Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest: hunting and access
Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest is 12,331 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Vinton County, 3 miles from Zaleski, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 1,931 deer in Vinton 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 mapNational forestOther state landVinton Furnace Experimental ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 12,331 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Vinton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Vinton County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | experimental forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Zaleski (3 mi), McArthur (3 mi) and Hamden (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Vinton Furnace Experimental 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 Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest?
Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest lies in Vinton County. Hunters checked 1,931 deer in Vinton County in 2025-26, against 2,156 in 2024-25.
| County | Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton County | 12,331 | 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 Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest?
Nearest towns: Zaleski (3 miles), McArthur (3 miles), Hamden (5 miles) and Wilkesville (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 32, US 50, OH 160, OH 93 and OH 689.
What other public land is near Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Vinton Furnace Wildlife Area: 3,533 acres, next to it
- Zaleski State Forest: 28,637 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Jackson County Line Wildlife Area: 42 acres, 2 miles away
- Wellston Wildlife Area: 1,497 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Lake Alma State Park: 375 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Turkey Ridge Wildlife Area: 377 acres, 6.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest
Counting Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest itself, 20,892 of the 68,534 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (30.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 20,883 |
| Other state land | 9 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest?
In Vinton County, 3 miles from Zaleski.
Can you hunt on Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest?
20,892 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Vinton Furnace 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, Vinton Furnace Experimental 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.