Gifford State Forest: hunting and access
Gifford State Forest is 314 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Athens County, 3 miles from Amesville, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 917 deer in Athens 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 landGifford State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 314 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Athens County |
| Deer harvest unit | Athens County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Amesville (3 mi), Chesterhill (3 mi) and Stockport (9 mi) |
What are the rules on Gifford State Forest?
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 Gifford State Forest?
Gifford State Forest lies in Athens County. Hunters checked 917 deer in Athens County in 2025-26, against 3,663 in 2024-25.
| County | Gifford State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens County | 314 | 917 | 3,663 | 2,924 |
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 Gifford State Forest?
Nearest towns: Amesville (3 miles), Chesterhill (3 miles), Stockport (9 miles) and Jacksonville (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 555, OH 550, OH 329, OH 377 and OH 676.
What other public land is near Gifford State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Wolf Creek Wildlife Area: 3,981 acres, 6.7 miles away
- Burr Oak State Park: 3,279 acres, 7.7 miles away
- Strouds Run State Park: 2,567 acres, 7.9 miles away
- Acadia Cliffs Wildlife Area: 168 acres, 8.3 miles away
- Acadia Cliffs State Nature Preserve: 108 acres, 8.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Gifford State Forest
Counting Gifford State Forest itself, 315 of the 24,118 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 314 |
| Other state land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Gifford State Forest?
In Athens County, 3 miles from Amesville.
Can you hunt on Gifford State Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Gifford State Forest?
315 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Gifford State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Wolf Creek Wildlife Area (6.7 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, Gifford State Forest; 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.