Ohio — where you can actually hunt
Ohio sells tags over the counter — there's no draw. So the question is where: which counties have public land you can walk onto and hunt. And “public land” isn't one thing — a national park or a refuge is closed or permit-only, so we count only what's truly open, and show the rest honestly. Pick your species below.
What “huntable” means here
National forest, BLM, and state game lands / WMAs are open to hunting (state wildlife-agency lands are managed forit); state forests generally are. National & state parks and military land are closed; wildlife refuges are permit-only — those are excluded from the number.
By huntable public land
Most huntable counties first
Ranked by open public land — state game lands / WMAs and national forest are the open categories that push a county up. The mix shows what kind; deer harvest (Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife reported deer kill) shows where the animals are.
| County | Huntable | Land mix | Deer harvest | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | 27.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 27.2% · National Forest 0.8% | 1,955 | |
| Morgan | 12.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 12.2% | 3,890 | |
| Hocking | 11.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 11.7% | 2,929 | |
| Washington | 10.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 9.7% · National Forest 0.6% | 4,492 | |
| Gallia | 9.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 9.6% | 3,293 | |
| Noble | 9.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 9.6% | 3,690 | |
| Muskingum | 9.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 9.5% | 6,269 | |
| Coshocton | 9.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 9.3% | 8,196 | |
| Monroe | 9.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 8.8% · National Forest 0.5% | 3,224 | |
| Athens | 9% | State Game Lands / WMA 8.8% | 3,663 | |
| Perry | 9% | State Game Lands / WMA 8.8% | 3,179 | |
| Belmont | 7.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 7.1% | 4,023 | |
| Harrison | 7% | State Game Lands / WMA 7% | 4,841 | |
| Trumbull | 6.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 6.4% | 4,852 | |
| Jackson | 4.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.8% | 2,962 | |
| Geauga | 4.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.1% | 2,790 | |
| Vinton | 3.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.6% | 2,156 | |
| Portage | 3.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.6% | 3,059 | |
| Marion | 3.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.5% | 1,289 | |
| Wyandot | 3.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.5% | 2,238 | |
| Scioto | 3.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 3% | 2,512 | |
| Carroll | 3% | State Game Lands / WMA 3% | 5,759 | |
| Erie | 2.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.7% | 1,178 | |
| Highland | 1.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.9% | 3,381 | |
| Wayne | 1.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.7% | 3,359 | |
| Ottawa | 1.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.6% | 821 | |
| Jefferson | 1.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.6% | 3,601 | |
| Sandusky | 1.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.5% | 1,364 | |
| Brown | 1.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.5% | 2,719 | |
| Delaware | 1.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.3% | 1,818 | |
| Adams | 1.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.2% | 3,637 | |
| Clermont | 1.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.2% | 2,675 | |
| Williams | 1.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.2% | 2,443 | |
| Ashland | 1.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.2% | 4,678 | |
| Stark | 1.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.2% | 4,114 | |
| Columbiana | 1.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.1% | 4,639 | |
| Preble | 1.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.1% | 1,225 | |
| Fayette | 1.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.1% | 551 | |
| Richland | 1% | State Game Lands / WMA 1% | 5,028 | |
| Greene | 0.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 1,043 | |
| Meigs | 0.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 3,614 | |
| Guernsey | 0.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 5,762 | |
| Ross | 0.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 3,338 | |
| Tuscarawas | 0.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.8% | 7,373 | |
| Pickaway | 0.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.8% | 1,181 | |
| Knox | 0.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.8% | 6,730 | |
| Mahoning | 0.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.8% | 2,537 | |
| Lucas | 0.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.7% | 895 | |
| Holmes | 0.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.5% | 5,684 | |
| Ashtabula | 0.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.5% | 6,042 | |
| Huron | 0.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.5% | 3,308 | |
| Warren | 0.4% | — | 1,275 | |
| Henry | 0.3% | — | 1,109 | |
| Mercer | 0.3% | — | 1,307 | |
| Medina | 0.3% | — | 3,000 | |
| Clinton | 0.3% | — | 1,027 | |
| Defiance | 0.2% | — | 1,468 | |
| Champaign | 0.2% | — | 1,864 | |
| Wood | 0.2% | — | 1,354 | |
| Fulton | 0.2% | — | 1,243 | |
| Licking | 0.2% | — | 5,754 | |
| Morrow | 0.2% | — | 2,446 | |
| Lorain | 0.2% | — | 3,040 | |
| Fairfield | 0.2% | — | 2,403 | |
| Madison | 0.2% | — | 804 | |
| Hardin | 0.2% | — | 1,938 | |
| Seneca | 0.1% | — | 2,881 | |
| Auglaize | 0.1% | — | 1,415 | |
| Putnam | 0.1% | — | 1,242 | |
| Pike | 0.1% | — | 2,193 | |
| Butler | 0.1% | — | 1,478 | |
| Hancock | 0.1% | — | 2,127 | |
| Clark | 0.1% | — | 945 | |
| Darke | 0.1% | — | 1,278 | |
| Crawford | 0% | — | 1,775 | |
| Cuyahoga | 0% | — | 806 | |
| Paulding | 0% | — | 1,062 | |
| Hamilton | 0% | — | 1,229 | |
| Summit | 0% | — | 1,823 | |
| Shelby | 0% | — | 1,485 | |
| Lake | 0% | — | 1,123 | |
| Miami | 0% | — | 1,074 | |
| Allen | 0% | — | 1,650 | |
| Franklin | 0% | — | 638 | |
| Logan | 0% | — | 2,673 | |
| Union | 0% | — | 1,372 | |
| Van Wert | 0% | — | 953 | |
| Montgomery | 0% | — | 884 |
huntablePct = state WMAs + national forest as a share of the county (Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife GIS + PAD-US, EPSG:5070); deer = Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife reported deer harvest by county. Turkey = ODNR Division of Wildlife spring wild turkey harvest by county (2025), reconciled to the reported statewide total (16,014); ODNR labels county data raw/subject to change. National & state parks, military land, and permit-only refuges are computed but shown as the “mix,” not counted huntable; confirm the specific tract with the state agency.
Ohio — best of, ranked