Wellston Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Wellston Wildlife Area is 1,497 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Vinton County, next to Hamden, 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 mapOther state landMetro parks, county and city landWellston Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,497 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Vinton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Vinton County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Hamden (next to it), McArthur (4 mi) and Wellston (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Wellston Wildlife Area?
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 Wellston Wildlife Area?
Wellston Wildlife Area lies in Vinton County. Hunters checked 1,931 deer in Vinton County in 2025-26, against 2,156 in 2024-25.
| County | Wellston Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton County | 1,497 | 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 Wellston Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Hamden (next to it), McArthur (4 miles), Wellston (4 miles) and Coalton (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 93, US 50, OH 327, OH 683 and OH 160.
What other public land is near Wellston Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Richland Furnace State Forest: 2,507 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Lake Alma State Park: 375 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Superior Wildlife Area: 2,344 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest: 12,331 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Vinton Furnace Wildlife Area: 3,533 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Jackson County Line Wildlife Area: 42 acres, 5.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Wellston Wildlife Area
Counting Wellston Wildlife Area itself, 3,308 of the 34,613 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 2,935 |
| Other state land | 372 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Wellston Wildlife Area?
In Vinton County, next to Hamden.
Can you hunt on Wellston Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Wellston Wildlife Area?
3,308 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Wellston Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Richland Furnace State Forest (1.3 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, Wellston Wildlife Area; 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.