Darke Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Darke Wildlife Area is 317 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Darke County, next to Gettysburg, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 1,356 deer in Darke 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 landDarke Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 317 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Darke County |
| Deer harvest unit | Darke County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Gettysburg (next to it), Bradford (5 mi) and Greenville (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Darke 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 Darke Wildlife Area?
Darke Wildlife Area lies in Darke County. Hunters checked 1,356 deer in Darke County in 2025-26, against 1,278 in 2024-25.
| County | Darke Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darke County | 317 | 1,356 | 1,278 | 1,066 |
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 Darke Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Gettysburg (next to it), Bradford (5 miles), Greenville (5 miles) and Versailles (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 121, OH 571, OH 721, OH 185 and OH 242.
What other public land is near Darke Wildlife Area?
Public land within 3 miles of Darke Wildlife Area
Counting Darke Wildlife Area itself, 518 of the 27,668 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 317 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 149 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 51 |
| Other state land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Darke Wildlife Area?
In Darke County, next to Gettysburg.
Can you hunt on Darke Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Darke Wildlife Area?
518 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Darke Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
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, Darke 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.