Pike State Forest: hunting and access
Pike State Forest is 13,716 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Pike, Highland, Adams and Ross counties, next to Sinking Spring, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 2,156 deer in Pike 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 lakesNational park landOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landPike State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 13,716 acres in 13 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Pike County, Highland County, Adams County and Ross County |
| Deer harvest unit | Pike County, Highland County, Adams County, Ross County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Sinking Spring (next to it), Cynthiana (3 mi) and Bainbridge (3 mi) |
What are the rules on Pike State Forest?
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 Pike State Forest?
Pike State Forest lies in 4 counties. Hunters checked 2,156 deer in Pike County in 2025-26, against 2,193 in 2024-25.
| County | Pike State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 13,050 | 2,156 | 2,193 | 1,778 |
| Highland County | 662 | 3,389 | 3,381 | 2,883 |
| Adams County | 2 | 3,895 | 3,637 | 3,100 |
| Ross County | 2 | 3,402 | 3,338 | 2,749 |
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 Pike State Forest?
Nearest towns: Sinking Spring (next to it), Cynthiana (3 miles), Bainbridge (3 miles) and Bourneville (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 124, OH 41, OH 32, OH 772 and US 50.
What other public land is near Pike State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Brush Creek Forest: 13,018 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Rocky Fork State Park: 3,469 acres, 5 miles away
- Paint Creek State Park: 4,757 acres, 5.8 miles away
- Tranquility Wildlife Area: 4,553 acres, 7.9 miles away
- Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area: 5,718 acres, 9 miles away
- Scioto Trail State Forest: 9,330 acres, 9.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Pike State Forest
Counting Pike State Forest itself, 16,951 of the 116,106 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 14,629 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 1,165 |
| Other state land | 786 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 368 |
| National park land | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Pike State Forest?
In Pike, Highland, Adams and Ross counties, next to Sinking Spring.
Can you hunt on Pike State Forest?
Yes, with restrictions: ODNR's layer lists hunting here as restricted. The area's hunting map shows where.
How much public land is around Pike State Forest?
16,951 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Pike State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Brush Creek Forest (0.9 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, Pike 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.
Ohio hunting Pike County Highland County Adams County Ross County