Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Down

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,752
191
Mahoning Co.
An EXPECTED 3.7% ???

COLUMBUS, OH – Hunters enjoyed great weather as they harvested 86,964 white-tailed deer during Ohio’s traditional week-long deer-gun season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The harvest yielded an anticipated slight decrease of 3.7 percent from 2011, when 90,282 deer were checked.

“The traditional deer-gun week is enjoyed by thousands annually, and this year was no exception,” said ODNR Director James Zehringer. “Ohio’s healthy deer population offers a great source of outdoor recreation to many Ohio residents and out-of-state hunters.”

Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer checked during the 2012 gun season: Coshocton (3,119), Muskingum (2,927), Tuscarawas (2,860), Guernsey (2,620), Harrison (2,370), Licking (2,271), Washington (2,163), Knox (2,159), Belmont (2,127) and Carroll (2,062). The order of the top six counties remained unchanged from last year.

Ohio’s week-long gun season was Nov. 26-Dec. 2. Hunters still have one weekend of deer-gun hunting, Dec. 15-16, and archery season remains open through Feb. 3, 2013. The statewide deer-muzzleloader season is Jan. 5-8, 2013.

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

More information about Ohio deer hunting can be found in the 2012-2013 Hunting and Trapping Regulations or at wildohio.com. Hunters can also share photos by clicking on the Photo Gallery tab online.

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

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,752
191
Mahoning Co.
Adams: 1,554 (1,727); Allen: 393 (293); Ashland: 1,240 (1,096); Ashtabula: 2,052 (1,777); Athens: 1,983 (2,059); Auglaize: 362 (192); Belmont: 2,127 (2,431); Brown: 1,094 (1,229); Butler: 350 (345); Carroll: 2,062 (2,252); Champaign: 487 (554); Clark: 226 (276); Clermont: 835 (980); Clinton: 348 (373); Columbiana: 1,686 (1,738); Coshocton: 3,119 (3,690); Crawford: 543 (441); Cuyahoga: 30 (37); Darke: 312 (223); Defiance: 882 (725); Delaware: 620 (594); Erie: 171 (137); Fairfield: 1,040 (1,152); Fayette: 111 (104); Franklin: 176 (170); Fulton: 413 (302); Gallia: 1,747 (1,844); Geauga: 598 (623); Greene: 318 (287); Guernsey: 2,620 (2,982); Hamilton: 244 (298); Hancock: 558 (402); Hardin: 512 (354); Harrison: 2,370 (2,772); Henry: 347 (279); Highland: 1,347 (1,432); Hocking: 1,966 (2,184); Holmes: 1,837 (2,013); Huron: 1,006 (925); Jackson: 1,439 (1,515); Jefferson: 1,830 (2,044); Knox: 2,159 (2,480); Lake: 207 (185); Lawrence: 1,286 (1,574); Licking: 2,271 (2,678); Logan: 755 (760); Lorain: 764 (739); Lucas: 158 (129); Madison: 141 (167); Mahoning: 664 (563); Marion: 410 (320); Medina: 596 (556); Meigs: 1,764 (1,974); Mercer: 318 (203); Miami: 241 (194); Monroe: 1,695 (1,960); Montgomery: 162 (144); Morgan: 1,712 (1,804); Morrow: 844 (851); Muskingum: 2,927 (3,223); Noble: 1,647 (2,028); Ottawa: 86 (81); Paulding: 551 (416); Perry: 1,726 (1,832); Pickaway: 500 (466); Pike: 973 (1,077); Portage: 608 (644); Preble: 323 (267); Putnam: 327 (238); Richland: 1,418 (1,714); Ross: 1,512 (1,723); Sandusky: 224 (195); Scioto: 1,138 (1,224); Seneca: 803 (603); Shelby: 456 (305); Stark: 833 (661); Summit: 163 (151); Trumbull: 1,237 (1,060); Tuscarawas: 2,860 (3,180); Union: 352 (354); Van Wert: 290 (194); Vinton: 1,583 (1,577); Warren: 406 (412); Washington: 2,163 (2,225); Wayne: 784 (644); Williams: 906 (787); Wood: 254 (208); Wyandot: 812 (661). Total: 86,964 (90,282).
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,859
260
.






Best weather in 3 years..... Shittiest season...





