Big Opening Day Of Deer Gun Season For Ohio Hunters
(From the Ohio Division of Wildlife)
Hunters across Ohio checked 26,667 white-tailed deer on Monday, Dec. 2 during the opening day of the weeklong gun hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. This is the highest harvest for opening day since 2012 (29,297). Ohio’s seven-day gun season is open until Sunday, Dec. 8, with an additional gun hunting weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21-22.
This year’s opening day harvest total includes 9,602 antlered deer and 17,065 antlerless deer (antlerless deer are does and button bucks). In 2023, hunters took 19,363 deer on opening day of the gun season, which traditionally falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving. From 2021 to 2023, hunters checked an average of 19,439 deer during the gun season opener.
The top 10 counties for deer checked on opening day were:
- Coshocton (1,053)
- Tuscarawas (954)
- Knox (881)
- Muskingum (852)
- Carroll (804)
- Guernsey (750)
- Ashtabula (686)
- Harrison (671)
- Ashland (653)
- Columbiana (592)
So far this deer season, archery and firearms hunters have taken a total of 128,408 deer through Monday, Dec. 2. Hunters ages 17 and younger checked 10,449 deer in the two-day youth season.
