Franklin County hunting
Hunting Near Westerville
City of Franklin County, Central Ohio. 1 mapped public area within a 10-mile radius; first stop Alum Creek State Park.
Photo: Paul Hurtado (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Westerville hunting picture
More than 25,000 people live in Westerville, a Franklin County city served by the Columbus district office. Westerville counted 38,612 residents in the 2024 Census population estimates. Public land is close: Alum Creek State Park lies 4.5 miles out, and the 10-mile count reaches 1 property. Franklin County is a 4-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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Westerville
Huntable public land around Westerville
Boundary distances from Westerville are GIS straight lines; check the ODNR area map before you drive. Counting everything to 25 miles from Westerville: 3 state parks, 2 state wildlife areas and 1 hatchery property. By acreage Delaware Wildlife Area leads the list (4,670 acres). Of the 6 tracts whose ODNR page names its game, 4 mention deer, 0 turkey and 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alum Creek State Park · 4.5 mi | State park | 4,630 | Restricted | deer, squirrel + | 2 lotteries |
| Delaware Wildlife Area · 18 mi | Wildlife area | 4,670 | Open | pheasant, waterfowl + | 1 lottery |
| Delaware State Park · 18 mi | State park | 1,686 | Restricted | deer, squirrel + | 2 lotteries |
| Mackey Ford Wildlife Area · 24 mi | Wildlife area | 200 | Open | deer, squirrel + | – |
| Hebron Fish Hatchery · 25 mi | Fish hatchery | 155 | Restricted | deer, waterfowl + | 5 lotteries |
| Buckeye Lake State Park · 25 mi | State park | 176 | Restricted | waterfowl, furbearer trapping | 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.
Franklin County rules that reach Westerville
Franklin County falls in the four-deer class this season, and no hunter may pass 6 deer statewide. The DSA does not reach Franklin County; deer baiting on private land there follows the statewide rule. The Zone C duck and goose calendar covers Franklin County. Spring gobblers near Westerville 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.
Three properties close to Westerville
Alum Creek State Park, 4.5 mi
Located near Ohio's capital city, Alum Creek State Park is a popular boating and camping destination. ODNR lists: deer, squirrel, rabbit, waterfowl, upland game birds, furbearer trapping. ODNR runs 2 lottery hunts here in 2026.
Delaware Wildlife Area, 18 mi
The 4,670-acre wildlife area is situated in central Ohio eight miles north of Delaware, 10 miles south of Marion, and between U.S. Routes 42 and 23. ODNR lists: pheasant, waterfowl, furbearer trapping, dove. ODNR runs 1 lottery hunt here in 2026. Dove hunters get 3 planted fields here. Mobility-impaired vehicle access is offered.
Delaware State Park, 18 mi
NOTICE (9/22/26): Area C of the campground (sites 101-157) will be closed beginning October 4, 2026, for a construction project. ODNR lists: deer, squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, waterfowl, fox. ODNR runs 2 lottery hunts here in 2026.
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.
Calendar of 2026-27 seasons reaching Westerville
Ohio runs one statewide calendar for most game, so the rows that change around Westerville are the waterfowl zone, the turkey zone and the deer bag limit, which is 4 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 C | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Zone C | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Zone C | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Zone C | 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.
Checked deer in Franklin County, home county of Westerville
The 2025-26 final report credits Franklin County with 709 deer; 2022-23 came in at 818. This season’s count for Franklin County stood at 164 through November 3, 2026. The 2025-26 deer summary splits Franklin County as 164 gun, 287 crossbow and 182 longbow deer. Spring turkey hunters checked 12 birds in Franklin County in 2026.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 818 | 376 | 442 | 573 | – |
| 2023-24 | 794 | 355 | 439 | 534 | – |
| 2024-25 | 638 | 257 | 381 | 413 | 225 |
| 2025-26 | 709 | 325 | 384 | 480 | 229 |
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.
ODNR offices and officers for Westerville
The ODNR office nearest Westerville is ODNR Division of Wildlife Headquarters, about 5 miles away. Wildlife area staff for this part of Central Ohio work out of Deer Creek Wildlife Area headquarters in Mt. Sterling. Brad Kiger is the wildlife officer ODNR lists for Franklin 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.
