MOUNT VERNON – Knox County hunters were among the most successful in the state on the opening day of deer gun season.
Knox County hunters harvested 784 deer on the first day of the season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
That number is a significant increase from the most recent three-year average of 647.
Ohio hunters checked 23,149 white-tailed deer on Monday, Dec. 1 during the opening day of the weeklong gun hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Ohio’s seven-day gun season is open until Sunday, Dec. 7, with an additional gun hunting weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20 and 21.
The Division of Wildlife annually reports deer harvest totals at notable points during the hunting season. This year’s opening day harvest total includes 8,315 antlered deer and 14,834 antlerless deer.
In 2024, hunters took 26,670 deer on opening day of the gun season, which traditionally falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving. From 2022 to 2024, hunters checked an average of 21,075 deer during the gun season opener.
By the numbers
The top 10 counties for deer checked on opening day were:
- Ashtabula (1,122)
- Coshocton (1,010)
- Muskingum (801)
- Tuscarawas (795)
- Knox (784)
- Carroll (692)
- Trumbull (678)
- Ashland (647)
- Harrison (560)
- Licking (558)
So far this deer season, archery and firearms hunters have taken a total of 124,984 deer through Monday, Dec. 1. Hunters ages 17 and younger checked 9,759 deer in the two-day youth season on Nov. 22 and 23.
Ohio’s fantastic deer hunting opportunities are a fall tradition that draw both residents and nonresidents outdoors. Residents and nonresidents have purchased a combined 354,052 deer permits this year. Either-sex permits and deer management permits are on sale at license vendors, on the HuntFish OH mobile app, and at wildohio.gov.
Deer management permits are available for purchase and valid until Sunday, Dec. 21. These permits may be used on private land and public hunting areas for antlerless deer. Either-sex permits are valid statewide through Sunday, Feb. 1, the end of the archery season.
The most popular states that nonresident hunters have traveled from include:
- Pennsylvania (6,358 licenses sold)
- Michigan (4,132)
- North Carolina (2,816)
- West Virginia (2,632)
- New York (2,612)
In addition to the weeklong gun season and December gun weekend, the state hosts a muzzleloader season from Jan. 3-6, 2026. Finally, the archery season remains open statewide until Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
If you join the ranks of successful deer hunters, 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 bag 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 1-866-703-1928 (landowner operator-assisted; fees apply).
County totals
A county list of all deer checked by hunters during opening day of the 2025 deer gun hunting season is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for opening day 2025. The three-year average of deer taken on opening day in 2022, 2023, and 2024 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, timing of the crop harvest, and other unavoidable factors. Numbers below are raw data and subject to change.
Adams: 285 (278); Allen: 134 (105); Ashland: 647 (486); Ashtabula: 1,122 (617); Athens: 89 (346); Auglaize: 182 (135); Belmont: 350 (361); Brown: 258 (219); Butler: 68 (68); Carroll: 692 (613); Champaign: 139 (125); Clark: 65 (55); Clermont: 155 (152); Clinton: 100 (86); Columbiana: 548 (466); Coshocton: 1,010 (835); Crawford: 265 (212); Cuyahoga: 13 (7); Darke: 92 (93); Defiance: 248 (271); Delaware: 117 (106); Erie: 114 (87); Fairfield: 220 (216); Fayette: 64 (44); Franklin: 37 (42); Fulton: 222 (154); Gallia: 303 (313); Geauga: 280 (188); Greene: 68 (56); Guernsey: 518 (574); Hamilton: 20 (24); Hancock: 218 (181); Hardin: 184 (139); Harrison: 560 (500); Henry: 198 (160); Highland: 298 (286); Hocking: 301 (323); Holmes: 523 (476); Huron: 504 (397); Jackson: 286 (291); Jefferson: 383 (332); Knox: 784 (647); Lake: 79 (36); Lawrence: 159 (187); Licking: 558 (468); Logan: 241 (190); Lorain: 241 (206); Lucas: 46 (36); Madison: 56 (51); Mahoning: 270 (171); Marion: 123 (104); Medina: 212 (183); Meigs: 81 (335); Mercer: 134 (133); Miami: 68 (58); Monroe: 250 (328); Montgomery: 41 (42); Morgan: 190 (386); Morrow: 275 (213); Muskingum: 801 (688); Noble: 290 (355); Ottawa: 59 (51); Paulding: 145 (161); Perry: 317 (327); Pickaway: 112 (94); Pike: 175 (172); Portage: 245 (181); Preble: 78 (75); Putnam: 142 (144); Richland: 513 (410); Ross: 278 (267); Sandusky: 109 (90); Scioto: 183 (198); Seneca: 409 (331); Shelby: 140 (111); Stark: 351 (291); Summit: 44 (40); Trumbull: 678 (418); Tuscarawas: 795 (750); Union: 119 (97); Van Wert: 103 (82); Vinton: 180 (180); Warren: 97 (72); Washington: 62 (448); Wayne: 328 (273); Williams: 317 (265); Wood: 131 (111); Wyandot: 260 (200).
2025 total: 23,149
3-year average total: 21,075