Shade River State Forest: hunting and access
Shade River State Forest is 3,043 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Meigs County, 2 miles from Tuppers Plains, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 1,060 deer in Meigs 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 lakesLand trusts and other open landShade River State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,043 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Meigs County |
| Deer harvest unit | Meigs County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Tuppers Plains (2 mi), Albany (4 mi) and Hockingport (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Shade River 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 Shade River State Forest?
Shade River State Forest lies in Meigs County. Hunters checked 1,060 deer in Meigs County in 2025-26, against 3,614 in 2024-25.
| County | Shade River State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meigs County | 3,043 | 1,060 | 3,614 | 2,964 |
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 Shade River State Forest?
Nearest towns: Tuppers Plains (2 miles), Albany (4 miles), Hockingport (4 miles) and Coolville (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 681, OH 32, US 50, OH 124 and OH 7.
What other public land is near Shade River State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Forked Run State Park: 848 acres, next to it
- Ohio River Access - Forked Run Wildlife Area: 34 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Ohio River Access - Shade River Wildlife Area: 29 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Fox Lake Wildlife Area: 450 acres, 7.3 miles away
- AEP Southern Ohio Recreation Area: 2,349 acres, 8.3 miles away
- Zaleski State Forest: 28,637 acres, 9.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Shade River State Forest
Counting Shade River State Forest itself, 4,260 of the 70,567 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 3,969 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 210 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 76 |
| Other state land | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Shade River State Forest?
In Meigs County, 2 miles from Tuppers Plains.
Can you hunt on Shade River State Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Shade River State Forest?
4,260 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Shade River State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Forked Run 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, Shade River 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.