Ohio hunters check 15,835 deer during bonus gun weekend

Hunters checked 15,835 white-tailed deer Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20-21, during Ohio’s bonus gun hunting weekend, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.

The two-day total is down from 17,386 deer taken during the 2024 bonus gun weekend. The three-year average for the weekend is 16,010.

The Division of Wildlife said it has increased efforts this season to help hunters donate venison to food pantries. So far, hunters have donated more than 3,350 pounds of processed venison. Information on donating deer is available at wildohio.gov.

During the Dec. 20-21 gun weekend, hunters checked 4,039 antlered deer — 26% of the harvest — and 11,796 antlerless deer, or 74%.

Top counties

The top 10 counties for deer taken during the 2025 gun weekend were:

Coshocton (576)

Ashtabula (551)

Knox (477)

Tuscarawas (471)

Columbiana (430)

Carroll (427)

Muskingum (398)

Ashland (391)

Richland (387)

Licking (381)

Totals this season are lower than average in Athens, Meigs, Morgan and Washington counties because of an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, in the region over the summer. In response, bag limits in those counties were reduced to coincide with the start of the seven-day gun season.

Hunting implements

Legal equipment during deer gun season includes specified shotguns, straight-walled cartridge rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns and archery equipment. Deer checked by hunting implement included:

Straight-walled cartridge rifle: 69% (10,900 deer)

Shotgun: 24% (3,821)

Muzzleloader: 4% (615)

Archery equipment: 3% (401)

Handgun: less than 1% (98)

Season totals and permits

Hunters have checked 111,042 deer during nine days of gun hunting and two days of youth season. Youth hunters checked 9,759 deer Nov. 22-23, and the weeklong gun season total was 85,448.

The season total for deer checked through Sunday, Dec. 21, is 206,583, which includes all deer taken with archery equipment and firearms since the season began in September.

The state has issued 410,953 deer permits through Dec. 21. Nonresidents have purchased 34,594 hunting licenses, with the most coming from:

Pennsylvania (6,590)

Michigan (4,283)

North Carolina (2,914)

West Virginia (2,710)

New York (2,708)

Hunters can still participate in the ongoing archery season, which runs through Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, and the muzzleloader season, Jan. 3-6, 2026.

An either-sex deer permit is required after Dec. 21 because deer management permits are no longer valid. More information is available in the 2025-26 Hunting and Trapping Regulations, and weekly reports and yearly summaries are posted on the Deer Harvest Summary page at wildohio.gov.

The free HuntFish OH app allows hunters to buy licenses and permits, view wildlife area maps, check sunrise and sunset times, review county bag limits and more. Hunters can also check game without cell service and display licenses and permits digitally through the app.