# Opening Day Deer Harvest Up 62%



## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

I just received this news from the ODNR for use on my radio show Buckeye Sportsman (@buckeyesportsm
anradio), and thought I'd share it here as well:

Ohio’s annual deer gun hunting week is underway with 21,754 deer checked on Monday, Nov. 29, the opening day of the season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. During the past three years, hunters took an average of 13,349 deer on opening day. Ohio’s gun season is open until Sunday, Dec. 5, and again for two days on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18-19.

Ohio’s weather for this year’s opening day was perfect for deer hunting: mostly to partly sunny and cool temperatures. In 2020, during a snowy and rainy gun opener, hunters bagged 10,905 deer.

The top 10 counties for deer harvest on the opening day of Ohio’s gun season include: Coshocton (850), Tuscarawas (729), Ashtabula (725), Knox (679), Muskingum (677), Holmes (650), Guernsey (642), Carroll (607), Licking (572), and Ashland (504). In 2020, Coshocton County also led the state on opening day with 356 deer taken.

Ohio archery hunters have taken 79,538 deer through Monday, Nov. 29. Plus, Ohio’s young hunters checked 7,634 deer during the 2021 youth gun season, Nov. 20-21.

Ohio deer hunting has come a long way from the first gun hunting season in 1943, when 168 deer were taken. Because Ohio is known as a quality deer hunting state, many out-of-state hunters travel here during the season. The top five states for purchasing a nonresident hunting license in Ohio include: Pennsylvania (6,994 licenses sold), Michigan (4,801), West Virginia (3,595), North Carolina (3,050), and New York (3,009). Deer hunting participation remains high for all hunters, with 339,991 deer hunting permits sold or issued through Sunday, Nov. 28.

Ohio offers many more opportunities for hunters to pursue deer. The gun season continues until Sunday, Dec. 5, and opens again on Dec. 18-19. Deer muzzleloader season is Saturday, Jan. 8, through Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. Bowhunting is open until Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022. Find complete details in the 2021-22 Ohio hunting regulations.


*-30-*

The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for opening day 2021, and the three-year average of deer harvested on opening day in 2018, 2019, 2020 is in parentheses. A three-year average provides a better overall comparison to this year’s harvest numbers, eliminating year-to-year variation because of weather, misaligned season dates, timing of the crop harvest, and other unavoidable factors. Harvest numbers below are raw data and subject to change. These numbers may include controlled hunts.

Adams: 288 (187); Allen: 92 (60); Ashland: 504 (282); Ashtabula: 725 (459); Athens: 420 (258); Auglaize: 135 (68); Belmont: 335 (227); Brown: 249 (171); Butler: 99 (50); Carroll: 607 (332); Champaign: 127 (78); Clark: 53 (28); Clermont: 162 (99); Clinton: 57 (45); Columbiana: 448 (270); Coshocton: 850 (536); Crawford: 191 (110); Cuyahoga: 8 (9); Darke: 86 (55); Defiance: 297 (190); Delaware: 139 (81); Erie: 91 (40); Fairfield: 240 (126); Fayette: 36 (18); Franklin: 38 (29); Fulton: 150 (84); Gallia: 306 (201); Geauga: 205 (98); Greene: 70 (34); Guernsey: 642 (368); Hamilton: 30 (16); Hancock: 164 (76); Hardin: 166 (113); Harrison: 429 (309); Henry: 140 (86); Highland: 309 (195); Hocking: 308 (246); Holmes: 650 (363); Huron: 375 (212); Jackson: 284 (195); Jefferson: 232 (164); Knox: 679 (435); Lake: 43 (27); Lawrence: 216 (123); Licking: 572 (368); Logan: 241 (143); Lorain: 193 (109); Lucas: 27 (24); Madison: 67 (26); Mahoning: 200 (120); Marion: 158 (79); Medina: 181 (95); Meigs: 370 (212); Mercer: 118 (64); Miami: 53 (32); Monroe: 276 (212); Montgomery: 56 (26); Morgan: 382 (256); Morrow: 217 (124); Muskingum: 677 (443); Noble: 387 (249); Ottawa: 56 (18); Paulding: 203 (121); Perry: 369 (216); Pickaway: 68 (52); Pike: 173 (116); Portage: 189 (103); Preble: 83 (41); Putnam: 117 (66); Richland: 414 (272); Ross: 264 (183); Sandusky: 72 (44); Scioto: 159 (106); Seneca: 310 (149); Shelby: 112 (66); Stark: 269 (157); Summit: 36 (18); Trumbull: 382 (280); Tuscarawas: 729 (474); Union: 119 (60); Van Wert: 81 (47); Vinton: 262 (158); Warren: 81 (46); Washington: 436 (285); Wayne: 251 (158); Williams: 318 (175); Wood: 89 (55); Wyandot: 262 (150).

