COLUMBUS – Hunters across Ohio checked 238,137 white-tailed deer during the 2024-25 hunting season that concluded on Feb. 2, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The final total, the fourth highest number of deer taken on record, represents all deer bagged during archery, gun, muzzleloader and youth seasons since Sept. 14, 2024.
In 2023-24, deer hunters checked 213,927 deer. The three-year average (2021 to 2023) is 207,295.
Historic deer hunting totals
The number of deer bagged in 2024-25 is the highest since 2010-11. Ohio’s five highest deer season totals:
2009-10: 260,442
2008-09: 251,299
2010-11: 238,683
2024-25: 238,137
2006-07: 236,676
Ohio’s deer checked, by individual season in 2024-25
Archery: 106,269
Weeklong and two-day gun seasons: 104,565
Four-day muzzleloader season: 13,476
Two-day youth season: 10,449
Controlled firearm hunts: 3,378
Top 10 counties
Coshocton: 8,196
Tuscarawas: 7,373
Knox: 6,730
Muskingum: 6,269
Ashtabula: 6,042
Guernsey: 5,762
Carroll: 5,759
Licking: 5,754
Holmes: 5,684
Richland: 5,028
Most popular hunting implements
Crossbow: 78,254 (33%)
Straight-walled cartridge rifle: 77,027 (32%)
Shotgun: 34,338 (14%)
Vertical bow: 30,839 (13%)
Muzzleloader: 17,092 (7%)
Handgun: 587 (less than 1%)
Deer type checked this season
Does: 115,683 (49%)
Antlered bucks: 97,618 (41%)
Button bucks: 21,689 (9%)
Bucks with shed antlers or antlers shorter than 3 inches: 3,147 (1%)
Permit sales
Ohio hunters were issued 431,660 deer permits across all hunting seasons. Hunters from all 50 U.S. states purchased nonresident hunting licenses for use during the 2024-25 seasons, many of them for deer. States with the highest nonresident license sales include:
Pennsylvania (7,898)
Michigan (5,205)
West Virginia (3,625)
North Carolina (3,287)
New York (3,170)
