Shawnee State Forest: hunting and access
Shawnee State Forest is 12,690 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Adams and Scioto counties, 2 miles from Rome, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 3,895 deer in Adams 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 landLand trusts and other open landShawnee State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 12,690 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Adams County and Scioto County |
| Deer harvest unit | Adams County, Scioto County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Rome (2 mi), Friendship (9 mi) and Otway (9 mi) |
What are the rules on Shawnee 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 Shawnee State Forest?
Shawnee State Forest lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 3,895 deer in Adams County in 2025-26, against 3,637 in 2024-25.
| County | Shawnee State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 12,681 | 3,895 | 3,637 | 3,100 |
| Scioto County | 8 | 2,576 | 2,512 | 2,195 |
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 Shawnee State Forest?
Nearest towns: Rome (2 miles), Friendship (9 miles), Otway (9 miles) and Rarden (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 52 and OH 125.
What other public land is near Shawnee State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Edge of Appalachia Preserve System: 145 acres, 1.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Shawnee State Forest
Counting Shawnee State Forest itself, 29,067 of the 80,047 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (36.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Other state land | 16,103 |
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 12,759 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 204 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Shawnee State Forest?
In Adams and Scioto counties, 2 miles from Rome.
Can you hunt on Shawnee State Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Shawnee State Forest?
29,067 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Shawnee State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Edge of Appalachia Preserve System (1.1 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, Shawnee 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.