*2021* *total: 21,754
Three-year average total: *(13,349)


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Is that your buck? Very nice. And I heard hardly any shots yesterday in tusc county


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## InlandKid (Aug 29, 2006)

Every year they say harvest is up, was on public today along with 8 other cars. Heard no shooting all morning, saw one doe on the private boarder.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Last years opening day was under 11,000. I’d say this was a significant increase.


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## FOWL BRAWL (Feb 13, 2020)

A couple years ago they started looking at the three year average which is nothing.

With all the data they have why wouldn't they show 5 year 10 year 20 year trends ?????

Oh i know why................and so do you !!


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

I don't know that I agree with the numbers being up. I heard maybe 10 shots between morning and evening and 2 we're my dad. He shot one around 815 in the morning and then shot again to unload his muzzleloader


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## Moo Juice (Jan 20, 2021)

Looks like it depends on what county your hunting. When reporting, say what county you're hunting so we can compare it to the listing. We're hunting Carroll and it sounded like a war zone. If you look. Holmes, Coshocton, tusc, Carroll and Columbiana are all up significantly. All counties adjacent to each other in some way. What does that mean? I have no idea. I just find it interesting. Weather maybe? We dropped my youngest's sons buck off at Don's custom meats in Waynesburg around 10:00a.m. on youth Saturday and they already had a pile of deer there. Dropped my oldest son's deer there on opening day, around 11:00a.m. and had to park across the street and wait in line for 20 minutes to get it checked in. Saw plates from Stark, Carroll, tusk and Harrison counties. Two full rows of deer and growing. My boy went back yesterday to retrieve his head and said the pile was bigger than opening day. ODNR was there with some kind of coat hanger looking thing, sticking it in deer mouths and sometimes cutting something inside. I would love to know what he was doing but didn't want to bother him. Any way, hunting is good in this part of the state and I can buy the numbers posted on the harvest rates.


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## turkey hunter (Jan 4, 2015)

I'm in Warren county I've heard 2 shots yesterday that's it and haven't seen a deer.private land


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## ranger487 (Apr 5, 2005)

Moo Juice said:


> Looks like it depends on what county your hunting. When reporting, say what county you're hunting so we can compare it to the listing. We're hunting Carroll and it sounded like a war zone. If you look. Holmes, Coshocton, tusc, Carroll and Columbiana are all up significantly. All counties adjacent to each other in some way. What does that mean? I have no idea. I just find it interesting. Weather maybe? We dropped my youngest's sons buck off at Don's custom meats in Waynesburg around 10:00a.m. on youth Saturday and they already had a pile of deer there. Dropped my oldest son's deer there on opening day, around 11:00a.m. and had to park across the street and wait in line for 20 minutes to get it checked in. Saw plates from Stark, Carroll, tusk and Harrison counties. Two full rows of deer and growing. My boy went back yesterday to retrieve his head and said the pile was bigger than opening day. ODNR was there with some kind of coat hanger looking thing, sticking it in deer mouths and sometimes cutting something inside. I would love to know what he was doing but didn't want to bother him. Any way, hunting is good in this part of the state and I can buy the numbers posted on the harvest rates.



The think they put in there mouth is to check the deer age they use there teeth for that.


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## Shake-n-Bake (Sep 16, 2011)

I hunted Ashtabula county. Not many shots heard around me. First time in I don't know when that I haven't gotten a deer after the first two days.


