Deer Creek State Park: hunting and access
Deer Creek State Park is 3,886 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Pickaway and Fayette counties, next to Pancoastburg, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 1,153 deer in Pickaway 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 mapFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesDeer Creek State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,886 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Pickaway County and Fayette County |
| Deer harvest unit | Pickaway County, Fayette County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | park and wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Parks and Watercraft |
| Held by ODNR as | lease and owned land |
| Nearest towns | Pancoastburg (next to it), New Holland (3 mi) and Mount Sterling (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Deer Creek State Park?
ODNR's land layer lists hunting here as restricted: hunting is limited by place, season or permit, and the area's hunting map shows where.
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 Deer Creek State Park?
Deer Creek State Park lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 1,153 deer in Pickaway County in 2025-26, against 1,181 in 2024-25.
| County | Deer Creek State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickaway County | 3,647 | 1,153 | 1,181 | 954 |
| Fayette County | 239 | 591 | 551 | 449 |
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 Deer Creek State Park?
Nearest towns: Pancoastburg (next to it), New Holland (3 miles), Mount Sterling (4 miles) and Williamsport (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 207, OH 3, OH 56, US 22 and US 62.
What other public land is near Deer Creek State Park?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Deer Creek Wildlife Area: 4,243 acres, next to it
- Wildlife Production Area 19 Wildlife Area: 79 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 49 Wildlife Area: 45 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 26 Wildlife Area: 40 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 53 Wildlife Area: 55 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 15 Wildlife Area: 53 acres, 4.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Deer Creek State Park
Counting Deer Creek State Park itself, 8,390 of the 42,347 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (19.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 8,145 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 245 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Deer Creek State Park?
In Pickaway and Fayette counties, next to Pancoastburg.
Can you hunt on Deer Creek State Park?
Yes, with restrictions: ODNR's layer lists hunting here as restricted. The area's hunting map shows where.
How much public land is around Deer Creek State Park?
8,390 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Deer Creek State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Deer Creek Wildlife Area (next to it).
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, Deer Creek State Park; 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.