COLUMBUS — Hunters ages 17 and younger checked 10,449 white-tailed deer during Ohio’s youth gun hunting season on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 16 and 17, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Each fall, youth hunters enjoy a weekend of deer hunting with a firearm before the statewide gun season begins.
The top 10 counties for deer taken during Ohio’s 2024 youth season include: Tuscarawas (354), Knox (314), Coshocton (303), Guernsey (291), Muskingum (284), Holmes (268), Licking (253), Washington (227), Harrison (223), and Carroll (218).
Youth hunters checked 6,042 antlered and 4,407 antlerless deer during the weekend. In 2023, hunters harvested 10,033 deer during the two-day youth gun season. The three-year average from 2021 to 2023 is 9,061 deer.
The Division of Wildlife has issued 42,209 youth deer permits through Sunday, Nov. 17. Youth permits are valid for all remaining Ohio deer hunting seasons through Feb. 2, 2025.
Ohio’s youth hunting opportunities are available to anyone who is 17 years old or younger during the season dates. Youth hunting seasons are also available for small game, wild turkey, and waterfowl.
Anyone interested in learning to hunt or becoming a mentor to a new hunter can visit Wild Ohio Harvest for information on how to get started, hunting-related workshops, and special hunting opportunities for mentors and new hunters.
Gun hunters of all ages can participate in the upcoming seven-day gun season which begins Monday, Dec. 2 and runs until Sunday, Dec. 8. A bonus weekend of gun hunting will occur Dec. 21-22; muzzleloader season will be Jan. 4-7, 2025.
The archery season runs through Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. All hunters, regardless of the implement they use, are required to wear hunter orange during the gun seasons. Find complete details in the 2024-25 hunting and trapping regulations.
Successful deer hunters can check their game using the HuntFish OH mobile app, available for free in the Android and Apple app stores. Users can also explore public hunting areas, purchase hunting licenses or deer permits, see county bag limits, and so much more.
Beyond the app, hunters can check game by visiting ohiogamecheck.com, calling 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (1-877-824-4864), visiting a license sales agent, or calling 1-866-703-1298 (landowner operator-assisted; fees apply).
County statistics
An Ohio county list of all white-tailed deer checked on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 16-17, 2024, by youth hunters using a shotgun, straight-walled cartridge rifle, muzzleloader, or handgun is shown below.
The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2024, and the three-year average of deer taken from 2021 to 2023 is in parentheses.
A three-year average provides a better overall comparison to this year’s numbers, eliminating year-to-year variation because of weather, misaligned season dates, crop harvest, and other unavoidable factors.
Numbers below are raw data and subject to change.
Adams: 170 (129); Allen: 103 (72); Ashland: 194 (182); Ashtabula: 171 (173); Athens: 151 (142); Auglaize: 113 (74); Belmont: 150 (180); Brown: 127 (102); Butler: 49 (45); Carroll: 218 (177); Champaign: 89 (59); Clark: 29 (29); Clermont: 80 (57); Clinton: 57 (42); Columbiana: 168 (167); Coshocton: 303 (345); Crawford: 79 (70); Cuyahoga: 3 (2); Darke: 75 (58); Defiance: 97 (126); Delaware: 57 (42); Erie: 43 (35); Fairfield: 114 (80); Fayette: 35 (28); Franklin: 15 (18); Fulton: 66 (42); Gallia: 169 (146); Geauga: 79 (84); Greene: 47 (33); Guernsey: 291 (244); Hamilton: 13 (8); Hancock: 136 (104); Hardin: 116 (84); Harrison: 223 (211); Henry: 76 (58); Highland: 198 (160); Hocking: 115 (90); Holmes: 268 (265); Huron: 197 (153); Jackson: 136 (125); Jefferson: 161 (126); Knox: 314 (264); Lake: 20 (15); Lawrence: 110 (93); Licking: 253 (214); Logan: 153 (114); Lorain: 107 (80); Lucas: 18 (12); Madison: 33 (29); Mahoning: 61 (55); Marion: 43 (41); Medina: 71 (74); Meigs: 184 (165); Mercer: 94 (58); Miami: 52 (37); Monroe: 152 (147); Montgomery: 29 (19); Morgan: 172 (146); Morrow: 93 (85); Muskingum: 284 (265); Noble: 165 (151); Ottawa: 34 (20); Paulding: 75 (99); Perry: 149 (123); Pickaway: 60 (44); Pike: 110 (76); Portage: 73 (76); Preble: 41 (44); Putnam: 107 (71); Richland: 195 (177); Ross: 174 (151); Sandusky: 59 (46); Scioto: 116 (99); Seneca: 186 (133); Shelby: 98 (70); Stark: 150 (117); Summit: 18 (16); Trumbull: 107 (116); Tuscarawas: 354 (374); Union: 70 (61); Van Wert: 60 (46); Vinton: 101 (82); Warren: 49 (28); Washington: 227 (210); Wayne: 153 (120); Williams: 111 (80); Wood: 61 (51); Wyandot: 122 (100).
