COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will offer special archery deer hunts at nine locations bordering four of Ohio’s state scenic rivers through local lottery drawings.
These hunts offer a unique opportunity to explore seldom visited sites with woodlands and successional habitats among broad floodplains and uplands along some of Ohio’s highest quality rivers. The sites have seen very little hunting and should offer excellent sporting conditions while reducing the impact of deer browsing on native plant populations.
Hunters must attend individual meetings for particular hunts where they may enter the drawing by purchasing a single ticket at the price of $5 per property. Names will be randomly drawn, and those selected will be permitted to choose a two-week hunt period.
An orientation will be conducted immediately following the drawing, outlining special regulations for the hunts. Hunters will be permitted to hunt with a partner, though the partner is not required to attend the drawing or orientation.
Hunters must present a valid 2022-2023 hunting license to purchase tickets. If presenting a digital copy, be advised that internet access may not be reliable at all drawing locations. Consider saving an electronic copy directly to your phone or bring a paper copy.
Hunt locations and drawing dates are listed below:
Big and Little Darby
The meeting and drawing for hunts along the Big and Little Darby Creek — Terra Nova, Milford Center, Agnes Andreae and Little Darby Forrest Preserve — will be held at the Plain City Youth Building, in Pastime Park at 344 N. Chillicothe St., Plain City. The drawing will be Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets will be available for purchase between 5:15 – 6:20 p.m.
– Terra Nova (Union County): On Big Darby Creek, this 24-acre site is on North Lewisburg Road in North Lewisburg.
– Milford Center (Union County): On Big Darby Creek, this 90-acre site is between Middleburg-Plain City Road and North Darby Coe Road, just southeast of Collins Road.
– Andreae Agnes and Little Darby Forrest preserves (Madison County): Both sites are located on the Little Darby Creek. This hunt is being conducted in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy and opens the two sites with a combined 232 acres just west of the village of West Jefferson off state Route 29.
Little Miami River. The meetings and drawings for all four Little Miami River sites — Deerfield Gorge, Caesar Creek, Hall’s Creek and Roxanna — will be held at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Caesar Creek Visitors Center, which is at 4020 North Clarksville Road in Waynesville. The drawing will be Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets will be available for purchase between 5:15-6:20 p.m.
– Deerfield Gorge (Warren County): On the Little Miami River, this site is on King Avenue in Maineville.
– Caesar Creek (Warren County): On the Little Miami River, the site for Caesar Creek is on County Road 30 (Middletown Road) in Waynesville.
– Hall’s Creek (Warren County): On the Little Miami River, the site for Hall’s Creek is on Mason Morrow Millgrove Road in Morrow.
– Roxanna (Greene County): On the Little Miami River, this site is on U.S. Route 42 in Spring Valley.
For more information about hunting seasons and regulations, call 800-WILDLIFE or visit wildohio.gov.
