• Ohio is home to many popular deer hunting areas.White-tailed Deer image by chas53 from Fotolia.com
  
  Deer hunting areas provide land where hunting deer is legal and hunters can often find cabins, equipment rental and other resources. Ohio is home to dozens of state parks and wildlife protection areas in which white-tailed deer are plentiful and hunting is permitted. Be sure to check local regulations before embarking on any hunting expedition.
  
  

Dillon Wildlife Area

• Adjacent to Dillon State Park in Muskingum County, this deer hunting area attracts large deer herds and older big-racked bucks. The area comprises over 3,600 acres divided into three sections. Area One is located just off Route 16 near the town of Marne. Area Two, the biggest section, can be found south of the intersection between Routes 146 and 586. The main entrance to Area Three is located northeast of Route 146 off Cemetery Road. Dillon Wildlife Area is equally divided between open, grassy fields and woodlands—where oaks, hickories, and sycamores are abundant. Camping and picnic facilities are available in the park.
  
  

Woodbury Wildlife Area

• Located in east central Ohio, Woodbury Wildlife Area is the largest hunting and fishing area in the state. The area provides a 20,000 acre habitat where thousands of white-tailed deer make their home. The Ohio Department Of Resources states that Woodbury’s most populated deer hunting areas are “old fields, cutover timber, old strip-mine spoil banks, and brushy transition zones between woodlands and open lands.” However, all hunters should be aware of the cliffs and other rough terrain that exist throughout the park, especially when hunting at night. Entry points into Woodbury can be found along a number of different state routes including 16, 36, 60, and 541.
  
  

Conesville Coal Lands

• The Conesville Coal Lands comprises 12,000 acres in Muskingum and Coshocton counties. This restored strip-mine is owned by the American Electric Power Company, and to hunt here you must first acquire a free permit by contacting the company (visit aep.com and click on the Corporate Citizenship tab). Ohio Game & Fish describes the area as “hilly, filled with brush and second-growth timber, littered with ponds and loaded with deer.” Hunting is allowed during the day only and overnight camping is not allowed. Access the Conesville Coal Lands from state routes 541 and 83.