OHIO — Ohio hunters checked in more than 70,413 deer during this year's deer gun week, which ended Sunday, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

What You Need To Know

  • While gun hunters got 70,413 deer, archery hunters got even more: 80,178

  • That's the eighth year in a row archery hunters took home more than gun hunters

  • Coshocton County checked in the most deer this

  • Deer gun season is open again Dec. 18-19

That's about an 8% increase from years prior, which over the last three years, hunters got an average of 65,280 deer. Ohio archery hunters took home 80,178 deer as of Sunday.

For the eighth year in a row, more deer were harvested during the 2020-21 archery season than during the gun season.

The top 10 counties to take home the most deer are Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Muskingum, Ashtabula, Knox, Guernsey, Carroll, Licking, Holmes and Washington.

 

“All deer taken by hunters are required to be entered into Ohio’s game check system,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “The information collected during the game check process is critically important to the Division of Wildlife for planning quality deer management into the future.”

According to ODNR, hunters harvested 25,263 bucks, 36,096 does and 8,021 button bucks. Also, during the two-day Ohio’s youth gun season on Nov. 20-21, young hunters checked 7,634 deer.

ODNR said many people come from out of state to hunt deer in Ohio. The top five states for purchasing a nonresident hunting license in Ohio include: Pennsylvania (7,929 licenses sold), Michigan (5,533), West Virginia (3,898), North Carolina (3,740), and New York (3,597). 

Deer gun season is open again Dec. 18-19.

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