Zaleski State Forest: hunting and access
Zaleski State Forest is 28,637 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Vinton, Athens and Hocking counties, next to 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 landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landZaleski State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 28,637 acres in 10 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Vinton County, Athens County and Hocking County |
| Deer harvest unit | Vinton County, Athens County, Hocking County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Zaleski (next to it), New Marshfield (3 mi) and McArthur (3 mi) |
What are the rules on Zaleski 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 Zaleski State Forest?
Zaleski State Forest lies in 3 counties. Hunters checked 1,931 deer in Vinton County in 2025-26, against 2,156 in 2024-25.
| County | Zaleski State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton County | 25,117 | 1,931 | 2,156 | 1,708 |
| Athens County | 3,499 | 917 | 3,663 | 2,924 |
| Hocking County | 22 | 2,643 | 2,929 | 2,573 |
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 Zaleski State Forest?
Nearest towns: Zaleski (next to it), New Marshfield (3 miles), McArthur (3 miles) and Nelsonville (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 278, OH 56, US 50, US 33 and OH 93.
What other public land is near Zaleski State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Turkey Ridge Wildlife Area: 377 acres, next to it
- Waterloo Wildlife Area: 2,660 acres, next to it
- Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest: 12,331 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area: 1,159 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Fox Lake Wildlife Area: 450 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Vinton Furnace Wildlife Area: 3,533 acres, 5.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Zaleski State Forest
Counting Zaleski State Forest itself, 45,570 of the 130,434 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (34.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 38,024 |
| National forest | 7,430 |
| Other state land | 92 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 24 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Zaleski State Forest?
In Vinton, Athens and Hocking counties, next to Zaleski.
Can you hunt on Zaleski State Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Zaleski State Forest?
45,570 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Zaleski State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Turkey Ridge 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, Zaleski 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.