This is the second year in a row that Ohio’s deer harvest has surpassed 200,000, and the 12th time overall (all since 2002). This season’s count was the highest in more than a decade (217,018 in 2012-13).
Ohio’s statewide deer harvest, by year:
- 2023-24: 213,928
- 2022-23: 210,973
- 3-year average (2020-2022): 201,890
Ohio’s 2023-24 statewide deer harvest, by individual season:
- Archery: 100,951 (first season to exceed 100,000)
- Weeklong and two-day gun seasons: 85,587
- Four-day muzzleloader season: 12,712
- Two-day youth season: 10,039
- Controlled firearm hunts: 4,639
Top 10 counties:
- Coshocton: 7,740. (Last season, Coshocton County also led the state with 7,590 deer checked.)
- Tuscarawas: 7,023
- Ashtabula: 5,887
- Muskingum: 5,789
- Knox: 5,625
- Licking: 5,429
- Holmes: 5,324
- Guernsey: 5,220
- Carroll: 5,038
- Trumbull: 4,703
Most popular hunting implements:
- Crossbow: 75,462 (35%)
- Straight-walled cartridge rifle: 60,333 (28%)
- Shotgun: 31,901 (15%)
- Vertical bow: 29,696 (14%)
- Muzzleloader: 16,010 (8%)
- Handgun: 526 (less than 1%)
Deer harvest:
- Does: 99,584 (46.5%)
- Antlered bucks: 92,051 (43%)
- Button bucks: 18,973 (9%)
- Bucks with shed antlers or antlers shorter than 3 inches: 3,320 (1.5%)
Permit sales: Ohio hunters were issued 415,710 deer permits across all hunting seasons. Hunters from all 50 U.S. states purchased deer permits for use during the 2023-24 seasons. States outside of Ohio with the highest nonresident permit sales include:
- Pennsylvania (8,808)
- Michigan (5,874)
- North Carolina (4,029)
- West Virginia (3,893)
- New York (3,699)
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