Ohio hunters take 71K white-tailed deer during gun week
Ohio’s hunters killed 71,650 white-tailed deer during the annual gun hunting week that ended Sunday, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
Over the last three years, hunters checked an average of 65,566 deer during the same weeklong period.
“Ohio’s storied deer-gun hunting week continues to be popular with many hunters,” said Division ofWildlife Chief KendraWecker in a release. “The Ohio hunting season has changed over time. Fewer people take a deer with a gun todaywhen compared to the hunting seasons from the 1970s and 1980s. Regardless of harvest rates, surveys show Ohio’s deer hunters still participate during this week, whether they serve as mentors or accompany friends.”
The top 10 counties for deer taken during the gun week include: Coshocton (2,281), Tuscarawas (2,198), Ashtabula (2,167), Muskingum (2,085), Knox (2,006), Guernsey (1,890), Licking (1,875), Carroll (1,664), Holmes (1,648), and Ashland (1,536). Coshocton County also led the state in 2019 with 2,325 deer checked, while hunters took 63,567 deer statewide.
Through Dec. 6, 79,499 deer have been taken by Ohio archery hunters. Plus, Ohio’s youth hunters checked 5,795 white-tailed deer during the 2020 twoday youth gun season, Nov. 21-22. For Ohio hunterswho missed the deer-gun week, there are still more options to pursue deer. Hunters can take deer on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19-20. Muzzleloader season is open Jan. 2-5, 2021, and archery season is open until Feb. 7, 2021.
Deer killed by county (2020 vs. 2019)
Adams: 1,026 (1,018); Allen: 402 (317); Ashland: 1,536 (1,251); Ashtabula: 2,167 (2,006); Athens: 1,255 (1,391); Auglaize: 386 (314); Belmont: 1,237 (1,169); Brown: 1,002 (855); Butler: 412 (297); Carroll: 1,664 (1,551); Champaign: 468 (381); Clark: 218 (185); Clermont: 807 (616); Clinton: 217 (248); Columbiana: 1,342 (1,214); Coshocton: 2,281 (2,353); Crawford: 646 (556);
Cuyahoga: 45 (47); Darke: 362 (256); Defiance: 984 (698); Delaware: 410 (413); Erie: 352 (234); Fairfield: 823 (664); Fayette: 128 (123); Franklin: 184 (137); Fulton: 393 (307); Gallia: 1,015 (1,148); Geauga: 595 (549); Greene: 264 (218); Guernsey: 1,890 (1,822); Hamilton: 178 (157); Hancock: 666 (472); Hardin: 665 (486); Harrison: 1,416 (1,407);
Henry: 415 (336); Highland: 1,154 (905); Hocking: 1,079 (1,226); Holmes: 1,648 (1,448); Huron: 1,180 (997); Jackson: 938 (1,098); Jefferson: 873 (772); Knox: 2,006 (1,748); Lake: 197 (164); Lawrence: 639 (800); Licking: 1,875 (1,575); Logan: 821 (688); Lorain: 745 (630); Lucas: 153 (117);
Madison: 202 ( 165); Mahoning: 604 (585); Marion: 428 (382); Medina: 775 (598); Meigs: 1,133 (1,210); Mercer: 364 (280); Miami: 253 (213); Monroe: 1,114 (1,164); Montgomery: 201 (139); Morgan: 1,313 (1,299); Morrow: 753 (587); Muskingum: 2,085 (2,070); Noble: 1,287 (1,272); Ottawa: 190 (118); Paulding: 551 (418);
Perry: 1,094 (1,113); Pickaway: 221 (298); Pike: 675 (694); Portage: 679 (567); Preble: 334 (278); Putnam: 386 (299);
Richland: 1,490 (1,220); Ross: 1,139 (1,054); Sandusky: 371 (245); Scioto: 739 (778); Seneca: 852 (805); Shelby: 402 (354); Stark: 952 (835); Summit: 227 (153); Trumbull: 1,260 (1,160); Tuscarawas: 2,198 (2,151); Union: 415 (310); Van Wert: 281 (209); Vinton: 849 (1,022); Warren: 368 (286); Washington: 1,362 (1,480); Wayne: 896 (771); Williams: 731 (619); Wood: 412 (316); Wyandot: 905 (689).
2020 Total : 71,650 Three-Year Average Total: (65,566).