Gavin Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Gavin Wildlife Area is 1,346 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Gallia County, 3 miles from Cheshire, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 2,956 deer in Gallia 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 mapOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landGavin Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,346 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Gallia County |
| Deer harvest unit | Gallia County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | agreement |
| Nearest towns | Cheshire (3 mi), Rutland (4 mi) and Middleport (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Gavin Wildlife Area?
ODNR's land layer lists the area as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons and rules.
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 Gavin Wildlife Area?
Gavin Wildlife Area lies in Gallia County. Hunters checked 2,956 deer in Gallia County in 2025-26, against 3,293 in 2024-25.
| County | Gavin Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallia County | 1,346 | 2,956 | 3,293 | 2,618 |
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 Gavin Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Cheshire (3 miles), Rutland (4 miles), Middleport (5 miles) and Bidwell (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 124, OH 554, OH 7 and OH 325.
What other public land is near Gavin Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- AEP Southern Ohio Recreation Area: 2,349 acres, next to it
- Samuels Wildlife Area: 84 acres, 5.7 miles away
- Tycoon Lake Wildlife Area: 690 acres, 8.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Gavin Wildlife Area
Counting Gavin Wildlife Area itself, 7,144 of the 33,705 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (21.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 4,964 |
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 2,180 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Gavin Wildlife Area?
In Gallia County, 3 miles from Cheshire.
Can you hunt on Gavin Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Gavin Wildlife Area?
7,144 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Gavin Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is AEP Southern Ohio Recreation 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 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.