Jackson County, Ohio: deer harvest and public hunting land
Jackson County covers 421 square miles around Jackson. Hunters checked 2,643 deer here in the 2025-26 season, 1,157 of them by archers, by the Division of Wildlife's final report. That is down 11% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 6.5% of Jackson County is public land open to the public, the largest share land on ODNR's hunting map (13,879 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the Division of Wildlife's harvest reports, 2021-22 to 2025-26. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land layer.
Land on ODNR's hunting mapNational forestOther state landMetro parks, county and city landJackson CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 269,719 acres (421 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025-26 | 2,643 (1,149 antlered, 1,494 antlerless) |
| Archery and gun, 2025-26 | 1,157 archery, 1,486 gun |
| Public land | 6.5% (17,426 acres) |
| ODNR hunting areas | 8 (13,877 acres inside Jackson County) |
| Towns in and near it | Jackson, Wellston, Oak Hill, Centerville (Thurman), Hamden and Beaver |
How many deer are harvested in Jackson County?
Hunters checked 2,643 deer in Jackson County in 2025-26: 1,149 antlered and 1,494 antlerless. Archers took 1,157 and gun hunters 1,486.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2,643 | 1,149 | 1,494 | 1,157 | 1,486 |
| 2024-25 | 2,962 | 1,277 | 1,685 | 1,345 | 1,617 |
| 2023-24 | 2,676 | 1,187 | 1,489 | 1,316 | |
| 2021-22 | 2,764 |
Source: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22), Jackson County. 2022-23 is not shown. For 2021-22 Publication 5304 gives 1,327 bucks, 1,239 does and 198 button bucks; the final reports of later seasons count bucks with shed or very short antlers as antlerless.
How much public land is in Jackson County?
17,426 of Jackson County's 269,719 acres are public land open to the public (6.5%). The biggest share is land on ODNR's hunting map: 13,879 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Jackson County |
|---|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 13,879 | 5.1% |
| Other state land | 1,822 | 0.7% |
| National forest | 1,654 | 0.6% |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 71 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 17,426 | 6.5% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status. Hunting rules differ by manager: ODNR wildlife areas, hunting areas and forests marked open follow Ohio's statewide seasons, and those marked restricted limit hunting by place, season or permit; national forest is open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; Corps of Engineers lake land is open in many places under each project's own rules; metro parks and city land are closed to most hunting.
ODNR areas open to hunting in Jackson County
ODNR areas open to hunting in Jackson County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area: 5,905 acres
- Broken ARO Wildlife Area: 2,962 acres
- Richland Furnace State Forest: 2,398 acres
- Coalton Wildlife Area: 1,760 acres
- Flint Run Wildlife Area: 618 acres
- Liberty Wildlife Area: 145 acres
- Lake Alma State Park: 50 acres
- Jackson County Line Wildlife Area: 39 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Wayne National Forest (1,654 acres).
How do you get to Jackson County?
Highways through it: US 35 (about 55 miles inside), OH 32 (about 49 miles inside), OH 124 (about 41 miles inside), OH 93 (about 28 miles inside) and OH 327 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Jackson, Wellston, Oak Hill and Coalton. Nearby: Centerville (Thurman) (on the line), Hamden (on the line), Beaver (on the line) and South Webster (3 miles).
Which counties border Jackson County?
Jackson County touches 6 other counties. Their latest ODNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 2,156 | 2025 | 5.2% |
| Ross County | 3,402 | 2025 | 7.6% |
| Gallia County | 2,956 | 2025 | 11.8% |
| Scioto County | 2,576 | 2025 | 18.8% |
| Vinton County | 1,931 | 2025 | 18.9% |
| Lawrence County | 1,682 | 2025 | 28.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Jackson County in 2025-26?
2,643: 1,149 antlered and 1,494 antlerless (Division of Wildlife). In 2024-25: 2,962.
Is there public hunting land in Jackson County?
17,426 acres, 6.5% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries, the largest share land on ODNR's hunting map (13,879 acres). ODNR's layer shows 8 areas open to hunting here.
How many deer do archers take in Jackson County?
1,157 of the 2,643 deer checked in 2025-26 were taken with a crossbow or longbow (Division of Wildlife).
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status. ODNR areas open to hunting: ODNR lands hunting status.
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Numbers are copied from ODNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Ohio hunting Pike County Ross County Gallia County Scioto County Vinton County Lawrence County