OHIO — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported hunters harvested 71,932 white-tailed deer during the 2022 gun week.

The week ended Sunday, Dec. 4. Gun season re-opens for the weekend of Dec. 17-18. 

What You Need To Know

  • ODNR reported 71,932 deer were harvested during gun week

  • During the past three years, hunters checked an average of 68,534 deer

  • This year, straight-walled cartridge rifles were used to harvest 55% of the deer checked

  • All deer harvested in Ohio are required to be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System

During the past three years, hunters checked an average of 68,534 deer. In 2021, the weeklong number was 70,381. 

Hunters checked 26,355 bucks, 37% of the harvest, 36,546 does, 51% of the harvest, and 7,983 button bucks, 11% of the harvest. Less than 1% of the harvest, 1,048, was comprised of bucks that had already shed their antlers or bucks with antlers less than 3 inches long.

“Congratulations to all the successful hunters who participated in this year’s weeklong gun season,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “With an additional gun weekend coming up, hunters still have a chance to harvest a deer. Across the gun seasons, millions of pounds of venison provided by hunters will reach the dinner table in time for the holidays.”

The top 10 counties for deer taken were: Coshocton (2,457), Muskingum (2,326), Tuscarawas (2,321), Ashtabula (1,987), Knox (1,909), Carroll (1,902), Guernsey (1,848), Licking (1,729), Washington (1,628), and Holmes (1,521). Coshocton County also led the state in 2021 with 2,403 deer checked.

This year, straight-walled cartridge rifles were used to harvest 55% of the deer checked while shotguns accounted for 38% of the total. Muzzleloaders took 5%, archery equipment was responsible for 1% and less than 1% were taken with a handgun. 

All deer harvested in Ohio are required to be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System. Deer harvest reporting has been required since 1962.

The reporting helps the Division of Wildlife develop a long-term data set for biologists to monitor deer health, distribution and relative abundance. In the 2022 deer season, 164,589 deer have been checked by archery and gun hunters. Archery hunters have taken 82,729 of those deer, 50%. Youth hunters harvested 9,515 deer during the youth gun weekend, Nov. 19-20.

More than 370,000 deer permits have been sold through Dec. 4 with nonresidents purchasing 38,109 hunting licenses. The most popular out-of-state visitors came from Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, North Carolina and New York. 

Hunting drives $866 million of spending in Ohio each year through the sale of food, equipment, fuel, lodging, and more, according to the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation’s Economic Impacts of Hunting and Target Shooting Technical Report. An estimated 479,000 hunters enjoy the state’s excellent outdoor recreation each year. The economic benefits of hunting-related industries translate to 15,500 jobs in Ohio, $68 million in state and local taxes, and $753 million of the state’s GDP.