Ohio’s Archery Hunters Off to a Good Start this 2024 Deer Season

Ohio archery hunters have checked 48,321 deer through Sunday, Nov. 3, which includes the first six weekends of bowhunting, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The 2024-25 statewide archery season began on Saturday, Sept. 28 and continues through Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.
 
Deer harvested this year include 23,311 antlered deer and 25,010 antlerless deer, a category which includes does and button bucks. The average bow harvest through the first weekend of November over the last three years is 50,844 white-tailed deer. Last year, hunters checked 51,352 deer over the same period.

Ohio’s top 10 counties for archery harvest through Sunday, Nov. 3 are: Coshocton (1,673), Tuscarawas (1,514), Ashtabula (1,490), Knox (1,375), Holmes (1,355), Trumbull (1,353), Licking (1,216), Muskingum (1,119), Richland (1,097), and Guernsey (1,039).

During the 2023-24 deer hunting season, 105,158 of the 213,928 deer checked were taken with a bow. Last season was the first time the archery harvest topped 100,000, an indication that the popularity of bowhunting continues to rise. The historic 2023-24 archery total included 75,462 taken with a crossbow and 29,696 with a vertical bow.

Bowhunting is available on both public and private land. Bowhunting hotspots are in the eastern and south-central portions of the state. Archers have additional opportunities to hunt private land through the Ohio Landowner-Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP), which incentivizes landowners to open their property to hunters. A list of available properties and instructions for obtaining access, available by permit only, are available at wildohio.gov. OLHAP properties are not accessible to deer gun hunters.

Bowhunters are required to purchase a hunting license and deer permit, unless exempted. A one-year resident hunting license costs $19 and is valid through Feb. 28, 2025. Deer management permits, available for $15, can be used on private land through Dec. 22 and only for antlerless deer. Either-sex deer permits, $31.20 for resident adults, are available statewide through Feb. 2, 2025, and can be used on both antlered and antlerless deer. Licenses can be purchased through the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System, on the HuntFish OH mobile app, or at a license sales agent. 

Successful deer hunters can check their game using the HuntFish OH mobile app, available for free in the Android and Apple app stores. Users can also explore public hunting areas, purchase hunting licenses or deer permits, view county bag limits, and so much more. Beyond the app, hunters can check game by visiting ohiogamecheck.com, calling 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (1-877-824-4864), visiting a license sales agent, or calling 1-866-703-1298 (landowner operator-assisted; fees apply).