2012------------------------ 86,964 Deer

2011 -------------- 90,282 Deer

Temp 52/43
Percip .62 Rain
Wind Avg/Max 8/12

Temp 55/34
Percip .23 Rain
Wind Avg/Max 10/26

Temp 39/27
Percip .15 Snow
Wind Avg/Max 10/29

Temp 43/24
Percip 0.00
Wind Avg/Max 2/10

Temp 43/26
Percip 0.00
Wind Avg/Max 4/8

Temp 52/30
Percip 0.00
Wind Avg/Max 5/9

Temp 54/44
Percip 0.13 Rain
Wind Avg/Max 8/14


2010
----------------- 105,034 Deer

Temp 30/54
Percip .02 Rain
Wind Avg/Max 8/13

Temp 33/55
Percip 1.08 Rain
Wind Avg/Max 14/25

Temp 26/33
Percip Snow
Wind Avg/Max 14/22

Temp 25/33
Percip 0.00
Wind Avg/Max 9/14

Temp 27/32
Percip Snow
Wind Avg/Max 5/13

Temp 26/30
Percip Snow
Wind Avg/Max 3/12

Temp 23/28
Percip Snow
Wind Avg/Max 13/21
 
Last edited:

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
Either the fellas got to be WAY better shots this year or slug prices went through the roof...either way there were so few shots around me it was laughable compared to 5 years ago when you could not hear yourself think in the stand
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,643
191
Springboro
I only heard 3 shots yesterday morning up till 10 when I left

3 shots on the last day's morning

A Sunday...a weekend day....3 shots
 

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,752
191
Mahoning Co.
The article said the drop was "anticipated". Did anyone here ever hear the DoW say they were expecting a lower harvest?

Everything I heard was there were more deer but we just weren't doing a good job killing them.
 

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
Athens County per the ODNR numbers for the 7 day gun seasons. What I am seeing in Athens County is I think indicitive of a county wide population reduction

A 52% reduction in the 7 day gun harvest from the 2002 numbers.

A 30% reduction from 2009 harvest numbers

2002 - 4157
2003 - 3252
2004 - 3419
2005 - 2779
2006 - 2754
2007 - 2392
2008 - 2936
2009 - 2808
2010 - 2162
2011 - 2059
2012 - 1983
 
Last edited:

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
yep its getting interesting..hunters numbers are, kill is down but the herds been the same size for 6 years, we had the best weather we have had for 3 years and an anticipated drop? hhhmmm
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
Athens County per the ODNR numbers for the 7 day gun seasons. What I am seeing in Athens County is I think indicitive of a county wide population reduction

A 52% reduction in the 7 day gun harvest from the 2002 numbers

2002 - 4157
2003 - 3252
2004 - 3419
2005 - 2779
2006 - 2754
2007 - 2392
2008 - 2936
2009 - 2808
2010 - 2162
2011 - 2059
2012 - 1983

so hypothetically were saying the deer numbers are really around 400K....
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,848
247
They predicted a 10% decrease for the entire season.

Lundy, you have hit the nail on the head. To truly see how much of a reduction our herd has had over the years, you must look beyond a year or two back. Sunday hunting was first opened up in 2002. That increased the kill dramatically. Each year that it slid back a bit, the DOW added a season, or days to a season and inflated the numbers by doing so.

I told Mrex that we had more deer in the mid 90's. He strongly disagreed, so I looked at the numbers. In 95, there were 600 deer killed in Fayette Co. There was no Sunday hunting, fewer tags available, less opportunity in general, yet we killed three times as many as will be killed this year. I think the herd was estimated at 500k then.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,859
260
image.jpg
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
They predicted a 10% decrease for the entire season.

Lundy, you have hit the nail on the head. To truly see how much of a reduction our herd has had over the years, you must look beyond a year or two back. Sunday hunting was first opened up in 2002. That increased the kill dramatically. Each year that it slid back a bit, the DOW added a season, or days to a season and inflated the numbers by doing so.

I told Mrex that we had more deer in the mid 90's. He strongly disagreed, so I looked at the numbers. In 95, there were 600 deer killed in Fayette Co. There was no Sunday hunting, fewer tags available, less opportunity in general, yet we killed three times as many as will be killed this year. I think the herd was estimated at 500k then.

So the estimate is going to be 675,000 deer in Ohio for next year ;) Thats right estimates are out the window now...
 

Carpn

*Supporting Member*
2,234
87
Wooster
Don't forget, the 15$ doe tags weren't in play. That alone would drop the harvest number. I would have expected more than 3.7 soley on removal of cheap doe tags alone
 

ImpalaSSpeed96

Junior Member
561
60
NJ
Yea, I'll bite there's less deer...

More coyote control is needed, NR fee's need raised, and 3 deer max statewide, need instituted.