COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Natural Areas and Preserves is holding special deer hunts at nine state nature preserves where native plant communities are threatened by high deer populations.
Special gun hunts will be offered this year at Boch Hollow and Stage’s Pond state nature preserves. Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve will again provide both archery and gun hunting opportunities. The remaining hunts at Caesar Creek, Davey Woods, Gallagher Fen, Goll Woods, Hueston Woods and Lawrence Woods state nature preserves will be archery only.
Hunters must attend a mandatory meeting for each preserve in which they would like to hunt. After each meeting, hunters can purchase a $5 ticket to be entered into the preserve’s special hunt drawing. Hunters who wish to apply for hunts at multiple sites will have to attend multiple meetings and purchase additional tickets. Entry forms will not be accepted by mail.
After the drawing, successful entrants will be asked to remain for a pre-hunt orientation.
Requirements
Hunters must possess a valid 2023-2024 hunting license to purchase tickets. Names will be randomly drawn and those selected will be assigned a specific time to hunt. For archery hunts, an orientation will be conducted immediately following the drawing. Hunters will be permitted to hunt with a partner; the partner is not required to attend the drawing or orientation. Hunters interested in both the Lake Katharine gun and archery hunts will have to purchase separate lottery tickets for each event.
Some of the hunts this year will be for antlerless deer only, while others will allow the taking of antlered deer but only after harvesting an antlerless deer first. Other special regulations will be addressed at the orientation meetings following the drawings.
This year’s hunt locations and meeting dates are as follows:
Lake Katharine, Jackson County, gun and archery mandatory meeting: 10 a.m. Aug. 19 at the Preserve Office, 1703 Lake Katharine Road, Jackson, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Josh Deemer at 740-285-5971 or Joshwa.Deemer@dnr.ohio.gov
Caesar Creek, Warren County, archery mandatory meeting: 9 a.m. Sept. 9 at the Preserve Parking Lot, 4080 Corwin Road, Oregonia, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Eric Sagasser at 937-418-8710 or eric.sagasser@dnr.ohio.gov.
Goll Woods, Fulton County, archery mandatory meeting: 9 a.m. Aug. 26 at the Preserve Office, 26093 County Road F, Archbold, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Ryan Schroeder at 419-445-1775 or ryan.schroeder@dnr.ohio.gov.
Lawrence Woods, Hardin County, archery mandatory meeting: 2 p.m. Aug. 26 at Preserve parking area, 13278 County Road 190, Kenton, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Ryan Schroeder at 419-445-1775 or ryan.schroeder@dnr.ohio.gov.
Gallagher Fen, Clark County, archery mandatory meeting: 9 a.m. Aug. 26 at Preserve parking area, 4709 Old Columbus Road, Springfield, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Michelle Comer at 937-537-6173 or michelle.comer@dnr.ohio.gov.
Hueston Woods, Butler and Preble County, archery mandatory meeting: 2 p.m. Sept. 9 at the State Park Conference Center, 6301 Park Office Road, College Corner, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Eric Sagasser at 937-418-8710 or eric.sagasser@dnr.ohio.gov.
Davey Woods, Champaign County, archery mandatory meeting: 1 p.m. Aug. 26 at Preserve parking area, 7661 Lonesome Road, St. Paris, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Michelle Comer at 937-537-6173 or michelle.comer@dnr.ohio.gov.
Boch Hollow, Hocking County gun mandatory meeting: 12:30 p.m. Aug. 12, 7211 Bremen Rd., Logan, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Levi Miller at 740-380-8919 or levi.miller@dnr.ohio.gov.
Stages Pond, Pickaway County gun mandatory meeting: 9 a.m. Aug. 23 at Preserve office, 4792 Hagerty Rd. Ashville, Ohio. For more information, contact Preserve Manager Levi Miller at 740-380-8919 or levi.miller@dnr.ohio.gov.
