ODNR: deer gun numbers rise locally

VW independent and submitted information

COLUMBUS — Ohio hunters harvested 70,413 deer during the 2021 deer gun week that began on Monday, November 29, and concluded on Sunday, December 5, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Over the past three years, hunters checked an average of 65,280 deer during the same weeklong period, which marks an eight percent increase in 2021.

Deer gun season is open again on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18-19.

During the deer gun week, hunters harvested 25,263 bucks (36 percent of deer taken), 36,096 does (51 percent), and 8,021 button bucks (11 percent). Bucks with shed antlers and bucks with antlers less than three inches long accounted for 1,033 deer, or one percent of the harvest.

“All deer taken by hunters are required to be entered into Ohio’s game check system,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “The information collected during the game check process is critically important to the Division of Wildlife for planning quality deer management into the future.”

The top 10 counties for deer taken during the gun week include Coshocton (2,403), Tuscarawas (2,204), Muskingum (2,107), Ashtabula (2,039), Knox (2,023), Guernsey (1,968), Carroll (1,767), Licking (1,712), Holmes (1,645) and Washington (1,483). Coshocton County also led the state in 2020 with 2,281 deer checked. Statewide in 2020, hunters took 71,651 deer.

Locally, hunters in Van Wert County took 268 deer, up from 229 last year. Numbers were also up in Paulding County (598), Allen County (352), and Mercer County (422).

Straight-walled cartridge rifles have become more popular each year since becoming legal for deer hunting in 2014. During deer gun hunting week, straight-walled cartridge rifles were used for 49 percent of checked deer. Shotguns accounted for 43% of the total. In addition, six percent were taken with a muzzleloader, percent by archery equipment, and less than less than with a handgun.

Through Sunday, December 5, 80,178 deer have been taken by Ohio archery hunters. Plus, Ohio’s youth hunters checked 7,634 deer during the two-day youth gun season, November 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: Pennsylvania (7,929 licenses sold), Michigan (5,533), West Virginia (3,898), North Carolina (3,740), and New York (3,597).

While gun hunting remains a favorite season, the number of hunters pursuing deer with archery equipment is growing rapidly. For the eighth year in a row, more deer were harvested during the 2020-21 archery season than during the gun season. The number of hunters who hunt using multiple implements is also increasing. In 2020, nearly 75 percent of gun hunters also participated in the archery season.