COLUMBUS — Hunters checked 22,256 white-tailed deer on Monday, Nov. 30, the opening day of Ohio’s deer-gun hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Ohio’s deer-gun season remains open through Sunday of this week. New this year, an additional two days (Monday, Dec. 28, and Tuesday, Dec. 29) have been added to increase the opportunity for people to hunt with firearms. Find more information about deer hunting in the Ohio 2015-2016 Hunting and Trapping Regulations or at wildohio.gov. Past year’s harvest summaries and weekly updated harvest reports can be found at wildohio.gov/deerharvest.
Shelby County saw one less deer harvested on opening day this year than last year. This year, 97 deer were checked in.
Some surrounding counties saw a big jump this year.
Darke County went from 53 in 2014 to 74 this season. Logan County had a huge increase, going from 183 last season to 249 this year.
Mercer County went from 57 last year to 76 this year, and Auyglaize from 77 in 2014 to 99 this season.
Overall, the state saw a big increase. There were 17,510 deer checked in last year.
Deer management goals
The ODNR Division of Wildlife remains committed to properly managing Ohio’s deer populations through a combination of regulatory and programmatic changes. The goal of Ohio’s Deer Management Program is to provide a deer population that maximizes recreational opportunities, while minimizing conflicts with landowners and motorists.
Until recently, deer populations in nearly all of Ohio’s counties were well above goal. In the last few years, through increased antlerless harvests, most counties are now at or near goal. Therefore, to help stabilize deer populations, bag limits were reduced, and antlerless permit use has been eliminated in most counties for the 2015-2016 season.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife is in the process of resetting Ohio’s population goals and is asking hunters that receive the survey to help by completing and returning the survey as soon as they are done hunting or at the end of the season. Landowner surveys have already been distributed, and hunter surveys should arrive in the mail later this week. Hunters for this year’s survey were randomly selected from the list of hunters who purchased a license and deer permit by Nov. 16. Public input is an important part of Ohio’s deer management program, and survey participants are asked to complete and return their surveys.
Hunting popularity
Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.
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.
Following is a list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters during opening day of the 2015 deer-gun hunting season.
Adams: 373; Allen: 116 (98 in 2014); Ashland: 483; Ashtabula: 772; Athens: 420; Auglaize: 99 (77 in 2014); Belmont: 429; Brown: 248; Butler: 66; Carroll: 571; Champaign: 104 (103 in 2014); Clark: 52; Clermont: 154; Clinton: 79; Columbiana: 522; Coshocton: 888; Crawford: 177; Cuyahoga: 7; Darke: 74 (53 in 2014); Defiance: 316; Delaware: 110; Erie: 66; Fairfield: 219; Fayette: 33; Franklin: 31; Fulton: 140; Gallia: 372; Geauga: 167; Greene: 54; Guernsey: 647; Hamilton: 44; Hancock: 135; Hardin: 149; Harrison: 556; Henry: 125; Highland: 300; Hocking: 521; Holmes: 552; Huron: 367; Jackson: 377; Jefferson: 386; Knox: 619; Lake: 44; Lawrence: 224; Licking: 563; Logan: 249 (183 in 2014); Lorain: 195; Lucas: 27; Madison: 28; Mahoning: 165; Marion: 120; Medina: 152; Meigs: 418; Mercer: 76 (57 in 2014); Miami: 52 (66 in 2014); Monroe: 334; Montgomery: 28; Morgan: 387; Morrow: 184; Muskingum: 722; Noble: 352; Ottawa: 20; Paulding: 157; Perry: 399; Pickaway: 107; Pike: 209; Portage: 157; Preble: 80; Putnam: 90; Richland: 462; Ross: 320; Sandusky: 76; Scioto: 207; Seneca: 273; Shelby: 97 (98 in 2014); Stark: 248; Summit: 24; Trumbull: 468; Tuscarawas: 658; Union: 97; Van Wert: 63; Vinton: 401; Warren: 61; Washington: 490; Wayne: 211; Williams: 327; Wood: 87; Wyandot: 227. Total: 22,256.
