DMU Clark, Ohio
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey
- Group
- Central Ohio
- Area
- N/A
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 945
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for White-tailed Deer so far. Wild Turkey also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedClark County is a central-western Ohio DMU covering roughly 400 square miles of flat to gently rolling farmland dominated by corn, soybeans, and wheat, with Springfield as the urban core. The Mad River corridor provides the county's best riparian cover and transition habitat. Public hunting is limited — Buck Creek State Park (2,120 acres) is the primary accessible tract, offering mixed hardwood, grassland, and wetland edge. The vast majority of hunting occurs on private agricultural land. Deer numbers are solid for western Ohio and trending upward: the 2024-25 season produced 945 total deer harvested (3-year average 845), capping a 2023 season total of 1,864 (21.5% above the 3-year average of 1,535). Gun week 2024 delivered 260 deer against a 3-year average of 219 (+18.9%). Pressure is moderate-to-high on the limited public ground; private-land permission hunting is the dominant access model. Clark County holds a three-deer county bag limit for 2025-26, unchanged from recent seasons and unaffected by the EHD-driven reductions applied to southeast Ohio counties. Turkey are present in riparian corridors and woodlot edges throughout the county.
Flat to gently rolling west-central Ohio farmland (89% in crop production — corn, soybeans, wheat). Mad River corridor provides the primary riparian and wooded transition habitat. Limestone bluffs line the Mad River valley near Springfield. Overall low-relief landscape typical of Ohio glaciated till plain.
Moderate to high on the limited public acreage at Buck Creek SP. Private agricultural land sees focused pressure during gun season but remains comparatively less crowded than southeast Ohio public ground. Urban fringe around Springfield creates some sanctuary effect on deer using suburban corridors.
Three-deer county bag limit for 2025-26 (unchanged; not among counties reduced for EHD). Statewide cap of six deer total, no more than one antlered. Hunters may use either-sex permits, deer management permits, or any combination up to the county limit. Antlerless bag limit on public hunting areas is two deer.
2025-26 season dates: Archery Sept 27 2025 – Feb 1 2026; Youth Gun Nov 22-23 2025; Gun Dec 1-7 2025; Bonus Gun Dec 20-21 2025; Muzzleloader Jan 3-6 2026. Turkey present in riparian corridors and woodlot edges; standard Ohio spring and fall seasons apply.
Clark County punches above its weight for western Ohio farmland deer. The 2023 season posted 1,864 total deer harvested — 21.5% above its 3-year average — and the 2024-25 final season tally reached 945 deer (archery: 430 antlered / 515 antlerless; gun: 391 antlered / 240 antlerless). Muzzleloader 2025 produced 38 deer (vs. 3-yr avg 50). The county is not a trophy destination — buck-to-antlerless ratios reflect high doe harvest pressure — but deer density is consistent. Mad River bottomlands and creek drainages concentrate deer movement and offer the best stand setups. Private permission on large row-crop farms with isolated woodlots is the key to quality hunting.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about DMU Clark— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
Nothing posted yet about DMU Clark.
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Boundaries: ODNR official county-based deer management units. Community info last updated 16d ago.