Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area is 5,716 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Wayne and Holmes counties, next to Holmesville, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 3,562 deer in Wayne 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 landKillbuck Marsh Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 5,716 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Wayne County and Holmes County |
| Deer harvest unit | Wayne County, Holmes County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Holmesville (next to it), Shreve (next to it) and Fredericksburg (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area?
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 Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area?
Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 3,562 deer in Wayne County in 2025-26, against 3,359 in 2024-25.
| County | Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 4,547 | 3,562 | 3,359 | 2,986 |
| Holmes County | 1,168 | 5,717 | 5,684 | 5,324 |
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 Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Holmesville (next to it), Shreve (next to it), Fredericksburg (4 miles) and Millersburg (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 83, OH 3, OH 241, OH 754 and OH 95.
What other public land is near Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Shreve Lake Wildlife Area: 228 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area: 1,942 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Cool Springs Wildlife Conservation Park: 192 acres, 6.5 miles away
- Mohler Wildlife Area: 47 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area
Counting Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area itself, 6,065 of the 67,194 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 5,943 |
| Other state land | 111 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 11 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area?
In Wayne and Holmes counties, next to Holmesville.
Can you hunt on Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area?
Yes, with restrictions: ODNR's layer lists hunting here as restricted. The area's hunting map shows where.
How much public land is around Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area?
6,065 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Shreve Lake Wildlife Area (1.9 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, Killbuck Marsh 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.