Buckeye Big Buck Club Records Available Online

The ODNR Division of Wildlife and the Buckeye Big Buck Club have teamed up to develop a searchable online database containing records of the largest bucks harvested by hunters in Ohio since 1957. This free online database is available at wildohio.gov.

• The online database easily allows anyone to search and rank Ohio’s record-book bucks by county, hunter, score, type of deer (typical or non-typical), hunting implement, year, and overall ranking. Results can be sorted and exported as a PDF or text file. The database will be updated annually.

• The ODNR Division of Wildlife is responsible for overseeing the management of fish and wildlife resources in Ohio. Funding for the ODNR Division of Wildlife comes predominantly from the licenses and permits paid by hunters, trappers, and anglers, in addition to federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funds generated from excise taxes on shooting, hunting, and fishing equipment. Funds are apportioned to states based on the total area of the state and the total number of paid license holders.

• The Buckeye Big Buck Club is a nonprofit organization created in 1957 to increase the appreciation of Ohio’s white-tailed deer. The club established and maintains a permanent database of Ohio’s record-book bucks taken in fair chase. The club’s goals are to encourage trophy hunting by Ohio hunters, establish and maintain a permanent record of Ohio’s trophy deer taken in fair chase, foster wise management of this valuable resource, and promote a positive relationship among hunter and landowners.

• Each year the Buckeye Big Buck Club honors hunters who harvest typical deer with antlers that meet the 140-inch scoring minimum, and non-typical deer with antlers that meet the 160-inch scoring minimum. Scores are determined by a series of measurements using the Boone and Crockett scoring system.

• Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.