Deer Creek Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Deer Creek Wildlife Area is 4,243 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Fayette, Pickaway and Madison counties, next to Pancoastburg, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 591 deer in Fayette 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 lakesOther state landLand trusts and other open landDeer Creek Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,243 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Fayette County, Pickaway County and Madison County |
| Deer harvest unit | Fayette County, Pickaway County, Madison County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land and lease |
| Nearest towns | Pancoastburg (next to it), New Holland (next to it) and Mount Sterling (next to it) |
What are the rules on Deer Creek 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 Deer Creek Wildlife Area?
Deer Creek Wildlife Area lies in 3 counties. Hunters checked 591 deer in Fayette County in 2025-26, against 551 in 2024-25.
| County | Deer Creek Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 2,350 | 591 | 551 | 449 |
| Pickaway County | 1,678 | 1,153 | 1,181 | 954 |
| Madison County | 216 | 767 | 804 | 642 |
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 Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Pancoastburg (next to it), New Holland (next to it), Mount Sterling (next to it) and Derby (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 207, OH 3, OH 56, I-71 and US 62.
What other public land is near Deer Creek Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Deer Creek State Park: 3,886 acres, next to it
- Wildlife Production Area 26 Wildlife Area: 40 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 49 Wildlife Area: 45 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 15 Wildlife Area: 53 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 60 Wildlife Area: 50 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 19 Wildlife Area: 79 acres, 3.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Deer Creek Wildlife Area
Counting Deer Creek Wildlife Area itself, 8,670 of the 69,319 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 8,215 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 455 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Deer Creek Wildlife Area?
In Fayette, Pickaway and Madison counties, next to Pancoastburg.
Can you hunt on Deer Creek Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Deer Creek Wildlife Area?
8,670 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Deer Creek Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Deer Creek State Park (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 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.