Weeklong deer season concludes

Ohio hunters checked 87,192 white-tailed deer during the weeklong gun season that concluded Sunday, Dec. 8, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. This is the highest total since 2011 (90,282). In 2023 hunters reported 70,103 deer during the seven-day gun season, and the three-year average is 70,806.

During the deer gun week, hunters checked 28,606 antlered deer (33% of the total reported) and 58,586 antlerless deer (67%). Antlerless deer include does and button bucks.

The top 10 counties for deer taken during the gun season were as follows:

—Coshocton with 2,954: Coshocton County also led the state in 2023 with 2,440 deer checked.

—Tuscarawas with 2,673.

—Knox with 2,525.

—Muskingum with 2,515.

—Carroll with 2,399.

—Ashtabula with 2,281.

—Guernsey with 2,201.

—Washington with 1,970.

—Ashland with 1,893.

—Licking with 1,860.

Legal hunting equipment during the deer gun season includes shotguns, straight-walled cartridge rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns and archery equipment. Straight-walled cartridge rifles have been legal for deer gun hunting since 2014.

Deer checked by hunting implement includes the following:

—Straight-walled cartridge rifle, 64%, 55,611 deer.

—Shotgun, 30%, 26,486 deer.

—Muzzleloader, 4%, 3,271 deer.

—Archery equipment, 2%, 1,357 deer.

—Handgun, less than 1%, 467 deer.

For all deer hunting seasons, archery and firearms hunters have reported 188,931 deer from Sept. 28 to Dec. 8. Hunters have another opportunity to take a deer with a firearm during the additional gun weekend Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21-22. The muzzleloader season is Jan. 4-7. The archery season remains open until Sunday, Feb. 2. Find more details in the 2024-25 Hunting and Trapping Regulations.