COLUMBUS — Ohio bowhunters checked 4,795 white-tailed deer on Nov. 6, the highpoint for the Buckeye State’s archery season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. The first two weeks of Nov. are traditionally a tremendous time to hunt deer with a bow in Ohio.
“Many hunters have found a special date through the years that produces a memorable hunt. It might be a date around Halloween, the first Saturday in Nov., or the onset of the new moon,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “Deer hunting on a particular date or weekend year after year is a fun way to create memories and traditions that can be passed down for generations.”
So far during the 2021 deer archery hunting season, the top 10 most popular and successful harvest dates in Ohio are: Nov. 6, 4,795 deer checked; Nov. 7, with 3,380; Nov. 5, with 3,056; Nov. 13, with 2,938; Nov. 4, with 2,722; Sept. 25, with 2,552; Nov. 3, with 2,469; Nov. 2, with 2,306; Nov. 1, with 2,163; and Nov. 8, with 2,142.
In total, bowhunters across Ohio have harvested 66,626 deer as of Nov. 14. The three-year average for deer harvested over the same eight-week period in 2018, 2019 and 2020 is 65,271.
Ohio’s top 10 counties for deer harvested during the first eight weekends of the 2021-22 deer season include: Coshocton, with 2,534; Tuscarawas, with 1,953; Licking, with 1,884; Muskingum, with 1,788; Knox, with 1,763; Holmes, with 1,707; Ashtabula, with 1,689; Guernsey, with 1,608; Trumbull, with 1,607; and Richland, with 1,341.
Bowhunting for white-tailed deer has become increasingly popular in Ohio, especially during October and November. These months mark the peak of the rut, or breeding season, for deer. They are moving through the landscape more readily this time of year as bucks pursue does, making it an exciting time to be out in the field.
Ohio offers many more opportunities for hunters to pursue deer. Young hunters have a chance to harvest a deer during the youth gun weekend, Nov. 20-21. The deer gun season is Nov. 29 through Dec. 5, and again Dec. 18-19. Deer muzzleloader season is Jan. 8 through Jan. 11, 2022. Bowhunting is open until Feb. 6, 2022. Find complete details in the 2021-22 Ohio hunting regulations.
The free HuntFish OH mobile app can be downloaded to purchase fishing and hunting licenses, check game, view wildlife area maps and more. The HuntFish OH mobile app is available for Android and iOS users and can be found in the app store. Users can access the Division of Wildlife’s online system to check harvested deer while out in the field, even without a Wi-Fi connection.
A complete list of deer hunting regulations is listed in the 2021-22 Ohio hunting regulations. The Division of Wildlife wants to help new and experienced hunters make the most of their outdoor adventures. Visit the Wild Ohio Harvest Community page at wildohio.gov for information on getting started, hunting opportunities, and delicious wild game recipes.
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. ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
County by county Ohio deer harvest
The 2021 total for white-tailed deer checked by hunters in Ohio through Nov. 14 is 66,626. That’s just over the three-year average of 65,271.
The county by county list, with 2021 harvest numbers followed by the three-year average from 2018 to 2020 in parentheses, is as follows:
- Adams: 1,204 (1,127)
- Allen: 364 (379)
- Ashland: 1,127 (1,093)
- Ashtabula: 1,689 (1,730)
- Athens: 1,121 (1,089)
- Auglaize: 318 (344)
- Belmont: 797 (772)
- Brown: 843 (848)
- Butler: 698 (641)
- Carroll: 1,202 (1,120)
- Champaign: 503 (489)
- Clark: 345 (333)
- Clermont: 1,030 (1,019)
- Clinton: 208 (252)
- Columbiana: 1,180 (1,036)
- Coshocton: 2,534 (2,408)
- Crawford: 405 (380)
- Cuyahoga: 493 (562)
- Darke: 284 (287)
- Defiance: 436 (527)
- Delaware: 656 (714)
- Erie: 347 (355)
- Fairfield: 675 (697)
- Fayette: 102 (106)
- Franklin: 327 (368)
- Fulton: 278 (274)
- Gallia: 750 (710)
- Geauga: 803 (809)
- Greene: 328 (362)
- Guernsey: 1,608 (1,413)
- Hamilton: 706 (824)
- Hancock: 513 (463)
- Hardin: 404 (431)
- Harrison: 1,160 (1,116)
- Henry: 238 (235)
- Highland: 836 (886)
- Hocking: 977 (977)
- Holmes: 1,707 (1,616)
- Huron: 696 (706)
- Jackson: 895 (973)
- Jefferson: 756 (630)
- Knox: 1,763 (1,632)
- Lake: 403 (427)
- Lawrence: 513 (567)
- Licking: 1,884 (1,879)
- Logan: 764 (771)
- Lorain: 829 (911)
- Lucas: 310 (406)
- Madison: 219 (204)
- Mahoning: 794 (793)
- Marion: 299 (283)
- Medina: 981 (910)
- Meigs: 1,010 (944)
- Mercer: 294 (285)
- Miami: 346 (370)
- Monroe: 643 (619)
- Montgomery: 374 (382)
- Morgan: 956 (908)
- Morrow: 633 (579)
- Muskingum: 1,788 (1,581)
- Noble: 1,016 (947)
- Ottawa: 178 (217)
- Paulding: 346 (354)
- Perry: 838 (787)
- Pickaway: 185 (237)
- Pike: 716 (678)
- Portage: 1,043 (975)
- Preble: 401 (417)
- Putnam: 294 (314)
- Richland: 1,341 (1,265)
- Ross: 999 (1,017)
- Sandusky: 407 (401)
- Scioto: 770 (761)
- Seneca: 622 (637)
- Shelby: 373 (356)
- Stark: 1,165 (1,157)
- Summit: 845 (803)
- Trumbull: 1,607 (1,505)
- Tuscarawas: 1,953 (1,843)
- Union: 404 (404)
- Van Wert: 188 (181)
- Vinton: 817 (808)
- Warren: 471 (508)
- Washington: 891 (823)
- Wayne: 994 (909)
- Williams: 610 (597)
- Wood: 346 (384)
- Wyandot: 460 (435)
A three-year average provides a better overall comparison to this year’s harvest numbers, eliminating year-to-year variation because of weather, misaligned season dates, crop harvest and other unavoidable factors. Harvest numbers are raw data and subject to change.
