STATEWIDE MUZZLELOADER SEASON COMES TO AN END
Tuscarawas County leads the state in preliminary number of deer checked

COLUMBUS, OH - Hunters took 21,473 deer during Ohio's four-day muzzleloader season, December 27-30, with Tuscarawas County again leading the state with 971deer checked. Last year, a preliminary total of 22,413 deer was taken during muzzleloader season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

During the last two decades, Ohio's muzzleloader season has consistently grown in popularity. Twenty years ago, the statewide muzzleloader season accounted for 5 percent of the total deer kill. Today, it constitutes 12 percent of the total annual deer harvest.

Counties reporting the highest number of deer checked during the muzzleloader season included: Tuscarawas-971, Harrison-815, Licking-763, Holmes-720, Guernsey-697, Washington-588, Meigs-560, Jefferson- 523, and Ashland-511.

Hunters have killed a preliminary total of 185,675 deer across the state since Ohio's deer hunting seasons opened on September 29. Archery hunters took 53,982 deer during the first six weeks of the statewide archery season, which continues through February 3. The youth season resulted in the bagging of 10,515 deer. Hunters checked 103,195 deer during the statewide deer-gun season. During the extra weekend of deer gun hunting, 17,710 deer were killed. Another 273 deer were taken during the early muzzleloader deer season on three specific hunting areas.

Hunters who wish to share their success can submit a photo of themselves and the deer they killed this year at wildohio.com .

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For Further Information Contact:
Mike Tonkovich, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(740) 589-9922
-or-
Mike Reynolds, ODNR Media Relations
(740) 589-9921
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860