA from OAC 1501:31-19-03; CWD detections from ODNR; waterfowl zones from the 2026-27 regulations; turkey zones from the turkey rules. Checked November 6, 2026.
Huntable public land around Lorain
Boundary distances from Lorain are GIS straight lines; check the ODNR area map before you drive. Counting everything to 25 miles from Lorain: 4 state wildlife areas, 1 state park and 1 public hunting area. By acreage Findley State Park leads the list (838 acres). Of the 5 tracts whose ODNR page names its game, 3 mention deer, 1 turkey and 3 waterfowl. Read the status column as ODNR marks the parcels: open, or restricted to certain methods, zones or dates.
| Hunting ground, how far | Kind | Size (ac) | Status | Hunted for | Lottery hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Belden Wildlife Area · 17 mi | Wildlife area | 610 | Restricted | pheasant | – |
| Findley State Park · 21 mi | State park | 838 | Restricted | deer, waterfowl + | 1 lottery |
| Wellington Wildlife Area · 22 mi | Wildlife area | 203 | Open | Ohio seasons | – |
| Spencer Lake Wildlife Area · 22 mi | Wildlife area | 618 | Open | deer, turkey + | 1 lottery |
| Putnam Marsh Hunting Area · 23 mi | Public hunting area | 60 | Restricted | waterfowl | 4 lotteries |
| Joseph Steinen Wildlife Area · 24 mi | Wildlife area | 157 | Restricted | deer | 1 lottery |
Distances and acres from places.json and lands.json (ODNR_LANDS and hunting-status layers, PAD-US 4.1, USFS layers; GIS measures, not surveyed acreage); status from the ODNR hunting-status layer; lotteries from the 2026 controlled hunting access lists. Checked November 6, 2026.
Three properties close to Lorain
Camp Belden Wildlife Area, 17 mi
Camp Belden Wildlife Area is a 610-acre state wildlife area located 3 miles north of Litchfield. ODNR lists: pheasant.
Findley State Park, 21 mi
Located in northeast Ohio, the 838-acre Findley State Park was once a state forest and is heavily wooded with stately pines and various hardwoods. ODNR lists: deer, waterfowl, raccoon, fox, furbearer trapping. ODNR runs 1 lottery hunt here in 2026.
Wellington Wildlife Area, 22 mi
Wellington Wildlife Area is a 203-acre state wildlife area located 3 miles south of Wellington.
Descriptions, species, dove fields and access from each property’s ODNR page and the ODNR property details layer, or the agency page linked on the land page (lands.json); lotteries from the 2026 controlled hunting lists. Checked November 6, 2026.
Checked deer in Lorain County, home county of Lorain
The 2025-26 final report credits Lorain County with 2,799 deer; 2022-23 came in at 2,368. This season’s count for Lorain County stood at 650 through November 3, 2026. The 2025-26 deer summary splits Lorain County as 954 gun, 1,092 crossbow and 325 longbow deer. Spring turkey hunters checked 148 birds in Lorain County in 2026.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,368 | 960 | 1,408 | 1,272 | – |
| 2023-24 | 2,629 | 1,156 | 1,473 | 1,455 | – |
| 2024-25 | 3,040 | 1,258 | 1,782 | 1,554 | 1,486 |
| 2025-26 | 2,799 | 1,160 | 1,639 | 1,438 | 1,361 |
Final weekly deer harvest reports: 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26; 2026-27 to date from the in-season report; spring turkey from the 2026 spring turkey results; 2025-26 by method from the 2025-26 deer summary. County totals, not town figures. Checked November 6, 2026.
Calendar of 2026-27 seasons reaching Lorain
Ohio runs one statewide calendar for most game, so the rows that change around Lorain are the waterfowl zone, the turkey zone and the deer bag limit, which is 3 here.
| Game | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Deer | Youth gun | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Deer | Gun | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Deer | Bonus gun | Statewide | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall counties | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Chukar | Regular | Statewide | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 1) | Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Zone B | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Zone B | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Statewide | Oct 16, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 25, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Rails | Rail | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Gallinule | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Crow (Fri-Sun) | Statewide | Jun 5, 2026 | Mar 7, 2027 | |
| Groundhog | No closed season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting (no closed season) | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Trapping (no closed season) | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Mink | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Muskrat | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| River otter | Trapping | Otter Zone B | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Beaver | Trapping | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
From the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and the 2026-27 hunting seasons list (ODNR Division of Wildlife), checked November 6, 2026.
