JILL SNYDER
Visitor Engagement Manager
Managing wildlife and habitats is of the utmost importance to resource managers in Metro Parks. Keeping wildlife populations in balance allows all plants and animals to thrive and provide the park experience the public enjoys.
Since 1984, Metro Parks has implemented a deer management program to control deer populations throughout the Metro Parks system. The deer management program’s objectives are to maintain healthy populations of whitetail deer, maintain biological diversity of plants and animals within the Metro Parks, and minimize deer vehicle collisions in and around park boundaries. Proven management methods within the overall deer management program have been controlled archery and lottery hunts.
DEER DILEMMA
For more information about deer problems and deer management in Metro Parks over the years, you can download this old Parkscope article, “Deer Dilemma.”
LOTTERY HUNTS
For the 2025-2026 season, Metro Parks will be seeking hunters via a lottery system to participate in the controlled archery hunting program, and both the Clear Creek and Slate Run deer gun season lotteries. Interested hunters may apply by completing online lottery forms which will be available from July 1–31, 2025. Hunters may apply for the controlled archery program AND the Clear Creek or Slate Run deer gun season lotteries. Successful applicants will be notified via email no later than August 5, 2025.
CLEAR CREEK METRO PARK DEER HUNT
Clear Creek Metro Park, Fairfield and Hocking Counties
Clear Creek will be closed for three days of deer gun season, December 1-3, to allow a controlled deer hunt as part of our overall wildlife management program. Interested hunters can apply through the link provided below and around 100 will be drawn to participate. Both the selected hunter and their partner will be permitted to bring a youth hunter, aged 17 years and younger. More information and the entry form to sign up can be found by clicking the button below:
SLATE RUN METRO PARK DEER HUNT
Slate Run Metro Park, Pickaway County
Slate Run Metro Park will be offering a two-day deer gun hunt to selected participants as part of a lottery drawing to be held December 1-2, 2025. We encourage all interested hunters to apply. Approximately 45 hunters will be randomly drawn to participate in this wildlife management program. Both the selected hunter and their partner will be permitted to bring a youth hunter, aged 17 years and younger. More information and the entry form to sign up can be found by clicking the button below:
DEER ARCHERY HUNTS
Controlled Archery Program at Battelle Darby Creek, Chestnut Ridge, Pickerington Ponds, Rocky Fork and Slate Run Metro Parks, Fairfield, Franklin, Madison and Pickaway Counties
Metro Parks will offer archery hunting lotteries in multiple parks. The number of participants at each location will be specific to the needs of each park. Interested hunters can choose any of the parks, but will only be selected for one location. Successful applicants are required to qualify with their archery implement, and attend an orientation during which the weeks and specific areas will be assigned. More information and the entry form to sign up can be found by clicking the button below:
REMINDER
Applications for all lottery hunts must be received by July 31, 2025 and winners of the electronic drawing will be notified by August 5. All state rules and hunting laws apply.
Does anyone know when the August qualifying dates are?
If you are selected from the lottery, you will receive an email with more information. The current plan is for qualifying to occur on September 19 and 20 at Scioto Grove Metro Park.
I can’t do the google apps to enter the archery lottery.is there a paper application to fill out and return?thanks
There is not a paper application. You don’t need a google account to complete the lottery entry-just an email address. If you are having issues, you can email info@metroparks.net and they can help you register.
People may only register for EITHER Slate Run OR Clear Creek, correct?
Hello Nathan – you can actually apply for both Slate Run and Clear Creek gun hunts. If you were to be successful in winning a lottery place for both the Slate RUn and Clear Creek hunts, we would ask you to choose which one, as lottery applicants will only be allowed to hunt at one of the two gun hunts. You can also apply for the archery hunt lottery too.
Hello I work for the parks and rec division “Cental Ohio Area Agency on Aging”
I have been trying to apply for the lottery application for the last week and a half and kept getting the same error when i clicked the link that the form was not valid please contact the owner.. can someone please help me so i can get registered?
Hello Jacob, I am afraid it is now too late as the lottery drawing has been made. I am sorry you were having trouble. If you had reached out to us sooner, before the deadline passed, we could have helped you. I do hope you will apply next year, and if you encounter difficulties again then, please reach out to us at the given phone number or email address.
Would we know already if we got drawn ?
Emails will be going out today, August 5.
I’m interested in the deer hunting program for me and my grandson
Robert, the deadline for applying for the lottery hunts was July 31, so all applications have been processed and winners of the electronic drawing have been notified.
Is it to late to apply for Metro Parks hunts
Hello Lawrence, yes, the deadline was July 31 and the draws have been made for the lottery hunts.