Richland Furnace State Forest: hunting and access
Richland Furnace State Forest is 2,507 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Jackson and Vinton counties, 2 miles from Coalton, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 2,643 deer in Jackson 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 landRichland Furnace State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,507 acres in 18 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Jackson County and Vinton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jackson County, Vinton County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Coalton (2 mi), Wellston (3 mi) and Hamden (3 mi) |
What are the rules on Richland Furnace 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 Richland Furnace State Forest?
Richland Furnace State Forest lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 2,643 deer in Jackson County in 2025-26, against 2,962 in 2024-25.
| County | Richland Furnace State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 2,398 | 2,643 | 2,962 | 2,676 |
| Vinton County | 109 | 1,931 | 2,156 | 1,708 |
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 Richland Furnace State Forest?
Nearest towns: Coalton (2 miles), Wellston (3 miles), Hamden (3 miles) and McArthur (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 327, OH 93, US 35, OH 32 and OH 683.
What other public land is near Richland Furnace State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Superior Wildlife Area: 2,344 acres, next to it
- Coalton Wildlife Area: 1,760 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Wellston Wildlife Area: 1,497 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Lake Alma State Park: 375 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Flint Run Wildlife Area: 618 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest: 12,331 acres, 6.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Richland Furnace State Forest
Counting Richland Furnace State Forest itself, 8,055 of the 50,729 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (15.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 7,929 |
| Other state land | 108 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 18 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Richland Furnace State Forest?
In Jackson and Vinton counties, 2 miles from Coalton.
Can you hunt on Richland Furnace State Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Richland Furnace State Forest?
8,055 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Richland Furnace State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Superior 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, Richland Furnace 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.