OHIO — During Ohio's extra deer gun hunting weekend on Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, hunters harvested 15,496 white-tailed deer, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). 

It's more than last year's gun weekend total (15,149) and higher than the average of the last three years (13,329), according to ODNR. 

What You Need To Know

  • For two years in a row, Coshocton County harvested the most deer during the extra weekend deer gun hunt

  • Of the more than 15,400 deer checked over the weekend, 4,408 of them were bucks, 9.130 were does and 1,639 were button bucks

  • Ohio hunters have so far checked a total of 96,136 deer this year, according to ODNR

The top 10 counties to get the most deer during this year's extra gun weekend were:

  • Coshocton (534)
  • Tuscarawas (505)
  • Ashtabula (470)
  • Carroll (414)
  • Knox (412)
  • Muskingum (410)
  • Licking (392)
  • Holmes (359)
  • Ashland (359)
  • Guernsey (348)

Coshocton County also got first last year with 517 deer.

Of the more than 15,400 deer checked over the weekend, 4,408 of them were bucks, 9.130 were does and 1,639 were button bucks. 

As of this year, Ohio hunters have so far checked a total of 96,136 deer, according to ODNR. That number includes the 10,039 deer harvest by youth hunters during their weekend in November. 

As of Sunday, more than 402,000 deer permits have been issued. Hunters out of state have also came to Ohio to participate in deer hunts this year, including from Pennsylvania (7,373 licenses sold), Michigan (5,104), West Virginia (3,699), North Carolina (3,239), New York (2,942) and more.

According to a recent report released by the Wildlife Management Institute, Responsive Management, and Southwick Associates, hunters generated more than $1.9 billion in economic spending in the state last year. 

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