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## Big H (Jul 1, 2019)

Moo Juice said:


> Looks like it depends on what county your hunting. When reporting, say what county you're hunting so we can compare it to the listing. We're hunting Carroll and it sounded like a war zone. If you look. Holmes, Coshocton, tusc, Carroll and Columbiana are all up significantly. All counties adjacent to each other in some way. What does that mean? I have no idea. I just find it interesting. Weather maybe? We dropped my youngest's sons buck off at Don's custom meats in Waynesburg around 10:00a.m. on youth Saturday and they already had a pile of deer there. Dropped my oldest son's deer there on opening day, around 11:00a.m. and had to park across the street and wait in line for 20 minutes to get it checked in. Saw plates from Stark, Carroll, tusk and Harrison counties. Two full rows of deer and growing. My boy went back yesterday to retrieve his head and said the pile was bigger than opening day. ODNR was there with some kind of coat hanger looking thing, sticking it in deer mouths and sometimes cutting something inside. I would love to know what he was doing but didn't want to bother him. Any way, hunting is good in this part of the state and I can buy the numbers posted on the harvest rates.


I was there yesterday also around 1:00 and there were 4 rows of deer. I was told yesterday evening that they had taken in over 168 deer by 2:00. There was also a buck that was in full velvet. The ODNR guy was there aging deer and told me that it was only the 3rd buck in velvet he has seen in over 20 years. He aged my buddy's doe at 3.5 and looked at me funny when I told him mine was at least 5.5. Which I knew from seeing her on camera for a few years LOL. He aged her and said she was at least 5.5 years old.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Moo Juice said:


> Looks like it depends on what county your hunting. When reporting, say what county you're hunting so we can compare it to the listing. We're hunting Carroll and it sounded like a war zone. If you look. Holmes, Coshocton, tusc, Carroll and Columbiana are all up significantly. All counties adjacent to each other in some way. What does that mean? I have no idea. I just find it interesting. Weather maybe? We dropped my youngest's sons buck off at Don's custom meats in Waynesburg around 10:00a.m. on youth Saturday and they already had a pile of deer there. Dropped my oldest son's deer there on opening day, around 11:00a.m. and had to park across the street and wait in line for 20 minutes to get it checked in. Saw plates from Stark, Carroll, tusk and Harrison counties. Two full rows of deer and growing. My boy went back yesterday to retrieve his head and said the pile was bigger than opening day. ODNR was there with some kind of coat hanger looking thing, sticking it in deer mouths and sometimes cutting something inside. I would love to know what he was doing but didn't want to bother him. Any way, hunting is good in this part of the state and I can buy the numbers posted on the harvest rates.


Cwd testing. I believe the remove they lymph node or probe it to get a sample from the neck /jaw line area to test


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## Big H (Jul 1, 2019)

DHower08 said:


> Cwd testing. I believe the remove they lymph node or probe it to get a sample from the neck /jaw line area to test


I talked to the ODNR guy, and watched him do a number of deer. He was checking age.


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

DHower08 said:


> Is that your buck? Very nice. And I heard hardly any shots yesterday in tusc county


It is not (I wish!), just one of the stock photos I have on hand to help illustrate my posts for my radio show “Buckeye Sportsman” (@buckeyesportsmanradio; buckeyesportsman.com) Sorry to hear that shots were few and far between in your neck of the woods. The stats show that overall the Tusc harvest was up. ‘Hope you have better luck going forward!


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## Harry1959 (Mar 17, 2011)

turkey hunter said:


> I'm in Warren county I've heard 2 shots yesterday that's it and haven't seen a deer.private land


Warren county here too. I didn’t hunt Monday. Heard 3 or 4 shots between 3:30-5 tuessday. Private land. I didn’t see anything.


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## Outasync (Mar 5, 2016)

We heard about 20 shots all day on monday none in our part of the woods until just before dark. Seemed no one was out early with the snowfall. Made seeing past 20 yards impossible. We managed 2 doe between the 3 of us monday and my wife got hers yesterday. Finding a processor is impossible in this area they have all shut down by noon every day.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

airwaves said:


> It is not (I wish!), just one of the stock photos I have on hand to help illustrate my posts for my radio show “Buckeye Sportsman” (@buckeyesportsmanradio; buckeyesportsman.com) Sorry to hear that shots were few and far between in your neck of the woods. The stats show that overall the Tusc harvest was up. ‘Hope you have better luck going forward!


