DMU Delaware, 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
- 1,818
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 · sourcedDelaware County sits in the heart of Central Ohio farmland and Columbus urban fringe, offering solid deer numbers and a 22nd-place statewide harvest ranking. The county holds roughly 4,630 acres of public hunting land anchored by the Delaware Wildlife Area (spanning Delaware, Marion, and Morrow counties, ~4,670 acres total), plus Delaware State Park hunting zones. Terrain is predominantly flat to gently rolling row-crop agriculture — corn, soybeans, and wheat — interspersed with woodlot edges, creek corridors (Olentangy and Big Walnut drainages), and suburban fringe. Hunting pressure on public land is moderate-to-high given proximity to Columbus. Three townships (Marlboro, Troy, and Oxford) fall within the CWD Disease Surveillance Area, triggering extra early seasons and mandatory sampling. The 2024-25 season produced 1,818 deer harvested county-wide, above the three-year average of 1,692.
Flat to gently rolling Central Ohio farmland: corn, soybean, and wheat fields with hardwood woodlot edges, creek-bottom corridors (Olentangy and Big Walnut rivers), and expanding Columbus suburban/urban fringe. No significant elevation change. CWD Disease Surveillance Area covers Marlboro, Troy, and Oxford townships.
Moderate-to-high on public land given the county seat of Delaware city and the Columbus metro sprawl. Private land hunters face tight access competition but lower pressure per acre. Urbanization fragments habitat but concentrates deer near suburban edges, creating pockets of quality opportunity for bowhunters on small private parcels.
Statewide bag limit 6 deer (1 antlered, remainder antlerless). Antlerless deer limit on public hunting areas increased to 2 for 2025-26. Deer management permits valid statewide for antlerless deer through Dec. 21, 2025. Marlboro, Troy, and Oxford townships in Delaware County are within the CWD Disease Surveillance Area: hunters there must submit deer harvested during the first two days of early gun and the first two days of statewide gun season for CWD sampling at staffed stations or self-serve kiosks. No CWD-positive deer confirmed in Delaware County as of 2025.
2025-26 seasons: Archery Sept. 27 2025 – Feb. 1 2026; Youth Gun Nov. 22-23 2025; Gun Dec. 1-7 and Dec. 20-21 2025; Muzzleloader Jan. 3-6 2026. DSA townships bonus: Early Archery Sept. 13 – Feb. 1 2026; Early Gun Oct. 11-13 2025. Turkey season available (spring and fall). Deer harvest 2024-25: 1,818 total (county rank 22nd statewide out of 88 counties); 3-year avg 1,692. 2024 weeklong gun season statewide: 87,192 checked (highest since 2011).
Above-average deer density for a Central Ohio farmland county. CWD DSA status in three townships unlocks an early October gun window and an extended early archery opener starting Sept. 13 — meaningful extra time for hunters who draw those townships. Delaware Wildlife Area provides diverse habitat including waterfowl marshes, food plots, and forest stands managed for wildlife. Urban-edge bowhunting near Columbus suburbs can be productive for antlerless deer and occasionally mature bucks using farm-to-suburb corridors.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about DMU Delaware— 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 Delaware.
Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).
Boundaries: ODNR official county-based deer management units. Community info last updated 16d ago.