Big Island Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Big Island Wildlife Area is 7,185 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Marion County, next to New Bloomington, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 1,384 deer in Marion County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: ODNR's ODNR area open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Division of Wildlife harvest reports, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Land on ODNR's hunting mapMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landBig Island Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 7,185 acres in 11 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Marion County |
| Deer harvest unit | Marion County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | conservation easement, agreement and owned land |
| Nearest towns | New Bloomington (next to it), Green Camp (next to it) and La Rue (next to it) |
What are the rules on Big Island Wildlife Area?
ODNR's land layer lists the area as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons and rules.
ODNR's hunting map for the area shows the boundaries, parking and any no-hunting zones.
Deer bag limits in Ohio are set by county; the Division's 2026-27 season list points to the bag limit map.
How many deer are taken around Big Island Wildlife Area?
Big Island Wildlife Area lies in Marion County. Hunters checked 1,384 deer in Marion County in 2025-26, against 1,289 in 2024-25.
| County | Big Island Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 7,185 | 1,384 | 1,289 | 1,060 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
How do you get to Big Island Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: New Bloomington (next to it), Green Camp (next to it), La Rue (next to it) and Marion (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 95, OH 309, OH 4, OH 423 and OH 739.
What other public land is near Big Island Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area: 9,117 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Delaware Wildlife Area: 5,784 acres, 7.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Big Island Wildlife Area
Counting Big Island Wildlife Area itself, 7,666 of the 76,615 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 7,185 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 353 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 128 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Big Island Wildlife Area?
In Marion County, next to New Bloomington.
Can you hunt on Big Island Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Big Island Wildlife Area?
7,666 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Big Island Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area (6.6 miles).
Get a Ohio hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Ohio are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Ohio included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: ODNR, Big Island Wildlife Area; ODNR lands hunting status.
- Boundary and acres: ODNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status.
- Deer harvest: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
FilledTag is not part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Check ODNR's rules and posted signs before you go.