COLUMBUS — Ohio’s archery hunters have taken 48,583 deer through Nov. 6, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The average bow harvest for the first seven weekends over the past three years is 54,021 deer. Through the same date in 2021, hunters checked 52,613 deer.
Ohio’s top 10 counties for archery harvest through Nov. 6, include the following: Coshocton (1,923), Tuscarawas (1,602), Ashtabula (1,488), Holmes (1,460), Trumbull (1,400), Licking (1,322), Knox (1,294), Muskingum (1,130), Guernsey (1,015) and Columbiana (1,013). This 2022 to-date total includes 21,650 bucks, 23,163 does and 3,332 button bucks.
During the 2021-22 season, bow hunters checked 95,303 deer, the largest bow harvest on record and more deer than were taken during the seven-day gun season. Vertical bow shooters took 27,529 of those, with the steadily growing crossbow regiment taking the other 67,774 deer.
The 2022-23 archery season began statewide Sept. 24 and continues until Feb. 5, 2023. More than 300,000 hunters took part in the 2021-22 fall and winter seasons. Last year, 404,800 deer permits were issued.
Bowhunting hotspots are in the eastern and south-central portions of the state. Coshocton County led the state with 3,558 deer taken with a bow last year. Bowhunting is available on both public and private land.
Archers have additional opportunities to hunt private land through the Ohio Landowner-Hunter Access Partnership, which incentivizes landowners to open their property to hunters. A list of available properties and instructions for obtaining access, available by permit only, are available at wildohio.gov. OLHAP properties are not accessible to deer gun hunters.
Ohio offers many more opportunities for deer hunters to take home venison in the coming weeks. Young hunters can use firearms during the annual youth season, Nov. 19-20. The seven-day gun season runs from Nov. 28 until Dec. 4, with a gun weekend Dec. 17-18. The late muzzleloader season will be Jan. 7-10, 2023. Find complete details in the 2022-23 hunting and trapping regulations.
Successful deer hunters can check their game using the HuntFish OH mobile app, available for free in the Android and Apple app stores. Users can also explore public hunting areas and purchase hunting licenses or deer permits.
Beyond the app, hunters can check game by visiting ohiogamecheck.com, calling 1-877-824-4864, visiting a license sales agent, or calling 1-866-703-1298 (landowner operator-assisted; fees apply).
White-tailed deer checked by county
An Ohio county list of all white-tailed deer checked by bowhunters through Nov. 6 is shown.
The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2022, and the three-year average of deer harvested from 2019 to 2021 is in parentheses. 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.
Adams: 745 (889); Allen: 326 (315); Ashland: 924 (958); Ashtabula: 1,488 (1,489); Athens: 627 (835); Auglaize: 300 (276); Belmont: 475 (602); Brown: 540 (671); Butler: 352 (540); Carroll: 1,005 (955); Champaign: 379 (407); Clark: 231 (268); Clermont: 673 (832); Clinton: 185 (164); Columbiana: 1,013 (924); Coshocton: 1,923 (2,065); Crawford: 302 (337); Cuyahoga: 378 (466); Darke: 262 (225); Defiance: 379 (436); Delaware: 525 (583); Erie: 264 (293);
Fairfield: 504 (546); Fayette: 77 (82); Franklin: 235 (289); Fulton: 229 (245); Gallia: 561 (550); Geauga: 739 (707); Greene: 244 (274); Guernsey: 1,015 (1,195); Hamilton: 447 (663); Hancock: 416 (407); Hardin: 234 (356); Harrison: 735 (934); Henry: 180 (205); Highland: 564 (677); Hocking: 483 (745); Holmes: 1,460 (1,440); Huron: 544 (587); Jackson: 675 (739); Jefferson: 509 (559); Knox: 1,294 (1,419); Lake: 360 (364); Lawrence: 366 (423); Licking: 1,322 (1,584); Logan: 533 (629); Lorain: 660 (758); Lucas: 296 (326);
Madison: 162 (158); Mahoning: 644 (673); Marion: 175 (241); Medina: 747 (795); Meigs: 642 (755); Mercer: 247 (224); Miami: 301 (297); Monroe: 381 (483); Montgomery: 261 (316); Morgan: 551 (687); Morrow: 515 (502); Muskingum: 1,130 (1,306); Noble: 658 (758); Ottawa: 168 (173); Paulding: 293 (301); Perry: 494 (629); Pickaway: 160 (153); Pike: 433 (523); Portage: 843 (838); Preble: 271 (330); Putnam: 260 (264);
Richland: 964 (1,109); Ross: 510 (741); Sandusky: 318 (343); Scioto: 519 (586); Seneca: 502 (545); Shelby: 309 (301); Stark: 970 (965); Summit: 682 (685); Trumbull: 1,400 (1,365); Tuscarawas: 1,602 (1,617); Union: 286 (329); Van Wert: 169 (156); Vinton: 365 (611); Warren: 234 (393); Washington: 620 (625); Wayne: 742 (801); Williams: 501 (527); Wood: 315 (310); and Wyandot: 261 (369).
The 2022 total is 48,583, and the three-year average is 54,017.
