Ohio hunters checked 10,904 white-tailed deer during a snowy and rainy opening day of the gun hunting week. Over the last three years, hunters took an average of 17,145 deer on opening day. In 2019 there 15,513 deer were taken during the gun opener. The season is open until Dec. 6, and again Dec. 19-20.
The top 10 counties for deer harvest on the opening day of the gun season include Coshocton (356), Tuscarawas (352), Knox (336), Muskingum (328), Licking (308), Ashtabula (289), Carroll (279), Holmes (278), Guernsey (277), and Harrison (258). In 2019, Coshocton County also led the state on opening day with 664 deer taken.
Ohio attracts many out-of-state hunters. The top five states for purchasing a nonresident hunting license in Ohio include Pennsylvania (6,639 licenses sold), Michigan (4,634), West Virginia (3,567), North Carolina (2,814), and New York (2,168). Deer hunting participation remains high for all hunters, with 353,539 deer hunting permits sold or issued through Nov. 30.
Ohio archery hunters have taken 78,607 deer through Nov. 30. Ohio’s young hunters checked 5,909 white-tailed deer during the 2020 two-day youth gun season Nov. 21-22.
Deer-muzzleloader season is Jan. 2 through Jan. 5, 2021. Deer-archery season is open now through Feb. 7, 2021. More information on previous seasons can be found in the Deer Harvest Summary.