ODNR: deer gun harvest up in 2022

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Hunters harvested 71,932 white-tailed deer during the 2022 gun week that concluded on Sunday, December 4, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. In the same weeklong period over the past three years, hunters checked an average of 68,534 deer. In 2021, the weeklong number was 70,381. Deer gun season opens again for the weekend of December 17-18.

During the deer gun week, hunters checked 26,355 bucks (37 percent of the harvest), 36,546 does (51 percent), and 7,983 button bucks (11 percent). Bucks that had already shed their antlers or bucks with antlers less than three inches in length accounted for one percent of deer taken (1,048).

“Congratulations to all the successful hunters who participated in this year’s weeklong gun season,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “With an additional gun weekend coming up, hunters still have a chance to harvest a deer. Across the gun seasons, millions of pounds of venison provided by hunters will reach the dinner table in time for the holidays.”

Deer hunting occurs in all 88 Ohio counties, as it has since the first statewide season in 1979. The top 10 counties for deer taken during the week of gun season were: Coshocton (2,457), Muskingum (2,326), Tuscarawas (2,321), Ashtabula (1,987), Knox (1,909), Carroll (1,902), Guernsey (1,848), Licking (1,729), Washington (1,628), and Holmes (1,521). Coshocton County also led the state in 2021 with 2,403 deer checked.

Hunters bagged 283 deer in Van Wert County, up from 260 in 2021, while in Paulding County, the number was 544, up one from last year. Rates in other surrounding counties were 461 in Putnam County, 503 in Auglaize County, 442 in Allen County and 431 in Mercer County.

Straight-walled cartridge rifles have become more popular since becoming legal for deer gun hunting in 2014. This year, straight-walled cartridge rifles were used to harvest 55 percent of the deer checked during the seven-day gun season. Shotguns accounted for 38 percent of the total. In addition, five percent were taken with a muzzleloader, one percent with archery equipment, and less than one percent with a handgun.

All deer harvested in Ohio are required to be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System. Deer harvest reporting has been required since 1962. This mandatory reporting gives the Division of Wildlife a long-term data set that aids wildlife biologists in monitoring deer health, distribution, and relative abundance. Thus far in the 2022 deer season, 164,589 deer have been checked by archery and gun hunters. Archery hunters have taken 82,729 of those deer (50 percent). Youth hunters harvested 9,515 deer during the youth gun weekend, November 19-20.

This year, 376,617 deer permits have been sold through Sunday, December 4. Nonresidents have purchased 38,109 hunting licenses. The most popular states that hunters traveled to Ohio from include Pennsylvania (6,969 nonresident licenses), Michigan (4,914), West Virginia (3,546), North Carolina (3,129), and New York (2,870).