Lorain gun shops, butchers and taxidermy
Gear shopping is covered from Lorain: 42 stores and 4 taxidermists sit within 25 miles.
Listings from Yellow Pages, store locators, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry and the ODNR office list (services.json); not every listing was checked as open, so call first. Checked November 6, 2026.
ODNR offices and officers for Lorain
The ODNR office nearest Lorain is ODNR Lake Erie Fisheries & Enforcement Units, about 27 miles away. Wildlife area staff for this part of Northeast Ohio work out of Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area headquarters in Vickery. Randy White is the wildlife officer ODNR lists for Lorain County.
District offices from the ODNR wildlife contacts page and Districts layer; county wildlife officers from the ODNR County Contacts layer; nearest offices measured from the town point (services.json); ranger district offices from the USFS office layer (places.json). Checked November 6, 2026.
Lorain: closest lines for a slug-gun zero
Miles are measured from the Census point of Lorain.
Spencer Lake Wildlife Area Shooting Range, about 23 miles away, is the public range nearest Lorain. Hours
Straight-line miles from the town centre; ranges checked November 6, 2026.
Ohio hunting events around Lorain
Kinds within 30 miles: DU dinner and NWTF banquet. Count: 2 dates ahead; next is Norwalk Ducks Unlimited Banquet.
| On | Listing | Miles off | Venue and county | Button | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 19, 2026 | Norwalk Ducks Unlimited Banquet · DU dinner, Norwalk | 26 | Norwalk, Huron County | Tickets | Source |
| Apr 10, 2027 | Huron River Valley Fantails NWTF Banquet · NWTF banquet, Sandusky | 28 | Sandusky, Erie County | Tickets | Source |
Lorain hours on key season dates
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 Lorain.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Waterfowl, squirrel | Rabbit, pheasant, dove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 7:24 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:05 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:24 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:34 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:51 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | 7:51 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:55 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:55 a.m. to 5:09 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.
Lorain hunting FAQ
How many public hunting acres surround Lorain?
None inside 10 miles; 2,735 GIS acres lie within 25, beginning at Camp Belden Wildlife Area.
Did deer numbers in Lorain County rise or fall in 2025-26?
They fell, from 3,040 to 2,799.
Does the Lorain area fall inside Ohio’s CWD surveillance zone?
It does not. Lorain County lies wholly outside Disease Surveillance Area 2021-01.
What deer limit applies to hunters from Lorain?
3 deer in Lorain County, within the Ohio total of 6 deer and 1 antlered.
Are fall turkeys legal game near Lorain?
Yes, Lorain County made the list of 70 fall counties; birds were legal October 1 to October 25, 2026.
Which waterfowl calendar do Lorain duck hunters follow?
Zone B. One calendar covers the whole county.
Where can Lorain hunters buy maps or ask ODNR staff?
Start at ODNR Lake Erie Fisheries & Enforcement Units in Sandusky, roughly 27 miles from Lorain.
Which Lorain County seasons are running for Lorain hunters now?
Deer, Squirrels, Cottontail, Pheasant and Chukar had open rows in Lorain County on November 6, 2026. After that: Red fox (Hunting) opens November 10.
What does the services list show for Lorain?
Inside 25 miles of Lorain: 42 shops, 2 processors, 4 taxidermists and 0 guides or preserves.
When must deer hunters near Lorain quit for the evening?
Thirty minutes past sunset, which put the close at 5:50 p.m. on November 6, 2026.
How do controlled hunting lotteries work near Lorain?
Apply online for $3 each; deer, waterfowl, dove and small game hunts are drawn in summer. 7 hunts use land within 25 miles of Lorain.
Answers from places.json, lands.json, regs.json, harvest.json and services.json, the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and the 2026-27 hunting seasons list. Checked November 6, 2026.
Beyond Lorain
Plan the Lorain trip: county limit first, then the season, then the land page for access rules.
Other photos on this page: Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0); Rona Proudfoot (CC BY-SA 2.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0); Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0).