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Deer Harvest #'s

COLUMBUS, OH – Hunters checked 186,247 white-tailed deer throughout Ohio’s 2017-2018 deer season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Last year, 182,169 deer were checked during the 2016-2017 season.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife remains committed to properly managing Ohio’s deer populations. The goal of Ohio’s Deer Management Program is to provide a deer population that maximizes recreational opportunities, while minimizing conflicts with landowners and motorists.

Deer hunting regulations over the past three seasons have been designed to allow for moderate herd growth throughout most of the state. Herd growth is achieved by reducing harvest and protecting female deer.

Hunting Popularity

Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.

Find more information about deer hunting in the Ohio 2017-2018 Hunting and Trapping Regulations or at wildohio.gov.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.

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Editor’s Note: A list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters during the 2017-2018 deer season is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest number for the 2017-2018 season, and the 2016-2017 season number is in parentheses.

Adams: 3,231 (3,272); Allen: 979 (1,039); Ashland: 3,254 (2,954); Ashtabula: 5,076 (5,040); Athens: 3,732 (3,646); Auglaize: 848 (751); Belmont: 2,931 (3,236); Brown: 2,521 (2,448); Butler: 1,401 (1,231); Carroll: 3,935 (3,586); Champaign: 1,197 (1,118); Clark: 685 (661); Clermont: 2,471 (2,343); Clinton: 810 (719); Columbiana: 3,257 (3,189); Coshocton: 6,559 (5,929); Crawford: 1,222 (1,113); Cuyahoga: 1,033 (1,124); Darke: 731 (679); Defiance: 1,600 (1,675); Delaware: 1,574 (1,527); Erie: 1,119 (868); Fairfield: 1,969 (1,800); Fayette: 353 (312); Franklin: 788 (837); Fulton: 745 (826); Gallia: 2,599 (2,720); Geauga: 1,818 (1,871); Greene: 778 (816); Guernsey: 4,753 (4,565); Hamilton: 1,639 (1,589); Hancock: 1,228 (1,179); Hardin: 1,253 (1,220); Harrison: 3,674 (3,763); Henry: 733 (708); Highland: 2,668 (2,587); Hocking: 3,321 (3,275); Holmes: 4,108 (3,731); Huron: 2,377 (2,279); Jackson: 2,984 (2,870); Jefferson: 1,903 (2,800); Knox: 4,658 (4,495); Lake: 883 (961); Lawrence: 1,784 (1,942); Licking: 5,009 (4,971); Logan: 2,055 (1,919); Lorain: 2,255 (2,511); Lucas: 748 (755); Madison: 511 (482); Mahoning: 2,032 (1,933); Marion: 893 (886); Medina: 2,012 (2,109); Meigs: 3,115 (3,476); Mercer: 677 (661); Miami: 787 (774); Monroe: 2,618 (2,571); Montgomery: 704 (591); Morgan: 3,278 (2,992); Morrow: 1,544 (1,486); Muskingum: 5,274 (5,118); Noble: 3,036 (2,855); Ottawa: 482 (450); Paulding: 1,022 (954); Perry: 2,769 (2,787); Pickaway: 822 (724); Pike: 1,934 (2,083); Portage: 2,289 (2,211); Preble: 969 (847); Putnam: 781 (709); Richland: 3,505 (3,246); Ross: 3,053 (3,029); Sandusky: 904 (862); Scioto: 2,326 (2,479); Seneca: 1,895 (1,842); Shelby: 983 (961); Stark: 2,880 (2,778); Summit: 1,474 (1,572); Trumbull: 3,640 (3,699); Tuscarawas: 5,722 (5,039); Union: 939 (842); Van Wert: 499 (458); Vinton: 2,802 (2,668); Warren: 1,186 (1,095); Washington: 3,327 (3,402); Wayne: 2,226 (2,020); Williams: 1,598 (1,687); Wood: 931 (857); Wyandot: 1,559 (1,484). Total: 186,247 (182,169).

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/stay-in...ore-than-186-000-deer-during-2017-2018-season
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
They should be careful touting the jobs and economic contribution numbers or they'll be like Trump and the stock market.
Especially since prior to their herd reduction efforts circa 2007 it was estimated to be a little over a billion dollar industry in Ohio
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
You can see the impact in Jefferson County from EHD. Went from 2,800 last year to 1,903 this year.
While the numbers on their face show a decline what is not shown is level of effort required to even reach 1,903. So we could very well be much worse than what you see here
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
You can see the impact in Jefferson County from EHD. Went from 2,800 last year to 1,903 this year.

It was a tough year. All the mature deer died of EHD. When the bucks shed their velvet it attracted knats. When the knat bites....we know what happens next.

