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Down 29%

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,708
191
Mahoning Co.
WOW!

Statewide Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season Concludes
Archery season continues until February 6

COLUMBUS, OH - Hunters took 17,108 deer during Ohio's four-day muzzleloader season, January 8-11, with Tuscarawas County again leading the state with 914 deer checked. In 2010, a preliminary total of 24,078 deer was taken during muzzleloader season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

Counties reporting the highest number of deer checked during the muzzleloader season included: Tuscarawas-914, Harrison-761, Licking-671, Guernsey-665, Washington-527, Coshocton-464, Athens-449, Ross-438, Meigs-433 and Belmont-432.

A total of 227,469 deer have been harvested so far this season when combining the gun seasons, early and statewide muzzleloader seasons, and the first nine weeks of the archery season. Hunters took a total of 261,314 deer during all of last year's hunting seasons.

Hunters can continue to enjoy deer hunting through February 6, 2011 as the archery season continues. Hunters who wish to share their success can submit a photo of themselves and the deer they killed this year at wildohio.com.

Hunters can still donate extra venison to organizations assisting Ohioans in need. The division is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who give their deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor and funding for the effort lasts. Counties being served by this program can be found online at www.fhfh.org.

-30-

[EDITORS NOTE: The following is a list of deer checked and tagged by hunters during the statewide muzzleloader deer hunting season. The number taken during the 2010 Season Is Marked In ( ): 2011 (2010)]

Adams –245(326); Allen-44 (83); Ashland- 327 (603); Ashtabula –283(293); Athens –449(816); Auglaize –26(31); Belmont –432(735); Brown –137(232); Butler –84(156); Carroll –227(300); Champaign –144(80); Clark –73(117); Clermont –222(310); Clinton –106(117); Columbiana –386(510); Coshocton – 464(692); Crawford –119(135); Cuyahoga –39(32); Darke –23(43); Defiance –124(104); Delaware –85(127); Erie –62(94); Fairfield –232(417); Fayette –15(11); Franklin –51(109); Fulton –60(46); Gallia –247(312); Geauga –130(114); Greene –35(72); Guernsey –665(1,000); Hamilton –106(106); Hancock –71(66); Hardin –72(100); Harrison –761(1,025); Henry –31(29); Highland –286(367); Hocking –286(510) ; Holmes –359(407); Huron –160(146); Jackson –312(583); Jefferson –357(616); Knox –392(503); Lake –35 (45); Lawrence –238(317); Licking –671(679); Logan –139(187); Lorain –161(209); Lucas –23(49); Madison – 42(53); Mahoning –157(208); Marion –35(42); Medina –119(163); Meigs –433(645); Mercer –9(35); Miami –16(33); Monroe –385(498); Montgomery –64(65); Morgan –283(439); Morrow –106(162); Muskingum –381(493); Noble –304(539); Ottawa –8(22); Paulding –98(86); Perry –281(521); Pickaway –47(105); Pike –136(182); Portage –122(147); Preble –47(118); Putnam –65(67); Richland –160(147); Ross –438(487); Sandusky –41(49); Scioto –224(275); Seneca –123(178); Shelby –81(93); Stark –288(486); Summit –89(143); Trumbull –285(290); Tuscarawas –914(1,345); Union –83(73); Van Wert –60(55); Vinton –218(364); Warren –87(182); Washington –527(937); Wayne –99(103); Williams –104(103); Wood –59(67); and Wyandot –94(117). Total –17,108 (24,078)
 

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,708
191
Mahoning Co.
I went and looked at this time last year the total was 251,800 for early archery, youth, 9 days of gun and ML Compared to this year's total of 227,400 means a 10% drop in the total harvest.
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
Scanning the numbers quickly, there are some real significant declines on a county by county basis (approaching 50% decline)...I will dig into the numbers tomorrow.
 

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,708
191
Mahoning Co.
So was it the cold weather or no deer? In my area it was the weather because the deer that we were seeing disappeared after Saturday. Didn't seem to be anyone else in the woods on Monday and Tuesday to move any deer around.
 

Mountaineer

Banned
661
0
WV
One word why the harvest is down...Acorns.

Ive noticed in years with good mast crops..Our group does well..why?..We hunt the big timber....All four of us took mature bucks this year in deep woods situations....It looks to me most hunters didnt adapt and change their strategy.

Thats my theory on why the harvest is down.:smiley_bril:
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
One word why the harvest is down...Acorns.

Ive noticed in years with good mast crops..Our group does well..why?..We hunt the big timber....All four of us took mature bucks this year in deep woods situations....It looks to me most hunters didnt adapt and change their strategy.

Thats my theory on why the harvest is down.:smiley_bril:

That's bullshit!!! Why in the hell would acorns have anything to do with it? Don't you usually want to kill a deer out of a tree stand? Now where is a tree at? In a F'n woods!!! I hunt wide open deer. I sure wish I had big timber deer to hunt...
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Does that mean Tonks not going to be able to say "Another record year for Ohio deer hunters " HAHAHAHAHA
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
That's bullshit!!! Why in the hell would acorns have anything to do with it? Don't you usually want to kill a deer out of a tree stand? Now where is a tree at? In a F'n woods!!! I hunt wide open deer. I sure wish I had big timber deer to hunt...

I think I see where Eer is going with this one. Alot of guys hunt field edges. In normal years they see boatloads of deer, but this year the mass acorn fall kept the deer held up on the oak woods versus feeding in fields as much.
I know the fields I scout didn't have nearly as many deer this year as normal.
Not saying I agree or disagree, but it may have made a little difference.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I think I see where Eer is going with this one. Alot of guys hunt field edges. In normal years they see boatloads of deer, but this year the mass acorn fall kept the deer held up on the oak woods versus feeding in fields as much.
I know the fields I scout didn't have nearly as many deer this year as normal.
Not saying I agree or disagree, but it may have made a little difference.

Yeah, but, this would be assuming people are idiots and will continue to stare at empty fields instead of going to find the deer. Hunters aren't dumb.. No deer.. must find deer... Deer here.. me hunt here... Even Cro-magnon man figured that out.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I am just thankful Allen county's numbers have been down every time I see one of these updates posted. They increased our limit this year and our numbers are down. Scratching my head on this one.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I am just thankful Allen county's numbers have been down every time I see one of these updates posted. They increased our limit this year and our numbers are down. Scratching my head on this one.

Don't be thankful.. Just because you killed less, doesn't mean you didn't kill too many, or that there will be more next year.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I didn't say it before, but was thinking it. I will just say it I guess. Harvest numbers only tell what deer were tagged in. Plenty of guys out there killing deer they never check in. This is more common than I would have ever guessed. Every year you learn more and more about guys not tagging in deer. Pisses me off.

I do agree with you Jack. Still trying to figure out how they determined to increase our limit anyway.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I didn't say it before, but was thinking it. I will just say it I guess. Harvest numbers only tell what deer were tagged in. Plenty of guys out there killing deer they never check in. This is more common than I would have ever guessed. Every year you learn more and more about guys not tagging in deer. Pisses me off.

I do agree with you Jack. Still trying to figure out how they determined to increase our limit anyway.

IMO the only determination they made to increase your limit was, they wanted less deer than you had at the time.. Do they know how many that is? No. Best guess really.. And yes.. Many many deer are never checked.