Don't be sorry. I'm glad all the mega deer drivers in our area weren't blowing the woods up. It's very visible to me that the deer heard in our area of tusc is down. I already shot my buck for the year and was just out to be out really. Passed shots on a few does. Don't want my season to be over so soon


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## UNCLEMIKE (Jul 23, 2014)

InlandKid said:


> Every year they say harvest is up, was on public today along with 8 other cars. Heard no shooting all morning, saw one doe on the private boarder.


The dirty little secret that many won't accept is that the state mismanaged the public lands badly over the past 15 years. They finally made a regulation change to reduce the doe take but it was too little too late. Its have and have nots now. Private land... pretty darn good. Public.... you will work hard for your venison. I am retired and have the time to do so. I feel for the youth and others looking for a quality public land hunt now days.


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

M.Magis said:


> Last years opening day was under 11,000. I’d say this was a significant increase.


62% up!


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

InlandKid said:


> Every year they say harvest is up, was on public today along with 8 other cars. Heard no shooting all morning, saw one doe on the private boarder.


No, they don't.


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

FOWL BRAWL said:


> A couple years ago they started looking at the three year average which is nothing.
> 
> With all the data they have why wouldn't they show 5 year 10 year 20 year trends ?????
> 
> Oh i know why................and so do you !!


You can get that data any time. Ohiodnr.com


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

Moo Juice said:


> Looks like it depends on what county your hunting. When reporting, say what county you're hunting so we can compare it to the listing. We're hunting Carroll and it sounded like a war zone. If you look. Holmes, Coshocton, tusc, Carroll and Columbiana are all up significantly. All counties adjacent to each other in some way. What does that mean? I have no idea. I just find it interesting. Weather maybe? We dropped my youngest's sons buck off at Don's custom meats in Waynesburg around 10:00a.m. on youth Saturday and they already had a pile of deer there. Dropped my oldest son's deer there on opening day, around 11:00a.m. and had to park across the street and wait in line for 20 minutes to get it checked in. Saw plates from Stark, Carroll, tusk and Harrison counties. Two full rows of deer and growing. My boy went back yesterday to retrieve his head and said the pile was bigger than opening day. ODNR was there with some kind of coat hanger looking thing, sticking it in deer mouths and sometimes cutting something inside. I would love to know what he was doing but didn't want to bother him. Any way, hunting is good in this part of the state and I can buy the numbers posted on the harvest rates.


Thanks for sharing, Moo. Good info.


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

DHower08 said:


> Don't be sorry. I'm glad all the mega deer drivers in our area weren't blowing the woods up. It's very visible to me that the deer heard in our area of tusc is down. I already shot my buck for the year and was just out to be out really. Passed shots on a few does. Don't want my season to be over so soon


I hear ya'. Same with me!


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

UNCLEMIKE said:


> The dirty little secret that many won't accept is that the state mismanaged the public lands badly over the past 15 years. They finally made a regulation change to reduce the doe take but it was too little too late. Its have and have nots now. Private land... pretty darn good. Public.... you will work hard for your venison. I am retired and have the time to do so. I feel for the youth and others looking for a quality public land hunt now days.


I think that all depends on how much effort you put into it. I personally don’t hunt public but have a bunch of buddies who only hunt public. Most of them kill very nice bucks most years. 3 friends hunted Monday and Tuesday and are tagged out, including 2 good bucks. Several others were tagged out before November with each taking a buck.


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## UNCLEMIKE (Jul 23, 2014)

Morrowtucky Mike said:


> I think that all depends on how much effort you put into it. I personally don’t hunt public but have a bunch of buddies who only hunt public. Most of them kill very nice bucks most years. 3 friends hunted Monday and Tuesday and are tagged out, including 2 good bucks. Several others were tagged out before November with each taking a buck.


Not saying there are no deer left. Saying the numbers are way below what the land could carry resulting in less satisfied public land hunters. My group took a nice buck off public Monday. Only deer we saw all day. That is a shame. It didn't need to be this way.


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

UNCLEMIKE said:


> Not saying there are no deer left. Saying the numbers are way below what the land could carry resulting in less satisfied public land hunters. My group took a nice buck off public Monday. Only deer we saw all day. That is a shame. It didn't need to be this way.


