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

First day numbers

Wildlife

Denny
Supporting Member
5,248
191
Ross County, Ohio


Despite some poor weather conditions, hunters in Ohio checked 60,557 deer during the 2018 week long deer-gun season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Last year, hunters checked 72,814 deer over the same period.

Ohio’s deer-gun hunting season remains a tradition enjoyed by thousands of hunters for more than 75 years. Starting the Monday after Thanksgiving, Buckeye State hunters safely enjoyed seven days of deer-gun hunting.

For Ohio hunters who missed the deer-gun week, there are still more options to pursue deer. Hunters can enjoy two more days of deer-gun season on Saturday, Dec. 15, and Sunday, Dec. 16, and muzzleloader season is Jan. 5-8, 2019. Ohio hunters still have two months left of deer archery season, which remains open through Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019.



The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2018, and the 2017 numbers are in parentheses. Harvest numbers below are raw data and subject to change.

Adams: 955 (1,166); Allen: 250 (341); Ashland: 1,121 (1,363); Ashtabula: 2,022 (2,094); Athens: 1,322 (1,591); Auglaize: 268 (334); Belmont: 1,081 (1,239); Brown: 738 (1,029); Butler: 247 (352); Carroll: 1,449 (1,733); Champaign: 336 (431); Clark: 177 (197); Clermont: 548 (744); Clinton: 185 (303); Columbiana: 1,132 (1,338); Coshocton: 2,174 (2,576); Crawford: 496 (615); Cuyahoga: 39 (52); Darke: 215 (305); Defiance: 582 (745); Delaware: 352 (503); Erie: 222 (272); Fairfield: 618 (776); Fayette: 91 (140); Franklin: 141 (156); Fulton: 290 (322); Gallia: 1,145 (1,318); Geauga: 582 (538); Greene: 193 (229); Guernsey: 1,728 (2,014); Hamilton: 146 (191); Hancock: 403 (529); Hardin: 381 (529); Harrison: 1,285 (1,530); Henry: 258 (371); Highland: 802 (1,076); Hocking: 1,112 (1,370); Holmes: 1,286 (1,592); Huron: 860 (1,148); Jackson: 1,082 (1,230); Jefferson: 698 (832); Knox: 1,509 (1,965); Lake: 180 (163); Lawrence: 812 (907); Licking: 1,421 (1,789); Logan: 614 (754); Lorain: 628 (702); Lucas: 117 (119); Madison: 146 (186); Mahoning: 615 (649); Marion: 335 (432); Medina: 605 (620); Meigs: 1,233 (1,323); Mercer: 228 (310); Miami: 172 (251); Monroe: 1,100 (1,334); Montgomery: 122 (157); Morgan: 1,198 (1,459); Morrow: 547 (657); Muskingum: 1,917 (2,328); Noble: 1,264 (1,391); Ottawa: 111 (120); Paulding: 332 (446); Perry: 1,042 (1,278); Pickaway: 244 (342); Pike: 690 (761); Portage: 558 (560); Preble: 251 (300); Putnam: 230 (359); Richland: 1,137 (1,343); Ross: 937 (1,230); Sandusky: 216 (275); Scioto: 780 (898); Seneca: 733 (868); Shelby: 282 (394); Stark: 810 (881); Summit: 152 (159); Trumbull: 1,119 (1,250); Tuscarawas: 1,991 (2,335); Union: 281 (350); Van Wert: 175 (223); Vinton: 937 (1,234); Warren: 261 (313); Washington: 1,405 (1,572); Wayne: 696 (823); Williams: 543 (691); Wood: 273 (342); Wyandot: 596 (757).Total: 60,557 (72,814).


Source: https://woodburyoutfitters.com/the-...on-totals-60557-deer-2018-vs-72814-deer-2017/
 
  • Like
Reactions: Floki

Floki

Junior Member
1,161
63
I would love to see an actual hunter/ journalist do a Q&A with the Dow.
With some real questions. Can’t wait to see the padded response we receive year after year.

This season must be down because birds flew south later and shit all over the woods. 🤔 Yup that’s my guess. “Nailed it”
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
I would love to see an actual hunter/ journalist do a Q&A with the Dow.
With some real questions. Can’t wait to see the padded response we receive year after year.

This season must be down because birds flew south later and shit all over the woods. 🤔 Yup that’s my guess. “Nailed it”
Well at least it wasn’t the squirrels
 
  • Like
Reactions: Floki

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Hunters as a whole are killers. To say that hunters as a single organism can self regulate to the point needed to grow a states animal population, is to say that drivers can obey speed limits to the point that we could get rid of them and people would still go 70 on the highway.

If this was remotely possible the DNR would give us a minimum that we must kill each year and not a limit.

Humans are not capable of this. The "Please only Take 1" Halloween candy bowl never works.
 
Hunters as a whole are killers. To say that hunters as a single organism can self regulate to the point needed to grow a states animal population, is to say that drivers can obey speed limits to the point that we could get rid of them and people would still go 70 on the highway.

