COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio hunters took 125,681 deer during the state’s popular weeklong deer-gun season that recently concluded, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
The preliminary total of deer killed during this year’s gun season is 8 percent more than the previous year’s preliminary total of 116,004. The season ran from Monday, November 29, to Sunday, December 5.
“Hunters enjoyed another great deer season throughout the state,” said Steven A. Gray, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. “Twenty years ago, most of Ohio’s deer hunting occurred mostly in the state’s southern and eastern counties. Today, good deer hunting is available in almost every county.”
When combining the results from the first six weeks of archery season with the youth season and the deer-gun hunting season, a total of 173,320 deer have been killed so far this deer-hunting season - compared to 157,453 last year at this time. In all, hunters took a total of 197,790 deer during all of last year’s hunting seasons. Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer brought to Ohio check stations last week included Tuscarawas with 5,103; Coshocton with 4,424; Washington with 4,221; Guernsey with 3,957; and Muskingum with 3,883.
The statewide deer population was estimated to be 700,000 on October 1, prior to the start of the hunting season. Approximately 400,000 hunters were expected to participate in the statewide deer-gun season.
Hunters still have eight weeks of white-tailed deer hunting available to them in Ohio, as archery season remains open until January 31. The statewide muzzleloader deer-hunting season will be held December 27 through December 30.
Ohio’s first modern day deer-gun season opened in 1943 in three counties, where hunters harvested 168 deer. In 1956, deer hunting was allowed in all 88 counties and hunters killed 3,911 deer during that one-week season.
Deer hunting contributes an estimated $266 million to Ohio’s economy each year and helps to support thousands of jobs. Venison is delicious and nutritious meat, low in fat and cholesterol. It is the number one wild game served by hunters in Ohio. Deer hunters also contribute thousands of pounds of venison to organizations that help feed less-fortunate Ohio residents through special programs.
A detailed listing of deer-hunting rules is contained in the 2004-2005 Ohio Hunting Regulations, available where licenses are sold. It may also be viewed online at ohiodnr.com .