2025 – Metro Parks will host gun and archery deer hunts at selected parks for successful lottery applicants

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:

CLEAR CREEK APPLICATION FORM

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:

SLATE RUN APPLICATION FORM

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:

DEER ARCHERY HUNTS APPLICATION FORM