Nov. 9 was best day for Ohio bowhunters
Archery hunters in Ohio harvested 5,390 white-tailed deer on Saturday, Nov. 9, the highest single-day total this season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The 10 most successful harvest dates this season have been:
- Saturday, Nov. 9 (5,390 deer)
- Saturday, Nov. 2 (5,047)
- Friday, Nov. 8 (3,636)
- Sunday, Nov. 3 (3,392)
- Saturday, Oct. 26 (2,753)
- Thursday, Nov. 7 (2,483)
- Friday, Nov. 1 (2,460)
- Sunday, Oct. 27 (2,236)
- Saturday, Oct. 19 (2,166)
- Saturday, Sept. 28 (1,778)
So far this season, bowhunters across Ohio have harvested 65,783 deer through Sunday, Nov. 10. The three-year average for deer harvested through the second weekend of November is 67,216. Last year, hunters checked 69,886 deer through the corresponding date. The statewide archery season began Sept. 28 and continues until Feb. 2, 2025.
Ohio’s top 10 counties for deer harvested during the first seven weeks of the 2024 deer season include: Coshocton (2,318), Tuscarawas (1,995), Knox (1,882), Ashtabula (1,863), Holmes (1,755), Trumbull (1,687), Licking (1,663), Muskingum (1,592), Richland (1,451), and Guernsey (1,424).
Based on historic harvest records, bowhunters can expect some terrific hunting in the coming weeks. In 2023, bowhunters were highly successful on Saturday, Nov. 18 (2,286 deer checked), Sunday, Nov. 19 (1,546), Saturday, Nov. 25 (1,247), Friday, Nov. 24 (1,210), and Sunday, Nov. 26 (828).
Ohio’s deer hunters are increasingly using longbows and crossbows to take advantage of tremendous deer hunting in October and November. The archery season lines up with the peak of the rut, or deer breeding season. Deer are travelling more often and farther at this time of year as bucks pursue does, making these months an exciting time to be hunting.
With the rut continuing for several more weeks, hunters have ample opportunity to harvest a deer, including with a firearm. The youth weekend is upcoming on Nov. 16-17. The statewide gun season is Monday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 8, and again Dec. 21-22. Deer muzzleloader season is Jan. 4-7, 2025. Find complete details in the 2024-25 Hunting and Trapping Regulations.
If you successfully harvest a deer, use the free HuntFish OH app to game check your harvest, even without a Wi-Fi connection. Hunters can also use the app to view public hunting area maps, buy hunting licenses and deer permits, check county big limits, and much more. Beyond the app, hunters can check game by visiting ohiogamecheck.com, calling 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (1-877-824-4864), visiting a license sales agent, or calling 1-866-703-1298 (landowner operator-assisted; fees apply).
By the numbers
An Ohio county list of all white-tailed deer checked by bowhunters through Sunday, Nov. 10 is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2024, and the three-year average of deer harvested from 2021 to 2024 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, crop harvest, and other unavoidable factors. Harvest numbers below are raw data and subject to change.
Adams: 1,078 (1,104); Allen: 487 (441); Ashland: 1,300 (1,229); Ashtabula: 1,863 (1,833); Athens: 903 (948); Auglaize: 393 (375); Belmont: 924 (814); Brown: 678 (786); Butler: 494 (543); Carroll: 1,408 (1340); Champaign: 538 (522); Clark: 323 (324); Clermont: 831 (920); Clinton: 279 (255); Columbiana: 1,307 (1,286); Coshocton: 2,318 (2,534); Crawford: 410 (418); Cuyahoga: 397 (478); Darke: 387 (337); Defiance: 318 (520); Delaware: 630 (672); Erie: 383 (358); Fairfield: 634 (685); Fayette: 136 (120); Franklin: 198 (309); Fulton: 337 (296); Gallia: 746 (762); Geauga: 1,003 (946); Greene: 299 (323); Guernsey: 1,424 (1,551); Hamilton: 535 (610); Hancock: 556 (568); Hardin: 419 (363); Harrison: 1,310 (1,211); Henry: 244 (242); Highland: 864 (837); Hocking: 697 (814); Holmes: 1,755 (1,863); Huron: 775 (736); Jackson: 797 (895); Jefferson: 949 (806); Knox: 1,882 (1,749); Lake: 452 (458); Lawrence: 487 (524); Licking: 1,663 (1,841); Logan: 761 (744); Lorain: 884 (858); Lucas: 400 (372); Madison: 229 (229); Mahoning: 898 (852); Marion: 284 (274); Medina: 928 (992); Meigs: 914 (926); Mercer: 386 (334); Miami: 354 (389); Monroe: 585 (646); Montgomery: 322 (355); Morgan: 839 (890); Morrow: 656 (673); Muskingum: 1,592 (1,725); Noble: 958 (978); Ottawa: 206 (219); Paulding: 219 (392); Perry: 744 (783); Pickaway: 266 (236); Pike: 625 (641); Portage: 945 (1,065); Preble: 380 (395); Putnam: 367 (343); Richland: 1,451 (1,343); Ross: 843 (853); Sandusky: 454 (424); Scioto: 675 (758); Seneca: 719 (677); Shelby: 397 (414); Stark: 1,249 (1,251); Summit: 750 (829); Trumbull: 1,687 (1,711); Tuscarawas: 1,995 (2,081); Union: 422 (406); Van Wert: 256 (220); Vinton: 575 (634); Warren: 391 (406); Washington: 872 (899); Wayne: 1,054 (1,009); Williams: 706 (672); Wood: 366 (374); Wyandot: 368 (398).
2024 total: 65,783
3-year average total: 67,216