Putnam Marsh Hunting Area: hunting and access
Putnam Marsh Hunting Area is 975 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Erie County, 3 miles from Sandusky, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 1,161 deer in Erie 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 mapMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landPutnam Marsh Hunting AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 975 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Deer harvest unit | Erie County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | hunting area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | agreement |
| Nearest towns | Sandusky (3 mi), Huron (4 mi) and Bloomingville (6 mi) |
What are the rules on Putnam Marsh Hunting Area?
ODNR's land layer lists hunting here as restricted: hunting is limited by place, season or permit, and the area's posted rules say how.
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 Putnam Marsh Hunting Area?
Putnam Marsh Hunting Area lies in Erie County. Hunters checked 1,161 deer in Erie County in 2025-26, against 1,178 in 2024-25.
| County | Putnam Marsh Hunting Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County | 975 | 1,161 | 1,178 | 1,015 |
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 Putnam Marsh Hunting Area?
Nearest towns: Sandusky (3 miles), Huron (4 miles), Bloomingville (6 miles) and Marblehead (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 2, OH 4, OH 13 and OH 101.
What other public land is near Putnam Marsh Hunting Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Joseph Steinen Wildlife Area: 157 acres, next to it
- Pipe Creek Wildlife Area: 111 acres, next to it
- Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area: 68 acres, 6.7 miles away
- Moxley Wildlife Area: 381 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Castalia Fish Hatchery: 90 acres, 7.5 miles away
- Resthaven Wildlife Area: 2,216 acres, 8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Putnam Marsh Hunting Area
Counting Putnam Marsh Hunting Area itself, 1,964 of the 32,099 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 1,242 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 422 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 299 |
| Other state land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Putnam Marsh Hunting Area?
In Erie County, 3 miles from Sandusky.
Can you hunt on Putnam Marsh Hunting Area?
Yes, with restrictions: ODNR's layer lists hunting here as restricted.
How much public land is around Putnam Marsh Hunting Area?
1,964 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Putnam Marsh Hunting Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Joseph Steinen Wildlife 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.