“Ohio’s storied deer-gun hunting week continues to be popular with many hunters,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker in a release. “The Ohio hunting season has changed over time. Fewer people take a deer with a gun today when compared to the hunting seasons from the 1970s and 1980s. Regardless of harvest rates, surveys show Ohio’s deer hunters still participate during this week, whether they serve as mentors or accompany friends.”
The top 10 counties for deer taken during the gun week include: Coshocton (2,281), Tuscarawas (2,198), Ashtabula (2,167), Muskingum (2,085), Knox (2,006), Guernsey (1,890), Licking (1,875), Carroll (1,664), Holmes (1,648), and Ashland (1,536). Coshocton County also led the state in 2019 with 2,325 deer checked, while hunters took 63,567 deer statewide.
Through Dec. 6, 79,499 deer have been taken by Ohio archery hunters. Plus, Ohio’s youth hunters checked 5,795 white-tailed deer during the 2020 two-day youth gun season, Nov. 21-22. For Ohio hunters who missed the deer-gun week, there are still more options to pursue deer. Hunters can take deer on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19-20. Muzzleloader season is open Jan. 2-5, 2021, and archery season is open until Feb. 7, 2021.
DEER KILLED BY COUNTY (2020 vs. 2019)
Adams: 1,026 (1,018); Allen: 402 (317); Ashland: 1,536 (1,251); Ashtabula: 2,167 (2,006); Athens: 1,255 (1,391); Auglaize: 386 (314); Belmont: 1,237 (1,169); Brown: 1,002 (855); Butler: 412 (297); Carroll: 1,664 (1,551); Champaign: 468 (381); Clark: 218 (185); Clermont: 807 (616); Clinton: 217 (248); Columbiana: 1,342 (1,214); Coshocton: 2,281 (2,353); Crawford: 646 (556); Cuyahoga: 45 (47); Darke: 362 (256); Defiance: 984 (698); Delaware: 410 (413); Erie: 352 (234); Fairfield: 823 (664); Fayette: 128 (123); Franklin: 184 (137); Fulton: 393 (307); Gallia: 1,015 (1,148); Geauga: 595 (549); Greene: 264 (218); Guernsey: 1,890 (1,822); Hamilton: 178 (157); Hancock: 666 (472); Hardin: 665 (486); Harrison: 1,416 (1,407); Henry: 415 (336); Highland: 1,154 (905); Hocking: 1,079 (1,226); Holmes: 1,648 (1,448); Huron: 1,180 (997); Jackson: 938 (1,098); Jefferson: 873 (772); Knox: 2,006 (1,748); Lake: 197 (164); Lawrence: 639 (800); Licking: 1,875 (1,575); Logan: 821 (688); Lorain: 745 (630); Lucas: 153 (117); Madison: 202 (165); Mahoning: 604 (585); Marion: 428 (382); Medina: 775 (598); Meigs: 1,133 (1,210); Mercer: 364 (280); Miami: 253 (213); Monroe: 1,114 (1,164); Montgomery: 201 (139); Morgan: 1,313 (1,299); Morrow: 753 (587); Muskingum: 2,085 (2,070); Noble: 1,287 (1,272); Ottawa: 190 (118); Paulding: 551 (418); Perry: 1,094 (1,113); Pickaway: 221 (298); Pike: 675 (694); Portage: 679 (567); Preble: 334 (278); Putnam: 386 (299); Richland: 1,490 (1,220); Ross: 1,139 (1,054); Sandusky: 371 (245); Scioto: 739 (778); Seneca: 852 (805); Shelby: 402 (354); Stark: 952 (835); Summit: 227 (153); Trumbull: 1,260 (1,160); Tuscarawas: 2,198 (2,151); Union: 415 (310); Van Wert: 281 (209); Vinton: 849 (1,022); Warren: 368 (286); Washington: 1,362 (1,480); Wayne: 896 (771); Williams: 731 (619); Wood: 412 (316); Wyandot: 905 (689). 2020 Total: 71,650 Three-Year Average Total: (65,566)
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