West Branch Wildlife Area: hunting and access
West Branch Wildlife Area is 2,911 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Portage County, 2 miles from Ravenna, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 3,498 deer in Portage 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 landLand trusts and other open landWest Branch Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,911 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Portage County |
| Deer harvest unit | Portage County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | lease and owned land |
| Nearest towns | Ravenna (2 mi), Brady Lake (6 mi) and Atwater (6 mi) |
What are the rules on West Branch Wildlife Area?
ODNR's land layer lists hunting here as restricted: hunting is limited by place, season or permit, and the area's hunting map shows where.
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 West Branch Wildlife Area?
West Branch Wildlife Area lies in Portage County. Hunters checked 3,498 deer in Portage County in 2025-26, against 3,059 in 2024-25.
| County | West Branch Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County | 2,911 | 3,498 | 3,059 | 2,932 |
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 West Branch Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Ravenna (2 miles), Brady Lake (6 miles), Atwater (6 miles) and Brimfield (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-76, OH 5, OH 14, OH 44 and OH 88.
What other public land is near West Branch Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- West Branch State Park: 5,488 acres, next to it
- Walborn Reservoir Public Access: 1,846 acres, 6.7 miles away
- Mogadore Reservoir: 2,465 acres, 6.7 miles away
- Berlin Lake Wildlife Area: 8,886 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Lake Milton State Park: 2,611 acres, 7.8 miles away
- Marsh Wetlands State Nature Preserve: 152 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of West Branch Wildlife Area
Counting West Branch Wildlife Area itself, 8,635 of the 39,770 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (21.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 7,539 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 507 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 505 |
| Other state land | 84 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is West Branch Wildlife Area?
In Portage County, 2 miles from Ravenna.
Can you hunt on West Branch Wildlife Area?
Yes, with restrictions: ODNR's layer lists hunting here as restricted. The area's hunting map shows where.
How much public land is around West Branch Wildlife Area?
8,635 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, West Branch Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is West Branch 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, West Branch 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.