Our local sportsman's club had a pile of dead heads found during gun week.

I hunted all season and simply saw young deer and fawns. It will take a couple years for Jefferson Co. to recover.
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,554
127
I have a hard time believing over a thousand deer were taken in Erie county and Sandusky County only had 800, but whatever. Tusc County had a pretty big jump this year
 
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giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I didn’t see very many mature deer this year either. Had it not been for my last week, I would’ve went an entire year without seeing one. And I hunted 6 different counties this year.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I have a hard time believing over a thousand deer were taken in Erie county and Sandusky County only had 800, but whatever. Tusc County had a pretty big jump this year

Erie has a ton of good ground. Don't limit your thinking to Castalia and Sandusky. Think Milan, Huron, Norwalk, Collins, Bellevue, Berlin Heights.... Lots of good deer hunting ground. And don't forget those numbers probably include the NASA Plumbrook controlled hunt. There's well over 300 kills right there alone.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Erie has a ton of good ground. Don't limit your thinking to Castalia and Sandusky. Think Milan, Huron, Norwalk, Collins, Bellevue, Berlin Heights.... Lots of good deer hunting ground. And don't forget those numbers probably include the NASA Plumbrook controlled hunt. There's well over 300 kills right there alone.

Agreed. One small area of my main county got hit real hard by EHD, went and hunted 8 miles away and felt like I was in a different state. 25 miles away here at my house, it was a normal year.

So how is the ODNR to regulate this county? With the mix of big woods, big farms, public land, nature sanctuaries and a vastly expanding Amish community. Riddle me that one Batman.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Agreed. One small area of my main county got hit real hard by EHD, went and hunted 8 miles away and felt like I was in a different state. 25 miles away here at my house, it was a normal year.

So how is the ODNR to regulate this county? With the mix of big woods, big farms, public land, nature sanctuaries and a vastly expanding Amish community. Riddle me that one Batman.

They are going to switch to DMU's (deer management units) instead of county borders. This is something they planned on doing two or so years ago but political bullshit shot it down.
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,554
127
Erie has a ton of good ground. Don't limit your thinking to Castalia and Sandusky. Think Milan, Huron, Norwalk, Collins, Bellevue, Berlin Heights.... Lots of good deer hunting ground. And don't forget those numbers probably include the NASA Plumbrook controlled hunt. There's well over 300 kills right there alone.

yeah, forget about Berlin Heights, Huron area and Plum Brook. Most of the good ground in Castalia area is Sandusky County
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I believe they have been shot down multiple times now, Jim. I believe they keep using Highland county as the biggest example of this as well. Hunters have also shot this down and I don’t understand why. That’s why I’m bringing it up for conversation here. The second half of that wasn’t directed at you, maybe I should’ve made another post.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I believe they have been shot down multiple times now, Jim. I believe they keep using Highland county as the biggest example of this as well. Hunters have also shot this down and I don’t understand why. That’s why I’m bringing it up for conversation here. The second half of that wasn’t directed at you, maybe I should’ve made another post.

Nah man, didn't think it was directed at me at all. I don't recall hunters being opposed to the idea but I could have missed it. Hopefully it happens eventually. I for one think it would be a step in the right direction.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
It was on the report from the surveys they received back. Lack of information is all I can figure. “The system” doesn’t seem to want to communicate with anyone. Education needs to happen. Yet no one wants to put any funds towards this...hell, I can’t even find a hunters safety coarse on the books in my area! I don’t want my kids to do it online, I want it to be an interaction between other sportsman and the law. Build a relationship kind of thing. Have someone that can help answer questions.

Now I’m ranting...getting off my soap box. I’m sure Joe won’t be able to resist the bait laid out...[emoji23]
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,554
127
It was on the report from the surveys they received back. Lack of information is all I can figure. “The system” doesn’t seem to want to communicate with anyone. Education needs to happen. Yet no one wants to put any funds towards this...hell, I can’t even find a hunters safety coarse on the books in my area! I don’t want my kids to do it online, I want it to be an interaction between other sportsman and the law. Build a relationship kind of thing. Have someone that can help answer questions.

Now I’m ranting...getting off my soap box. I’m sure Joe won’t be able to resist the bait laid out...[emoji23]

Have you checked with your conservation league? The area Jim and I are from have several a year, typically late summer, right now they are harder to come a cross.
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,554
127
They are going to switch to DMU's (deer management units) instead of county borders. This is something they planned on doing two or so years ago but political bullshit shot it down.

This will be the most logical way of managing areas, a lot of counties vary widely 1 side to the other
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
My county is down. Not overly surprised. Don't care. Nothing I say will change what the ODNR is going to do. They do what they want. I have no faith in them. I don't even believe the numbers they post.