Might also aim your dissatisfaction at hunters who harvested as many deer as was legal only because it was legal. I honestly don’t see why public lands should have different bag limits than private. It’s the same area. How hunters take care of the land is what is the future. The ODNR try to make everyone happy but we as the sportsmen are the true stewards of the land.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Instead of assuming that public land was mismanaged, simply because you didn’t see the number of deer you feel like you should, look up the data on the ODNR site 






Deer Harvest Summary


Deer harvest numbers are posted each Wednesday throughout the hunting season.




ohiodnr.gov





There is so much data provided it leaves very few questions. It even breaks down public vs private land.
BTW, less than 5% of hunters take more than two deer no matter what the limit is.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

FOWL BRAWL said:


> A couple years ago they started looking at the three year average which is nothing.
> 
> With all the data they have why wouldn't they show 5 year 10 year 20 year trends ?????
> 
> Oh i know why................and so do you !!


I just wish they would show the trends between percentages on public and private...The info is there when you check your deer in… They should show that


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## Rainbow Record (Jul 13, 2012)

UNCLEMIKE said:


> Not saying there are no deer left. Saying the numbers are way below what the land could carry resulting in less satisfied public land hunters. My group took a nice buck off public Monday. Only deer we saw all day. That is a shame. It didn't need to be this way.


UNCLEMIKE I totally agree with you on deer numbers on public land and the ODNR didn’t lower the bag limit on public land just because.
But with that being said I find it interesting that some people (morrowtucky mike) gives you his opinion to tell you that your efforts are not up to par. That’s funny because when I gave him my opinion on a previous post he immediately answered my post with a “I didn’t ask for your opinion and we’re talking about the law” but his opinion on public land is over harvested because of the hunters but the law specifically says they could take 6 deer several years ago but now it’s the hunters fault!!!!! Can’t play both sides morrowtucky
they followed the law now your opinion is they should have restrained on the harvest


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

9Left said:


> I just wish they would show the trends between percentages on public and private...The info is there when you check your deer in… They should show that


You can find that information on the ODNR deer summary report that they put out each year. Last year around 6% of the harvest came from public land.


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## Shaun69007 (Sep 2, 2009)

Been a busy year so far. Kind of been doing Euro-Mounts on the side little hustle. Last year we did 15 total for the year this year we are already up to 15. Heck I have 3 in the garage ready to bleach, 4 more ready to start and 4 more coming tomorrow. I can definitely tell the kill rate is up. I was lucky to get mine the first of November so I had the opportunity to take my daughter out opening day as
well as youth. Here is mine from this year finished well as use. Here is mine from this year finished. Up comes the bonus weekend and hopefully the weather holds.


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

Shaun69007 said:


> Been a busy year so far. Kind of been doing Euro-Mounts on the side little hustle. Last year we did 15 total for the year this year we are already up to 15. Heck I have 3 in the garage ready to bleach, 4 more ready to start and 4 more coming tomorrow. I can definitely tell the kill rate is up. I was lucky to get mine the first of November so I had the opportunity to take my daughter out opening day as
> well as youth. Here is mine from this year finished well as use. Here is mine from this year finished. Up comes the bonus weekend and hopefully the weather holds.
> View attachment 479795


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

Beautiful. Love the wood plaque.


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## DH56 (Dec 31, 2012)

M.Magis said:


> Last years opening day was under 11,000. I’d say this was a significant increase.


Last year it rained all day and the harvest was down around the 62% number as well. It’s basically a break even over the last two years.


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## eyecatchum2 (Mar 30, 2010)

Opening day in NE Ohio is definitely different, you don’t hear volleys of shots, because hunting styles and firearms have changed. More accurate guns usually results in one shot kills, over the past five years every deer but one was taken with one shot.


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## randazzo87 (Apr 19, 2015)

eyecatchum2 said:


> Opening day in NE Ohio is definitely different, you don’t hear volleys of shots, because hunting styles and firearms have changed. More accurate guns usually results in one shot kills, over the past five years every deer but one was taken with one shot.


 That is very true. We start driving deer middle of the week. Alot of senior/older "standers" have finally upgraded to a straight wall caliber rifle. There has been alot less shooting but still same amount of dead deer.


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