OHIO’S 2022-23 DEER HARVEST REPORT

OHIO’S 2022-23 DEER HARVEST REPORT

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s 2022-23 white-tailed deer hunting season concluded Sunday, Feb. 5, with 210,977 deer checked, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The final total represents all deer harvested during archery, gun, muzzleloader, and youth hunting seasons since Sept. 10, 2022.

The total white-tailed deer harvested in Meigs County was up slightly, the 2022-2023 total was 3,437 compared to 3,171 from the three-year average of deer taken from 2019-2021.

“Ohio is consistently one of the nation’s best states for deer hunting, and this season reaffirmed that status,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “Ohio hunters have enjoyed a long season with many chances to get afield. This is the first time since 2012-13 that the number of deer taken surpassed 200,000.”

Ohio’s statewide deer harvest, by year:
2022-23: 210,977
2021-22: 196,988
3-year average (2019-2021): 193,058
Ohio’s 2022-23 statewide deer harvest, by individual season:

Archery: 99,742
Weeklong and two-day gun seasons: 87,095
Four-day muzzleloader season: 13,617
Two-day youth season: 9,515
Controlled firearm hunts: 1,008

Top 10 counties for 2022-23 deer harvest:
Coshocton (7,590). Last season, Coshocton County also led the state with 7,144 deer checked.
Tuscarawas (7,028)
Muskingum (5,982)
Ashtabula (5,592)
Knox (5,477)
Licking (5,467)
Holmes (5,183)
Guernsey (5,073)
Carroll (4,866)
Trumbull (4,251)

Most popular hunting implements:
Crossbow: 71,701 (34%)
Straight-walled cartridge rifle: 56,437 (26%)
Shotgun: 36,398 (17%)
Vertical Bow: 28,041 (13%)
Muzzleloader: 17,854 (9%)
Handgun: 546 (1%)
Deer harvest, by type:

Bucks: 86,645; 41% of the total
Does: 101,141; 48%
Button bucks: 19,851; 9%
Bucks with shed antlers and bucks with antlers less than 3 inches: 3,340; 2%

Permit sales
Ohio hunters purchased 409,672 permits across all hunting seasons. Hunters from all 50 U.S. states purchased deer permits in Ohio for use in the 2022-23 seasons.
States outside of Ohio with the highest nonresident permit sales include:
Pennsylvania (9,365)
Michigan (6,420)
West Virginia (4,367)
North Carolina (4,284)
New York (3,878)

Hunting drives $866 million of spending in Ohio each year through the sale of food, equipment, fuel, lodging, and more, according to the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation’s Economic Impacts of Hunting and Target Shooting Technical Report. An estimated 479,000 hunters enjoy the state’s excellent outdoor recreation each year. The economic benefits of hunting-related industries translate to 15,500 jobs in Ohio, $68 million in state and local taxes, and $753 million of the state’s GDP.

All deer taken in Ohio are required to be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System. This mandatory reporting gives the Division of Wildlife a long-term dataset that aids wildlife biologists in monitoring deer health, distribution, and relative abundance. Weekly reports can be found on the Deer Harvest Summary page at wildohio.gov.

Check out the Wild Ohio Harvest Community for kitchen inspiration on how to prepare this season’s deer. The Wild Ohio Harvest Cookbook shares imaginative venison recipes, or join an upcoming venison preparation class for hands-on experience.

Keep up with the Division of Wildlife on Twitter and Facebook for instant news stories, outdoor recreation ideas, local wildlife information, and so much more. Visit wildohio.gov to find locations to hunt, fish, trap, and view wildlife. Follow the Division of Wildlife on Instagram to view the best of Ohio’s wildlife photography. In preparation for the 2023-24 hunting seasons, download the free HuntFish OH mobile app to purchase licenses and permits, check game, and view wildlife area maps.

The mission of the Division of Wildlife is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to find out more.

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

Ohio Deer Season Hunting Stats
Editors Note: A county list of all white-tailed deer harvested during the 2022-23 deer hunting seasons is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2022-23, and the three-year average of deer taken from 2019-2021 is in parentheses. A three-year average provides a better overall comparison to this year’s harvest numbers, eliminating year-to-year variation because of weather, misaligned season dates, crop harvest, and other unavoidable factors. Numbers below are raw data and subject to change. Meigs and surrounding counties in red

Adams: 3,180 (2,959); Allen: 1,288 (1,072); Ashland: 3,994 (3,575); Ashtabula: 5,592 (5,268); Athens: 3,332 (3,361); Auglaize: 1,293 (1,006); Belmont: 3,087 (2,901); Brown: 2,568 (2,497); Butler: 1,268 (1,566); Carroll: 4,866 (4,054); Champaign: 1,623 (1,356); Clark: 842 (789); Clermont: 2,547 (2,548); Clinton: 850 (682); Columbiana: 4,058 (3,393); Coshocton: 7,590 (6,883); Crawford: 1,479 (1,334); Cuyahoga: 929 (930); Darke: 1,081 (842); Defiance: 2,060 (1,912); Delaware: 1,734 (1,597); Erie: 942 (1,003); Fairfield: 2,223 (2,043); Fayette: 416 (328); Franklin: 818 (816); Fulton: 975 (872); Gallia: 3,031 (2,417); Geauga: 2,477 (2,109); Greene: 923 (892); Guernsey: 5,073 (4,812); Hamilton: 1,193 (1,489); Hancock: 1,760 (1,534); Hardin: 1,485 (1,463); Harrison: 3,744 (3,598); Henry: 1,009 (861); Highland: 2,953 (2,749); Hocking: 2,802 (2,905); Holmes: 5,183 (4,748); Huron: 2,654 (2,448); Jackson: 3,171 (2,727); Jefferson: 2,587 (2,219); Knox: 5,477 (5,094); Lake: 1,066 (952); Lawrence: 1,889 (1,620); Licking: 5,467 (5,224); Logan: 2,257 (2,201); Lorain: 2,368 (2,340); Lucas: 829 (754); Madison: 644 (610); Mahoning: 2,074 (2,007); Marion: 988 (974); Medina: 2,790 (2,482); Meigs: 3,437 (3,171); Mercer: 1,075 (875); Miami: 980 (863); Monroe: 2,721 (2,481); Montgomery: 861 (839); Morgan: 3,369 (3,095); Morrow: 2,085 (1,738); Muskingum: 5,982 (5,144); Noble: 3,417 (3,095); Ottawa: 635 (565); Paulding: 1,375 (1,240); Perry: 2,940 (2,643); Pickaway: 910 (701); Pike: 2,105 (1,842); Portage: 2,825 (2,555); Preble: 1,127 (1,057); Putnam: 1,083 (887); Richland: 3,937 (3,733); Ross: 2,952 (3,033); Sandusky: 1,123 (1,016); Scioto: 2,453 (2,087); Seneca: 2,275 (2,063); Shelby: 1,355 (1,098); Stark: 3,625 (3,096); Summit: 1,889 (1,669); Trumbull: 4,251 (3,892); Tuscarawas: 7,028 (6,081); Union: 1,114 (1,071); Van Wert: 731 (590); Vinton: 1,986 (2,327); Warren: 1,055 (1,234); Washington: 3,971 (3,302); Wayne: 2,711 (2,559); Williams: 2,053 (1,823); Wood: 1,139 (1,064); Wyandot: 1,873 (1,713).

2022-23 Total: 210,977
3-Year Average Total: 193,058