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Hunters still have a weekend of deer-gun hunting, December 17-18.

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Ohio hunters took 90,282 white-tailed deer during the state’s popular, week-long deer-gun season, which ran November 28 through December 4, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife. In 2010, hunters checked a total of 105,034 deer during the same time period.

“Hunters clearly took advantage of the weather as the week progressed. They trimmed the deficit from last season from 39% on opening day, to 14% by the close of the season on Sunday, “said Mike Tonkovich, ODNR, Division of Wildlife deer project leader. “While other factors may have been at work, it is clear that extreme weather – good or bad – on key harvest days can have a significant impact on the bottom line.”

Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer brought to Ohio check stations last week included Coshocton-3,690, Muskingum-3,223, Tuscarawas-3,180, Guernsey-2,982, Harrison-2,772, Licking-2,678, Knox-2,480, Belmont-2,431, Carroll-2,252, and Washington-2,225.

Hunters must still report their deer harvest, but they are no longer required to take their deer to a check station for physical inspection. Instead, hunters have three options to complete the new automated game check:

On the Internet at wildohio.com.
By telephone at 1-877-TAG-ITOH (1-877-824-4864). This option is only available to those who are required to have a deer permit to hunt deer.
At all license agents. A list of these agents can be found at wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.

All three check-in methods are being used during the deer-gun season, with 41 percent of hunters using the phone method. Hunters checking in via the Internet are second at 36 percent followed by those traveling to a license agent’s location (23 percent) to check in their game.

Hunters still have one weekend of deer-gun hunting, December 17-18, and nine weeks of archery hunting in Ohio. Archery season remains open until February 5, 2012. The statewide muzzleloader deer-hunting season will be held January 7-10, 2012.

Donations of extra venison are encouraged and will be accepted through the entire deer season, ending on February 5, 2012, to organizations assisting Ohioans in need. The division of Wildlife is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor. Counties being served by this program can be found online at www.fhfh.org.

Hunters who wish to share their success can submit a photo of themselves and the deer they killed this year to www.wildohio.com.

The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 8th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 10th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each year, hunting has a $859 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more.

Ohio’s first modern day deer-gun season opened in 1943 in three counties, when hunters harvested 168 deer. In 1956, deer hunting was allowed in all 88 counties and hunters killed 3,911 deer during that one-week season.

A detailed listing of deer-hunting rules is contained in the 2011-2012 Ohio Hunting Regulations, available where licenses are sold. It may also be viewed online at www.wildohio.com.

EDITORS NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF DEER CHECKED AND TAGGED BY HUNTERS DURING THE 2011 DEER-GUN HUNTING SEASON. THE NUMBER TAKEN DURING THE 2010 SEASON IS MARKED IN ( ): 2011 (2010)

Adams –1,727(1,639); Allen –293(440); Ashland –1,096(1,350); Ashtabula –1,777(2,400); Athens –2,059(2,147); Auglaize –192(245); Belmont –2,431(2,736); Brown –1,229(1,423); Butler –345(401); Carroll –2,252(2,952); Champaign –554(613); Clark –276(295); Clermont –980(1,215); Clinton –373(391); Columbiana –1,738(2,391); Coshocton –3,690(4,288); Crawford –441(568); Cuyahoga –37(38); Darke –223(265); Defiance –725(910); Delaware –594(696); Erie –137(157); Fairfield –1,152(1,258); Fayette –104(114); Franklin –170(142); Fulton –302(438); Gallia –1,844(1,899); Geauga –623(738); Greene –287(293); Guernsey –2,982(3,309); Hamilton –298(306); Hancock –402(576); Hardin –354(567); Harrison –2,772(3,547); Henry –279(505); Highland –1,432(1,527); Hocking –2,184(2,138); Holmes –2,013(2,529); Huron –925(1,007); Jackson –1,515(1,742); Jefferson –2,044(2,564); Knox –2,480(3,141); Lake –185(178); Lawrence –1,574(1,449); Licking –2,678(3,003); Logan –760(845); Lorain –739(863); Lucas –129(164); Madison –167(185); Mahoning –563(672); Marion –320(428); Medina –556(633); Meigs –1,974(1,941); Mercer –203(248); Miami –194(212); Monroe –1,960(2,180); Montgomery –144(117); Morgan –1,804(1,962); Morrow –851(1,007); Muskingum –3,223(3,683); Noble –2,028(2,229); Ottawa –81(88); Paulding –416(610); Perry –1,832 (2,126); Pickaway –466(570); Pike –1,077(1,102); Portage –644(740); Preble –267(253); Putnam –238(364); Richland –1,714(2,169); Ross –1,723(1,792); Sandusky –195(214); Scioto –1,224(1,250); Seneca –603(849); Shelby –305(376); Stark –661(744); Summit –151(198); Trumbull –1,060(1,305); Tuscarawas –3,180(4,038); Union –354(391); Van Wert –194(358); Vinton –1,577(1,579); Warren –412(451); Washington –2,225(2,555); Wayne –644(869); Williams –787(1,001); Wood –208(305); Wyandot –661(838); Total –90,282(105,034)

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Ohio’s Popular Deer-Gun Season Opens November 28
Donation of extra venison – at no cost to the hunter – is encouraged for Ohioans in need.

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Ohio’s popular deer-gun season opens statewide on Monday, November 28, offering hunters a full week to harvest a whitetail.

The upcoming season will again include an extra weekend of gun hunting on December 17-18, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

Deer can be hunted with a legal muzzleloader, handgun or shotgun from one half-hour before sunrise to sunset through December 4 and December 17-18. With a pre-hunting season population estimate of 750,000 white-tailed deer, the ODNR Division of Wildlife anticipates 115,000 to 125,000 deer will be killed during the nine-day season. Approximately 420,000 hunters are expected to participate in this year’s season, including many out-of-state hunters.

The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 8th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 10th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each year, hunting has a $859 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more.

Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season. A deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license. Any time a hunter is allowed to take more than one deer, they must purchase an additional permit.

Ohio is divided into three deer hunting zones. Beginning on the opening day of gun season and continuing through December 4, a limit of one deer may be taken in Zone A (12 counties) and two deer in Zone B (38 counties). A total of six deer may be harvested in eastern and southeastern Ohio’s Zone C (38 counties) through the week long gun season.

Antlerless deer permits are not valid in Deer Zones A and B after November 27. The antlerless deer permit will be valid until December 4 only in Zone C.

Beginning on December 5, the bag limit is three deer in Zone C and antlerless deer permits are no longer valid.

Those hunting in urban units and at Division of Wildlife-authorized controlled hunts will have a six-deer bag limit, and those deer will not count against the hunter’s zone bag limit. Antlerless deer permits can be used for the entire season in urban deer units or Division of Wildlife-authorized controlled hunts. Antlerless deer permits must be purchased by November 27.

Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season. A deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license.

Hunters are encouraged to kill more does this season using the reduced-priced antlerless deer permit where valid.

They are also encouraged to donate any extra venison to organizations assisting Ohioans in need. The division is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate their deer are not required to pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor. Counties being served by this program can be found online at fhfh.org.

Additional hunting regulations and maps of the state’s deer zones are contained in the 2011-2012 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations. This free publication is available wherever hunting licenses are sold, online at wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.

The 2011-2012 licenses will not be printed on weatherproof paper. Sportsmen and women should protect their licenses and permits from the elements by carrying them in a protective pouch or wallet.

The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

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