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Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,707
191
Mahoning Co.
14%

COLUMBUS, OH - 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.

- 30 -


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)
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
Carol County was down 2,252 from last year!!! THats prime deer country right there boys!! That is insane. That is rediculous, but I bet a good bit of that is from not having to physically check in your deer!!

Tuscarawas County down 3,180 Thats where my other spot it........I am seeing way less deer. Apaprently everyone else is TOO!!
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Carol County was down 2,252 from last year!!! THats prime deer country right there boys!! That is insane. That is rediculous, but I bet a good bit of that is from not having to physically check in your deer!!

Tuscarawas County down 3,180 Thats where my other spot it........I am seeing way less deer. Apaprently everyone else is TOO!!

2252 was this year's gun week total... down 700 from last year. Even so, that's still a 24% decrease from last year. I'm actually a little surprised that the week total is only 14% down... I was figuring it would be even more of a decrease than that.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Geesh someone needs to learn how to read these numbers (I get confused every year).

Sam - you should have named this thread "Burning Ring of Fire"
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Acorns? Weather? Squirrels? Corn? I wonder what the excuse is going to be?

My guess would be standing corn and rain the first 2 to 3 days! lol

It might had some effect but the deer numbers are way down regardless. Tonk or anyone else can or will convince me otherwise!
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Charles they're hanging their hat on the weather excuse this year....

Funny thing is they give the excuses but still have a goal of taking the herd numbers down. How does that make sense? Other than you are trying to make everyone happy.

To the farmer and insurance companiers -

We have drastically decreased the herd. Look at the numbers of deer taken. Way down because there aren't as many deer to take. Now we are thinking about adding even more liberal regs to make the herd even smaller (extra early gun week). I know your goal for our herd to be under 250,000 hasn't been met yet but we are working on it.

To the hunters -

The deer harvest numbers are down this year due to horrific weather. Last year it was a bumper crop of acorns that most hunters didn't know to hunt around.

Nothing to see hear. Carry on...
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
There will be many excuses. I think we are all asking the same question. Where will we be in a few more years. I believe that Ohio's best deer hunting is behind us. I hope I'm wrong, but doubt that I am.

It will be down until the revenue goes down due to lack of people buying tags. Then when they start getting hurt in the coffers they will back off on the liberal regs.
 
I hope you are right. I'm older and remember when it was a treat just to see a deer. I hunted my first season in 1968 and never saw a deer. To think that you younger folks had a chance to experience great hunting for years to come was awesome. For the state to screw it up really irritates me.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
GUN WEEK ONLY...


2007 =
103,195 <------ This is BEFORE extra tags and 2 extra gun days....
2008 = 116,798
2009 = 114,633
2010 = 105,034
2011 = 90,282 <----- Where we are today...



Down 14.3% from 2007.. 2007 was BEFORE bonus gun and double the tags...
DOWN 29.37% From 2008 First year for bonus gun and double the tags...

Been declining ever since. Now to levels below tags and bonus gun we're ever started...


Man... Looks like the "weather" during gun season is getting worse and worse every year.... In 4 years when we're shooting 50% less deer maybe it's be nothing but a hurricane in ohio for gun week.. :smiley_depressive:
 

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,707
191
Mahoning Co.
It would appear the DoW is realizing it's goal of reducing the size of the herd. I wonder how much farther they are planning on taking it?
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
There are still plenty of deer to fill your freezer. How many deer should we be killing every year to keep Ohio's hunters happy?
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
There are still plenty of deer to fill your freezer. How many deer should we be killing every year to keep Ohio's hunters happy?

Sure... And I could bag a gorgeous hottie If i spent every waking moment in a bar. I have an Idea.. Lets stop killing every hottie we see in said bars.. Bet it would be easier to score if we didn't have the ability to kill one the moment they walked in the door.....
 
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rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
2252 was this year's gun week total... down 700 from last year. Even so, that's still a 24% decrease from last year. I'm actually a little surprised that the week total is only 14% down... I was figuring it would be even more of a decrease than that.

I thought it would way more than that as well.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
let be sure to remember that "they" are not doing it...We are...preying on our lack of comprehension they are....
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
There are still plenty of deer to fill your freezer. How many deer should we be killing every year to keep Ohio's hunters happy?
Sure there is. I've killed two, and could have killed a couple more I suppose. I spent a LOT of time staring at leaves too. I hunted the majority of the season on a farm that is loaded with turkeys. They kept me entertained. I figured I just as well hunt there as I wasn't likely to see much on any of the other properties. It really is all a matter of perspective. In our area, and apparently in several others, if you are a person that likes to hunt with the expectation of seeing deer, you will be disappointed most days. For the last 20 years or so (excluding the last three or four) I expected to see deer on every outing. Luckily for me, I remember hunting when I was more surprised when I did see one. I guess its run the cycle.