Ohio releases final deer totals from the latest hunting season | Outdoor
COLUMBUS — Ohio’s 2022-23 white-tailed deer hunting season ended Sunday, Feb. 5, with 210,977 deer controlled, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) wildlife division. The grand total represents all deer shot since September 10, 2022 during archery, rifle, muzzleloader and juvenile hunting seasons.
“Ohio is consistently one of the best states in the nation for deer hunting, and this season has reconfirmed that status,” said Kendra Wecker, director of the Division of Wildlife. “Ohio hunters have had a long season with many opportunities to get on the run. This is the first time since 2012-13 that the number of deer captured exceeded 200,000.”
Ohio’s Statewide Deer Harvest by Year:
3-year average (2019-2021): 193,058
Ohio’s 2022-23 Statewide Deer Harvest, by Season:
One-week and two-day weapon seasons: 87,095
Four-day muzzleloader season: 13,617
Two-day youth season: 9,515
Controlled firearm hunts: 1,008
Top 10 counties for 2022-23 deer harvest:
Cocoton (7,590). Last season, Coshocton County led the state with 7,144 pied deer.
The most popular hunting tools:
Straight-Walled Cartridge Rifle: 56,437 (26%)
Vertical Arch: 28,041 (13%)
Muzzleloaders: 17,854 (9%)
dollars: 86,645; 41% of the total
bucks with shed antlers and bucks with antlers less than 3 inches: 3,340; 2%
Ohio hunters purchased 409,672 permits in all hunting seasons. Hunters from all 50 states have purchased deer licenses in Ohio for the 2022-23 hunting season. States outside of Ohio with the highest nonresident sales include:
According to the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation Technical Report on the Economic Impact of Hunting and Target Shooting, hunting drives $866 million in spending each year in Ohio through the sale of food, equipment, fuel, shelter and more. An estimated 479,000 hunters enjoy the state’s outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities each year. The economic benefits of hunting-related industries include 15,500 Ohio jobs, $68 million in state and local taxes, and $753 million of the state’s GDP.
All deer caught in Ohio must be verified with the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System. This mandatory reporting gives the Department of Wildlife a long-term dataset that helps wildlife biologists monitor deer health, distribution and relative abundance. For weekly reports, visit the Deer Harvest Summary page at wildohio.gov.
Check out the Wild Ohio Harvest Community for kitchen inspiration on how to cook this season’s deer. The Wild Ohio Harvest Cookbook shares imaginative venison recipes, or take an upcoming venison cooking class for hands-on experience.
Stay connected with the Wildlife Department on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news, outdoor recreation ideas, local wildlife information and more. Visit wildohio.gov for places to hunt, fish, trap and view wildlife.
Follow the Division of Wildlife on Instagram to see Ohio’s best wildlife photography. In preparation for the 2023-24 hunting season, download the free HuntFish OH mobile app to purchase licenses and permits, screen game and view game area maps.
The Wildlife Department’s mission is to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to learn more.
Editor’s note: A county list of all whitetail deer caught during the 2022-23 deer hunting season is provided below. The first number after the county name shows harvest numbers for 2022-23, and the three-year average of deer taken from 2019-2021 is in parentheses. A three-year average provides a better overall comparison to this year’s harvest numbers and eliminates year-to-year variability due to weather, misaligned seasonal data, harvest, and other unavoidable factors. The numbers below are raw data and are subject to change.
Adams: 3,180 (2,959); All: 1,288 (1,072); Ashland: 3,994 (3,575); Ashtabula: 5,592 (5,268); Athens: 3,332 (3,361); Auglaize: 1,293 (1,006); Belmont: 3,087 (2,901); Brown: 2,568 (2,497); Butlers: 1,268 (1,566); Carroll: 4,866 (4,054); Champagne: 1,623 (1,356); Clark: 842 (789); Clermont: 2,547 (2,548); Clinton: 850 (682); Columbians: 4,058 (3,393); Cocoton: 7,590 (6,883); Crawford: 1,479 (1,334); Cuyahoga: 929 (930); Dark: 1,081 (842); Despite: 2,060 (1,912); Delaware: 1,734 (1,597); Eria: 942 (1,003); Fairfield: 2,223 (2,043); Fayette: 416 (328); Franklin: 818 (816); Fulton: 975 (872); Gaul: 3,031 (2,417); gauge: 2,477 (2,109); Green: 923 (892); Guernsey: 5,073 (4,812); Hamilton: 1,193 (1,489); Hancock: 1,760 (1,534); Hardin: 1,485 (1,463); Harrison: 3,744 (3,598); Henry: 1,009 (861); Highlands: 2,953 (2,749); Crouch: 2,802 (2,905); Holmes: 5,183 (4,748); Hurons: 2,654 (2,448); Jackson: 3,171 (2,727); Jefferson: 2,587 (2,219); Knox: 5,477 (5,094); Lake: 1,066 (952); Lawrence: 1,889 (1,620); Licking: 5,467 (5,224); Logan: 2,257 (2,201); Lorrain: 2,368 (2,340); Luke: 829 (754); Madison: 644 (610); Mahoning: 2,074 (2,007); Marion: 988 (974); Medina: 2,790 (2,482); Meigs: 3,437 (3,171); Mercers: 1,075 (875); Miami: 980 (863); Monroe: 2,721 (2,481); Montgomery: 861 (839); Morgan: 3,369 (3,095); Morning: 2,085 (1,738); Muskingum: 5,982 (5,144); Noble: 3,417 (3,095); Ottawa: 635 (565); Paulding: 1,375 (1,240); Bulb: 2,940 (2,643); Pickup: 910 (701); Pike: 2,105 (1,842); Porting: 2,825 (2,555); Prebel: 1,127 (1,057); Putnam: 1,083 (887); Richland: 3,937 (3,733); Ross: 2,952 (3,033); Sandusky: 1,123 (1,016); Scioto: 2,453 (2,087); Seneca: 2,275 (2,063); Shelby: 1,355 (1,098); Strong: 3,625 (3,096); Peaks: 1,889 (1,669); Trumpet: 4,251 (3,892); Tuscarawa: 7,028 (6,081); Union: 1,114 (1,071); Van Worth: 731 (590); Vinton: 1,986 (2,327); Goods: 1,055 (1,234); Washington: 3,971 (3,302); Wayne: 2,711 (2,559); Williams: 2,053 (1,823); Wood: 1,139 (1,064); Wyandot: 1,873 (1,713).
3-year average total: 193,058.