Raccoon Ecological Management Area

Formerly owned by the MeadWestvaco Corporation, this public hunting area consists of 15,857 acres. It is located in Vinton, Clinton, and Madison townships of Vinton County and is situated 3 miles southeast of McArthur. The wooded hills of southern Ohio are part of the Appalachian Forest, the oldest and most diverse forest system in North America. When healthy, these forests are home to a rich array of flowering and medicinal plants, dozens of tree species, songbirds, game species like ruffed grouse and wild turkey, and other wildlife including bobcat, black bear, bats, salamanders, and snakes. The diverse mixture of habitat types, ranging from recent timbering operations to forested ridge tops, provides for a rich variety of both game and non-game species. White-tailed deer, wild turkey, and gray squirrel are the principal abundant game species. The timber management occurring on this property provides habitat for grouse, turkey, white-tailed deer, and cottontail rabbit.