Ohio hunting events around Westerville
Kinds within 30 miles: NWTF banquet, RMEF banquet, hunter education class and sportsman’s expo. Count: 7 dates ahead; next is ODNR Hunter Education Class (Ashley).
| On | Listing | Miles off | Venue and county | Button | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2026 | ODNR Hunter Education Class (Ashley) · hunter education class, Ashley | 21 | Ashley, Delaware County | Register | Source |
| Nov 19, 2026 | ODNR Hunter Education Class (Waldo) · hunter education class, Waldo | 25 | Register | Source | |
| Jan 16, 2027 | RMEF Central Ohio Chapter Banquet · RMEF banquet, Orient | 25 | Orient, Pickaway County | Tickets | Source |
| Jan 29, 2027 | Buckeye Conservation Chapter NWTF Banquet · NWTF banquet, Pickerington | 18 | Pickerington, Fairfield County | Event details | Source |
| Mar 19–21, 2027 | Open Season Sportsman's Expo Ohio 2027 · sportsman’s expo, Columbus | 10 | Columbus, Franklin County | Ticket page | Source |
| Mar 20, 2027 | RMEF Two Rivers Chapter Banquet · RMEF banquet, Delaware | 14 | Delaware, Delaware County | Tickets | Source |
| Apr 11, 2027 | Buckeye Toms Banquet · NWTF banquet, Marengo | 20 | Marengo, Morrow County | Tickets | Source |
Held here recently
| Day | Event | Grounds | Who won | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | CH'PR'Uchtman One Eyed Darlin HTX BLU | Source |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | 'PR'B&w's Dr. Pheelgood TW | Source |
| Jul 11, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | GRNITECH(4)'PR'Ticking Time Bomb TW | Source |
| Jul 11, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | NITECH CH'PR'Baer Creek Wild Lady BLU | Source |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | 'PR'Country Grammar TW | Source |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Morrow Co CHA UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC nite hunt, Cardington | Cardington, Morrow County | CH'PR'Uchtman One Eyed Darlin HTX BLU | Source |
Westerville gun shops, butchers and taxidermy
Gear shopping is covered from Westerville: 48 stores and 7 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.
Westerville hunters: clubs and public ranges close by
Miles are measured from the Census point of Westerville.
Delaware Wildlife Area Shooting Range, about 22 miles away, is the public range nearest Westerville. Hours
Straight-line miles from the town centre; ranges checked November 6, 2026.
Shooting hours for Westerville
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 Westerville.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Waterfowl, squirrel | Rabbit, pheasant, dove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:22 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:26 a.m. | 7:16 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:06 a.m. | 5:25 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:55 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:44 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:50 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:50 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:54 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:54 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.
Westerville hunting FAQ
Does the Westerville area fall inside Ohio’s CWD surveillance zone?
It does not. Franklin County lies wholly outside Disease Surveillance Area 2021-01.
What deer limit applies to hunters from Westerville?
4 deer in Franklin County, within the Ohio total of 6 deer and 1 antlered.
Are fall turkeys legal game near Westerville?
Yes, Franklin County made the list of 70 fall counties; birds were legal October 1 to October 25, 2026.
Which waterfowl calendar do Westerville duck hunters follow?
Zone C. One calendar covers the whole county.
Where can Westerville hunters buy maps or ask ODNR staff?
Start at ODNR Division of Wildlife Headquarters in Columbus, roughly 5 miles from Westerville.
Which Franklin County seasons are running for Westerville hunters now?
Deer, Squirrels, Cottontail, Pheasant and Chukar had open rows in Franklin County on November 6, 2026. After that: Red fox (Hunting) opens November 10.
What does the services list show for Westerville?
Inside 25 miles of Westerville: 48 shops, 1 processors, 7 taxidermists and 0 guides or preserves.
When must deer hunters near Westerville quit for the evening?
Thirty minutes past sunset, which put the close at 5:55 p.m. on November 6, 2026.
Did deer numbers in Franklin County rise or fall in 2025-26?
They rose, from 638 to 709.
How do controlled hunting lotteries work near Westerville?
Apply online for $3 each; deer, waterfowl, dove and small game hunts are drawn in summer. 11 hunts use land within 25 miles of Westerville.
How many public hunting acres surround Westerville?
GIS puts 3,983 public acres within 10 miles and 14,042 within 25; Alum Creek State Park is the nearest at 4.5 mi.
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 Westerville
Plan the Westerville trip: county limit first, then the season, then the land page for access rules.
Other photos on this page: Art Anderson (CC BY-SA 3.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); OhioOakTree (CC BY-SA 4.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0).