“There are about 2,000 undeveloped acres in total where hunting is open on the base. Most people don’t realize there is quite a bit of acreage of Wright-Patterson that’s outside the perimeter fence,” said Darryn Warner, 88 Civil Engineering Group natural resources program manager.
Warner knows about Wright-Patterson hunting areas because he manages a variety of different smaller programs under the umbrella of Natural Resources, covering threatened and endangered species, wetlands, forestry, urban forestry, invasive species, fish and wildlife (which includes hunting and fishing) and flood plain management.
“The property line goes all up and down the Mad River and to the middle of Route 4 in most of the areas out there. There’s also a small area inside the fence that is located kind of close to the 445th (Airlift Wing) that we call the LOx Plant or the Paintball area,” said Warner.
Those who are eligible for hunting on base property are active-duty military, retired military, civilians, retired civilians and contractors who have a common access card. Also, a state of Ohio hunting license is required before a base hunting permit can be obtained. While each eligible participant is allowed to bring one guest per day, the guest must also have an Ohio hunting license and qualify for the base permit. Base hunting permits are sold at the Rod and Gun Club (Bldg. 892, Area A) and at the Outdoor Recreation facility (Bldg. 95, Area A).
According to Warner, archery hunting is the most popular form of hunting on the base, receiving the highest number of hunters participating. The season usually runs from the last Saturday of September through the end of January. During this season, archers employ both bow and arrow and crossbows to hunt larger game, such as deer.
“Archers that are planning on doing archery hunting on base have to qualify prior to purchasing their base hunting permit by shooting three out of four arrows inside a 6-inch target at 20 yards,” said Warner.
Archery qualification is used as a checks-and-balance system, ensuring only proficient archers are hunting. This helps to guarantee the maximum amount of deer are being recovered.
In order to make sure all hunters get a good location, each base hunter participating in archery can only have one tree stand or one ground blind. Hunters can’t set them any closer than 75 yards to another tree stand or ground blind for safety. Hunters are required to put their name and phone number on their hunting equipment so if an issue arises, they can be contacted.
Vehicle placards were an option for hunters last year, but this year it is mandatory that all hunters have a vehicle placard on their vehicle dashboard with their name and the Natural Resources Symbol on it. This will help Security Forces identify, clear and authorize vehicles parked on roads when they patrol the area during evening hours.
“The base hunting seasons and rules coincide with the state of Ohio and I guess the only additional rules we have are that you have to have access to the base to hunt and you have to have that base hunting permit,” said Warner.
Warner stated more than 500 base hunting permits are sold on average. Maps, with sectioned hunting areas, are provided to hunters so they know where they are in order to report where they harvest deer.
“Archers have to call and report it to me, and that’s how I keep track of how many deer have been harvested on base. They are also required to let me know if they harvest a coyote,” said Warner.
For additional information, contact the Wright-Patterson AFB Rod and Gun Club at 257-3935 or Natural Resources at 257-2273 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WrightPattersonNaturalResources/.
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