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COLUMBUS -- Ohio hunters harvested 70,413 deer during the 2021 deer gun week that concluded Sunday, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. During the past three years, hunters checked an average of 65,280 deer during the same weeklong period, which marks an 8 percent increase in 2021. Deer gun season is open again on Dec. 18-19.
During the deer gun week, hunters harvested 25,263 bucks (36 percent of deer taken), 36,096 does (51 percent), and 8,021 button bucks (11 percent.) Bucks with shed antlers and bucks with antlers less than 3 inches long accounted for 1,033 deer, or 1 percent of the harvest.
“All deer taken by hunters are required to be entered into Ohio’s game check system,” said Kendra Wecker, chief of the Division of Wildlife. “The information collected during the game check process is critically important to the Division of Wildlife for planning quality deer management into the future.”
The top 10 counties for deer taken during the gun week include: Coshocton, 2,403; Tuscarawas, 2,204; Muskingum, 2,107; Ashtabula, 2,039; Knox, 2,023; Guernsey, 1,968; Carroll, 1,767; Licking, 1,712; Holmes, 1,645; and Washington, 1,483. Coshocton County led the state in 2020 with 2,281 deer checked. Statewide in 2020, hunters took 71,651 deer.
In addition to Carroll County, numbers from counties in our region include Columbiana, 1,362 (three-year average of 1,216); Harrison: 1,318 (1,371); Belmont 1,154 (1,173); and Jefferson, 866 (787.) Carroll County’s three-year average is 1,530.
Straight-walled cartridge rifles have become more popular each year since becoming legal for deer hunting in 2014. During deer gun hunting week, straight-walled cartridge rifles were used for 49 percent of checked deer. Shotguns accounted for 43 percent of the total. In addition, 6 percent were taken with a muzzleloader, 1 percent by archery equipment and less than 1 percent with a handgun.
Through Sunday, 80,178 deer have been taken by Ohio archery hunters.
Plus, Ohio’s youth hunters checked 7,634 deer during the two-day youth gun season, Nov. 20-21.
Because Ohio is known as a quality deer hunting state, many out-of-state hunters travel here during the season. 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 hunting participation remains high for all hunters, with 383,770 deer hunting permits sold or issued through Sunday.
While gun hunting remains a favorite season, the number of hunters pursuing deer with archery equipment is growing rapidly. For the eighth year in a row, more deer were harvested during the 2020-21 archery season than during the gun season. The number of hunters who hunt using multiple implements also is increasing. In 2020, nearly 75 percent of gun hunters also participated in the archery season.
The mission of the Division of Wildlife is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to find out more.