ODNR said that the final total was the fourth highest number of deer harvested on record, with a total of 238,137 deer checked across the archery, gun, muzzleloader and youth seasons since Sept. 14, 2024. This is the highest number of deer taken since the 2010-2011 season, ODNR said.
The department said that that translates to about 12 million pounds of venison.
According to ODNR statistics, the most-used hunting weapon was a crossbow, which composed 78,254 hunters, or 33% of the total, followed closely by straight-walled cartridge rifles, with 77,027 hunters, or 32% of the total.
While none of the area counties were in the top 10 counties, the total number of deer checked, by county, are:
- Butler: 1,478 deer
- Champaign: 1,864 deer
- Clark: 945 deer
- Darke: 1,278 deer
- Greene: 1,043 deer
- Miami: 1,074 deer
- Montgomery: 884 deer
- Preble: 1,225 deer
- Warren: 1,275 deer