COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio bowhunters checked 3,866 deer on Saturday, Nov. 12, the highest single-day total this season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The end of October and the first two weeks of November are typically a great time to hunt deer in Ohio.
“November is the peak breeding time for deer in Ohio, which means they are on the move,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “This is an ideal time for hunters, who have an increased chance of seeing and harvesting a deer.”
Thus far during the 2022 archery deer hunting season, the 10 most successful harvest dates in Ohio have been:
• Saturday, Nov. 12 (3,866 deer checked)
• Sunday, Nov. 13 (3,105)
• Saturday, Sep. 24 (2,943)
• Saturday, Oct. 29 (2,626)
• Tuesday, Nov. 8 (2,274)
• Wednesday, Nov. 9 (2,178)
• Thursday, Nov. 10 (2,142)
• Saturday, Oct. 8 (2,106)
• Sunday, Nov. 6 (1,933)
• Monday, Nov. 7 (1,924)
This season, bowhunters across Ohio have harvested 65,154 deer as of Sunday, Nov. 13. The three-year average for deer harvested over the same eight-week period from 2019-2021 is 67,522.
Ohio’s top 10 counties for deer harvested during the first eight weeks of the 2022 deer season include: Coshocton (2,459), Tuscarawas (2,098), Holmes (1,867), Ashtabula (1,842), Licking (1,738), Trumbull (1,722), Knox (1,710), Muskingum (1,626), Guernsey (1,388), and Carroll (1,326).
Bowhunters can expect some terrific hunting in the coming weeks based on traditional harvest numbers. In 2021, bowhunters were highly successful on Saturday, Nov. 20 (1,880 deer checked), Friday, Nov. 19 (1,281), Monday, Nov. 15 (1,189), and Tuesday, Nov. 16 (1,115).
Ohio’s deer hunters are increasingly using longbows and crossbows to take advantage of a tremendous deer hunting in October and November. The archery season lines up with the peak of the rut, or deer breeding season. Deer are travelling more often and farther this time of year as bucks pursue does, making these months an exciting time to be hunting.
With the rut continuing for several more weeks, hunters have ample opportunity to harvest a deer. The youth weekend is upcoming on Nov. 19-20. The gun season is Monday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 4, and again Dec. 17-18. Deer muzzleloader season is Jan. 7-10, 2023. Bowhunting is open until Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. Find complete details in the 2022-23 Hunting and Trapping Regulations.
If you join the ranks of successful deer hunters, use the free HuntFish OH app to game check your harvest. Users can access the Division of Wildlife’s online system to check harvested deer while out in the field, even without a Wi-Fi connection. Hunters can also use the app to view public hunting area maps, buy hunting licenses and deer permits, and much more.
If you’re interested in learning more about deer hunting, check out the Wild Ohio Harvest Community for online learning modules, resources, and recipes for after the harvest. Visit wildohio.gov to get started.
The mission of the Division of Wildlife is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to find out more.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
Editor’s Note: High-resolution of above image here. An Ohio county list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters through Sunday, Nov. 13 is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2022, and the three-year average of deer harvested from 2019 to 2021 is in parentheses. A three-year average provides a better overall comparison to this year’s harvest numbers, eliminating year-to-year variation because of weather, misaligned season dates, crop harvest, and other unavoidable factors. Harvest numbers below are raw data and subject to change.
Adams: 1,014 (1,156); Allen: 426 (379); Ashland: 1,239 (1,145); Ashtabula: 1,842 (1,775); Athens: 875 (1,094); Auglaize: 403 (344); Belmont: 719 (794); Brown: 738 (859); Butler: 478 (679); Carroll: 1,326 (1,195); Champaign: 526 (505); Clark: 307 (338); Clermont: 884 (1,042); Clinton: 273 (231); Columbiana: 1,309 (1,133); Coshocton: 2,459 (2,541); Crawford: 397 (405); Cuyahoga: 468 (547); Darke: 369 (291); Defiance: 510 (521); Delaware: 688 (716); Erie: 349 (360); Fairfield: 705 (707); Fayette: 113 (107); Franklin: 305 (360); Fulton: 307 (292); Gallia: 768 (722); Geauga: 966 (844); Greene: 318 (355); Guernsey: 1,388 (1,522); Hamilton: 556 (782); Hancock: 557 (503); Hardin: 330 (441); Harrison: 1,055 (1,175); Henry: 235 (248); Highland: 814 (904); Hocking: 717 (989); Holmes: 1,867 (1,725); Huron: 717 (721); Jackson: 919 (949); Jefferson: 761 (712); Knox: 1,710 (1,734); Lake: 453 (438); Lawrence: 512 (552); Licking: 1,738 (1,939); Logan: 738 (786); Lorain: 827 (920); Lucas: 412 (392); Madison: 223 (216); Mahoning: 803 (819); Marion: 251 (302); Medina: 980 (964); Meigs: 891 (969); Mercer: 329 (293); Miami: 427 (373); Monroe: 569 (649); Montgomery: 348 (385); Morgan: 830 (932); Morrow: 684 (622); Muskingum: 1,626 (1,698); Noble: 879 (998); Ottawa: 216 (213); Paulding: 393 (368); Perry: 692 (832); Pickaway: 239 (218); Pike: 629 (700); Portage: 1,082 (1,014); Preble: 396 (419); Putnam: 328 (315); Richland: 1,289 (1,341); Ross: 738 (1021); Sandusky: 415 (417); Scioto: 745 (764); Seneca: 652 (654); Shelby: 425 (372); Stark: 1,277 (1,181); Summit: 858 (835); Trumbull: 1,722 (1,596); Tuscarawas: 2,098 (1,958); Union: 381 (415); Van Wert: 236 (193); Vinton: 533 (804); Warren: 335 (502); Washington: 886 (852); Wayne: 961 (986); Williams: 650 (628); Wood: 405 (383); Wyandot: 346 (450).
2022 total: 65,154
Three-year average total: (67,522)
