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Deer Management Archery Program
4909 N Jerome Rd, Maumee, OH
•Metroparks Toledo manages deer populations across its western Lucas County properties using a lottery-based archery program. This isn't a walk-in operation—you qualify, you apply, and you hunt on their terms as part of their wildlife management strategy.
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Metroparks Toledo manages deer populations across its western Lucas County properties using a lottery-based archery program. This isn't a walk-in operation—you qualify, you apply, and you hunt on their terms as part of their wildlife management strategy.
- •Qualification First. Before you can even register, you need to hit 4 consecutive arrows in an 8-inch circle at 20 yards. Bear Arms Armory & Archery (formerly Cleland's Outdoor World) in Swanton administers tests. Call (419) 407-9700 to schedule your qualification date. No-show without ID means no guaranteed test.
- •Lottery draws on September 2. Winners get notified by September 9. Registration closes August 31 at 11:59 p.m. You can bring one licensed hunting partner (also must qualify), though Special Opportunity areas are solo only. You need a valid Ohio hunting license and proper deer tags before applying.
Permits cover approximately 21-day blocks. You get to pick up to three preferred hunting periods during registration—if your first choice fills, you move to your second, then third.
| Hunt Period | Dates |
|---|---|
| Period 1 | Sept 27 – Oct 17 |
| Period 2 | Oct 18 – Nov 7 |
| Period 3 | Nov 8 – Nov 28 |
| Period 4 | Nov 29 – Dec 19 |
| Period 5 | Dec 20 – Jan 9 |
| Period 6 | Jan 10 – Feb 1 |
Successful doe hunters get automatic entry the following year. Provided the program continues, if you harvest a doe and complete your mandatory hunting log, you're in next season.
These are actual rules—not suggestions. You check in with the Oak Openings Park Ranger before each hunt day at (419) 407-9718. Access is 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset. Flashlights are mandatory outside legal shooting hours.
Tree stands are allowed (no climbers). You can use non-edible attractants but no bait piles. The permit holder must be on-site whenever the parcel is hunted or scouted. You field dress your own deer, at least 50 feet from roads/trails, and pack it out—no motorized access. Every harvested deer must be checked by a Ranger before you leave the area.
No cutting vegetation. No hunting outside your designated zone. Any wounded deer leaving your zone requires a call to the Ranger for tracking permission.
Metroparks provides pre-installed tree stands at fixed locations in Special Opportunity areas. They supply shelled corn in limited quantities. A harness and safety line (provided) are mandatory. You're required to hunt from their stand—no relocating. Special accommodations for youth and mobility-impaired hunters are available.
General questions: (419) 407-9727
Qualification signup: (419) 407-9700 (Bear Arms Archery, Swanton)
Hunting check-in: (419) 407-9718 (Oak Openings Park Ranger)
Submit completed hunting logs to [email protected] or mail to Metroparks Controlled Archery Hunt, 4909 N Jerome Rd, Maumee, OH 43537.