COLUMBUS — Ohio’s annual deer gun hunting week got off to a great start with 21,754 deer checked Nov. 29, the opening day of the season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
During the past three years, hunters took an average of 13,349 deer opening day. Ohio’s gun season ended Dec. 5 and will be open again for two days, Dec. 18-19.
Ohio’s weather for this year’s opening day was perfect for deer hunting: mostly to partly sunny and cool temperatures. In 2020, during a snowy and rainy gun opener, hunters bagged 10,905 deer.
The top 10 counties for deer harvest on the opening day of Ohio’s gun season include the following: Coshocton (850), Tuscarawas (729), Ashtabula (725), Knox (679), Muskingum (677), Holmes (650), Guernsey (642), Carroll (607), Licking (572) and Ashland (504).
In 2020, Coshocton County also led the state on opening day with 356 deer taken.
Ohio archery hunters have taken 79,538 deer through Nov. 29. Ohio’s young hunters checked 7,634 deer during the 2021 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 the following: Pennsylvania (6,994 licenses sold), Michigan (4,801), West Virginia (3,595), North Carolina (3,050) and New York (3,009).
Deer hunting participation remains high for all hunters, with 339,991 deer hunting permits sold or issued through Nov. 28.
Ohio offers many more opportunities for hunters to pursue deer. Deer muzzleloader season is Jan. 8-11. Bowhunting is open until Feb. 6. Find complete details in the 2021-22 Ohio hunting regulations.
The free HuntFish OH mobile app can be downloaded to conveniently purchase fishing and hunting licenses, check game and view wildlife area maps. 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.
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.
Ohio deer checked by county
A county list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters during opening day of the 2021 deer gun hunting season is shown below.
The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for opening day 2021, and the three-year average of deer harvested on opening day in 2018, 2019, 2020 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, timing of the crop harvest and other unavoidable factors.
Harvest numbers are raw data and subject to change. These numbers may include controlled hunts.
Adams: 288 (187); Allen: 92 (60); Ashland: 504 (282); Ashtabula: 725 (459); Athens: 420 (258); Auglaize: 135 (68); Belmont: 335 (227); Brown: 249 (171); Butler: 99 (50); Carroll: 607 (332); Champaign: 127 (78); Clark: 53 (28); Clermont: 162 (99); Clinton: 57 (45); Columbiana: 448 (270); Coshocton: 850 (536); Crawford: 191 (110); Cuyahoga: 8 (9); Darke: 86 (55); Defiance: 297 (190); Delaware: 139 (81); Erie: 91 (40);
Fairfield: 240 (126); Fayette: 36 (18); Franklin: 38 (29); Fulton: 150 (84); Gallia: 306 (201); Geauga: 205 (98); Greene: 70 (34); Guernsey: 642 (368); Hamilton: 30 (16); Hancock: 164 (76); Hardin: 166 (113); Harrison: 429 (309); Henry: 140 (86); Highland: 309 (195); Hocking: 308 (246); Holmes: 650 (363); Huron: 375 (212); Jackson: 284 (195); Jefferson: 232 (164); Knox: 679 (435); Lake: 43 (27); Lawrence: 216 (123); Licking: 572 (368); Logan: 241 (143); Lorain: 193 (109); Lucas: 27 (24);
Madison: 67 (26); Mahoning: 200 (120); Marion: 158 (79); Medina: 181 (95); Meigs: 370 (212); Mercer: 118 (64); Miami: 53 (32); Monroe: 276 (212); Montgomery: 56 (26); Morgan: 382 (256); Morrow: 217 (124); Muskingum: 677 (443); Noble: 387 (249); Ottawa: 56 (18); Paulding: 203 (121); Perry: 369 (216); Pickaway: 68 (52); Pike: 173 (116); Portage: 189 (103); Preble: 83 (41); Putnam: 117 (66); Richland: 414 (272); Ross: 264 (183);
Sandusky: 72 (44); Scioto: 159 (106); Seneca: 310 (149); Shelby: 112 (66); Stark: 269 (157); Summit: 36 (18); Trumbull: 382 (280); Tuscarawas: 729 (474); Union: 119 (60); Van Wert: 81 (47); Vinton: 262 (158); Warren: 81 (46); Washington: 436 (285); Wayne: 251 (158); Williams: 318 (175); Wood: 89 (55); Wyandot: 262 (150).
The 2021 total is 21,754. The three-year average total is 13,349.