If this was remotely possible the DNR would give us a minimum that we must kill each year and not a limit.

Humans are not capable of this. The "Please only Take 1" Halloween candy bowl never works.


Let's face it very few hunters actually know what the population of deer is like where they are hunting. Now on here I would guess that quite a few of us do because we spend alot of time in the woods we hunt. As discussed though the people on here aren't a good cross section of hunters.

A guy that maybe goes out 1 day before season to scout and then hunts 2-3 days which is alot of hunters only gauges the population from what he sees on those day. Not likely to be that accurate.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Floki

OhioWhiteTails

Senior Member
Supporting Member
8,482
191
Flatlands
Can we peek at the number of archery kills in the last three years along side the gun numbers. I'm lazy and don't feel like doing the leg work. I think we have a numbers guy on here, cough cough Joe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Isaacorps

OO2

Well-Known Member
2,566
111
In the Uplands
In my corner of the World on the border of Athens and Washington counties I know that in the area there are sufficient deer numbers but not on my farm. I have one gravity feeder that I have kept full since late September. My Dad hunted it once and killed a doe. One of 3 deer he saw in a 10.5 hour sit. I saw one 8 point at 12:15 Monday that I decided to shoot because I have had nothing good on cam for weeks. Meanwhile on the neighbors they are piling them up at the bait stations. I know of 5 mature bucks killed by the outfitters group this week...one an absolute stud 8. They also took 4 in archery. On the other side a group of leasers from WV have killed 4 mature bucks at their bait...one a 3 beam freak. A buddy that has a farm also on that side has seen a ton of deer just no shooters at his corn piles.
Although I thought the shooting was down a bit Monday (weather related or maybe I just couldn't hear it because of the wind) there was still lots of shots. There have been gun seasons where I have heard 100s ...yes as in multiple 100s ....in a week of gun hunting.

That sounds like it sucks to have to compete with corn piles all around you...almost forces your hand to bait.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Can we peek at the number of archery kills in the last three years along side the gun numbers. I'm lazy and don't feel like doing the leg work. I think we have a numbers guy on here, cough cough Joe.

For 8 years we compiled every number under the sun trying to warn people, I sure as hell ain't doing it now just for fun😂
 
Last edited:

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
That sounds like it sucks to have to compete with corn piles all around you...almost forces your hand to bait.

Pinch points and funnels mean nothing there anymore. It’s either hunt over bait or see nothing. Tyler has hunted our place 7 times this year, 3 were taking his wife, he has yet to see a deer. Baiting like what’s going on there completely changes deer movement...completely. If it were outlawed very few around here would know how to hunt.
 
Pinch points and funnels mean nothing there anymore. It’s either hunt over bait or see nothing. Tyler has hunted our place 7 times this year, 3 were taking his wife, he has yet to see a deer. Baiting like what’s going on there completely changes deer movement...completely. If it were outlawed very few around here would know how to hunt.
So how are they out master baiting you. :ROFLMAO: In all serious though how are they attracting them and you are not.

I am a novice when it comes to baiting but from what I have seen at my place it does suppress natural movement. Deer simply wait until after dark and then go feeder to feeder.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OO2

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
So how are they out master baiting you. [emoji23] In all serious though how are they attracting them and you are not.

I am a novice when it comes to baiting but from what I have seen at my place it does suppress natural movement. Deer simply wait until after dark and then go feeder to feeder.
I'd say the neighbors are baiting and Spence isn't [emoji848]
 
  • Like
Reactions: OO2

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
So how are they out master baiting you. :ROFLMAO: In all serious though how are they attracting them and you are not.

I am a novice when it comes to baiting but from what I have seen at my place it does suppress natural movement. Deer simply wait until after dark and then go feeder to feeder.

They dump it on the ground by the 100s of pounds. I do not. They hunt on top of it. I do not. I wasted time with food plots. They still look good because apparently corn > turnips. Maybe late season will be good but my tag is punched. Hope to be elsewhere next fall. If not I will let food plots grow up for browse/bedding.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OO2 and cspot

OO2

Well-Known Member
2,566
111
In the Uplands
Pinch points and funnels mean nothing there anymore. It’s either hunt over bait or see nothing. Tyler has hunted our place 7 times this year, 3 were taking his wife, he has yet to see a deer. Baiting like what’s going on there completely changes deer movement...completely. If it were outlawed very few around here would know how to hunt.

That’s a shame
 

Jal5

Junior Member
151
37
They dump it on the ground by the 100s of pounds. I do not. They hunt on top of it. I do not. I wasted time with food plots. They still look good because apparently corn > turnips. Maybe late season will be good but my tag is punched. Hope to be elsewhere next fall. If not I will let food plots grow up for browse/bedding.

Those turnips can be gold during late season. I’ve seen deer dig them out of icy ground.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fletch