Jesse Owens Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Jesse Owens Wildlife Area is 4,836 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Morgan and Muskingum counties, 6 miles from McConnelsville, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 1,529 deer in Morgan 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 landJesse Owens Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,836 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Morgan County and Muskingum County |
| Deer harvest unit | Morgan County, Muskingum County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | McConnelsville (6 mi), Malta (7 mi) and Cumberland (7 mi) |
What are the rules on Jesse Owens 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 Jesse Owens Wildlife Area?
Jesse Owens Wildlife Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 1,529 deer in Morgan County in 2025-26, against 3,890 in 2024-25.
| County | Jesse Owens Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County | 4,832 | 1,529 | 3,890 | 3,281 |
| Muskingum County | 5 | 6,283 | 6,269 | 5,789 |
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 Jesse Owens Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: McConnelsville (6 miles), Malta (7 miles), Cumberland (7 miles) and Belle Valley (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 78, OH 83, OH 284, OH 376 and OH 340.
What other public land is near Jesse Owens Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Jesse Owens State Park: 2,794 acres, next to it
- Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area: 50,099 acres, next to it
- Blue Rock State Forest: 4,499 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Blue Rock State Park: 301 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Wolf Run State Park: 1,372 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Jesse Owens Wildlife Area
Counting Jesse Owens Wildlife Area itself, 42,314 of the 48,238 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (87.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 34,235 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 8,079 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Jesse Owens Wildlife Area?
In Morgan and Muskingum counties, 6 miles from McConnelsville.
Can you hunt on Jesse Owens Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Jesse Owens Wildlife Area?
42,314 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Jesse Owens Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Jesse Owens 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, Jesse Owens 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.