November 29, 2005

GUERNSEY COUNTY LEADS THE STATE
IN NUMBER OF DEER CHECKED
ON OPENING DAY OF GUN SEASON
Hunters take 38,695 deer statewide on Monday

COLUMBUS, OH - Hunters took 38,695 deer on opening day of Ohio’s weeklong deer-gun season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The deer-gun season remains open through Sunday, December 4.

The preliminary figure from deer check stations throughout the state shows a slight decrease from last year's opening day total of 40,254. Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer checked on Monday included Guernsey (1,604); Tuscarawas (1,565); Coshocton (1,500); Harrison (1,224); Holmes (1,170); Licking (1,155); Muskingum (1,126); Knox (1,035); Athens (1,018); and Ashtabula (1,005).

East-central Ohio has been the state’s top deer hunting region for many years. Good habitat and a rich hunting tradition in the area sustain its reputation as a deer hunting hot spot.

“Opening day is a very enjoyable time for Ohio’s deer hunters,” said Steven A. Gray, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. “By all indications, the first day of deer-gun season was very good statewide.”

Deer hunting in the state was already off to a good start with both early archery and youth deer-gun season figures up from 2004. When combining the results from the first six-weeks of archery season, the youth season and opening day, a total of 89,276 deer have been killed so far this deer hunting season - compared to 87,893 last year at this time. In all, hunters took a total of 216,443 deer during all of last year’s hunting seasons.

“Ohio’s deer population is in great shape. The challenge is to keep the herd in this condition over a sustained period of time,” said Gray. “I think our management plan has been very successful and should continue to be successful in the future.”

Approximately 400,000 hunters are expected to participate in the statewide deer-gun season this week. The statewide deer population was estimated to be 650,000 prior to the start of the fall hunting seasons.

Increasingly, out-of-state hunters are feeling the lure of hunting Ohio’s whitetails. Many out-of-state hunters cite the health and quality of Ohio’s deer herd as the reason for making the Buckeye State their deer-hunting destination.

Hunters who wish to share their success can submit a photo of themselves and the deer they killed this year. The web address for submitting a photo is: ohiodnr.com/wildlife

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 2005-2006 Ohio Hunting Regulations, available where licenses are sold. It may also be viewed online at ohiodnr.com .

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For additional news online, check out the ODNR Press Room at Ohiodnr.com

For Further Information Contact:
Dave Risley, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6330
-or-
Vicki Ervin, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6325