More than 60,000 deer checked during gun season

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Despite enduring some poor weather, hunters in Ohio checked 60,557 white-tailed deer during the 2018 weeklong deer-gun season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Last year, hunters checked 72,814 deer over the same period. In Meigs County, 1,233 deer were tagged in this year as opposed to 1,323 in 2017.

Ohio’s deer-gun hunting season remains a tradition enjoyed by thousands of hunters for more than 75 years. Starting the Monday after Thanksgiving, Buckeye State hunters safely enjoyed seven days of deer-gun hunting.

For Ohio hunters who missed the deer-gun week, there are still more options to pursue deer. Hunters can enjoy two more days of deer-gun season on Saturday, Dec. 15, and Sunday, Dec. 16, and muzzleloader season is Jan. 5-8, 2019. Ohio hunters still have two months left of deer archery season, which remains open through Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019. Find more information about deer hunting in the 2018-2019 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations or at wildohio.gov.

Past year’s harvest summaries and weekly updated harvest reports can be found at wildohio.gov/deerharvest.

For the first time this year, Ohio resident hunters can purchase multiyear and lifetime licenses at wildohio.gov and at hundreds of participating agents throughout the state. License buyers can choose from 3-year, 5-year, 10-year and lifetime hunting or fishing licenses. All money generated from the sale of multiyear and lifetime licenses is deposited into the Wildlife Fund, where it will be used to protect and enhance Ohio’s wildlife populations.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife remains committed to properly managing Ohio’s deer populations. The goal of Ohio’s Deer Management Program is to provide a deer population that maximizes recreational opportunities, while minimizing conflicts with landowners and motorists.

Hunting Popularity

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.

ODNR claims to ensure a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.

Editor’s Note: A list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters during the weeklong 2018 deer-gun hunting season is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2018, and the 2017 numbers are in parentheses. Harvest numbers below are raw data and subject to change.

Adams: 955 (1,166); Allen: 250 (341); Ashland: 1,121 (1,363); Ashtabula: 2,022 (2,094); Athens: 1,322 (1,591); Auglaize: 268 (334); Belmont: 1,081 (1,239); Brown: 738 (1,029); Butler: 247 (352); Carroll: 1,449 (1,733); Champaign: 336 (431); Clark: 177 (197); Clermont: 548 (744); Clinton: 185 (303); Columbiana: 1,132 (1,338); Coshocton: 2,174 (2,576); Crawford: 496 (615); Cuyahoga: 39 (52); Darke: 215 (305); Defiance: 582 (745); Delaware: 352 (503); Erie: 222 (272); Fairfield: 618 (776); Fayette: 91 (140); Franklin: 141 (156); Fulton: 290 (322); Gallia: 1,145 (1,318); Geauga: 582 (538); Greene: 193 (229); Guernsey: 1,728 (2,014); Hamilton: 146 (191); Hancock: 403 (529); Hardin: 381 (529); Harrison: 1,285 (1,530); Henry: 258 (371); Highland: 802 (1,076); Hocking: 1,112 (1,370); Holmes: 1,286 (1,592); Huron: 860 (1,148); Jackson: 1,082 (1,230); Jefferson: 698 (832); Knox: 1,509 (1,965); Lake: 180 (163); Lawrence: 812 (907); Licking: 1,421 (1,789); Logan: 614 (754); Lorain: 628 (702); Lucas: 117 (119); Madison: 146 (186); Mahoning: 615 (649); Marion: 335 (432); Medina: 605 (620); Meigs: 1,233 (1,323); Mercer: 228 (310); Miami: 172 (251); Monroe: 1,100 (1,334); Montgomery: 122 (157); Morgan: 1,198 (1,459); Morrow: 547 (657); Muskingum: 1,917 (2,328); Noble: 1,264 (1,391); Ottawa: 111 (120); Paulding: 332 (446); Perry: 1,042 (1,278); Pickaway: 244 (342); Pike: 690 (761); Portage: 558 (560); Preble: 251 (300); Putnam: 230 (359); Richland: 1,137 (1,343); Ross: 937 (1,230); Sandusky: 216 (275); Scioto: 780 (898); Seneca: 733 (868); Shelby: 282 (394); Stark: 810 (881); Summit: 152 (159); Trumbull: 1,119 (1,250); Tuscarawas: 1,991 (2,335); Union: 281 (350); Van Wert: 175 (223); Vinton: 937 (1,234); Warren: 261 (313); Washington: 1,405 (1,572); Wayne: 696 (823); Williams: 543 (691); Wood: 273 (342); Wyandot: 596 (757). Total: 60,557 (72,814).