Ohio’s deer-gun season starts today

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Ahead of Ohio’s annual deer-gun season, young hunters across Ohio harvested 10,039 white-tailed deer during the two-day youth season on Saturday and Sunday, November 18-19, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Each fall, hunters 17 and younger can enjoy a weekend of deer gun hunting with a nonhunting adult before the statewide gun season begins.

The top 10 counties for deer taken during Ohio’s 2023 youth season include: Tuscarawas (391); Coshocton (365); Muskingum (304); Knox (293); Holmes (267); Guernsey (261); Licking (256); Harrison (239); Belmont (209); and Richland (205). In Van Wert County, young hunters bagged 59 deer during the two-day youth season, up substantially from the three-year average of 37. Numbers were also up in Mercer County (79) and Paulding County (121).

This year’s youth season total is the second highest harvest on record. In 2007, youth hunters took 10,059 deer with firearms during the two-day youth season.

Youth hunters checked 5,736 antlered and 4,303 antlerless deer during the weekend. In 2022, hunters harvested 9,510 deer during the two-day youth gun season. The three-year average from 2020 to 2022 is 7,649 deer.

The Division of Wildlife issued 41,866 youth deer permits through Sunday, November 19. Youth permits are valid for all remaining Ohio deer hunting seasons.

Ohio’s youth hunting opportunities are available to anyone who is 17 years old or younger during the season dates. Youth hunting seasons are also available for small game, wild turkey, and waterfowl.

Gun hunters of all ages can participate in the upcoming seven-day gun season which begins Monday, November 27, and runs until Sunday, December 3. A bonus weekend of gun hunting will occur December 16-17, and muzzleloader season will be January 6-9, 2024. The archery season runs through Sunday, February 4, 2024.

All hunters, regardless of the implement they use, are required to wear hunter orange during the gun seasons.