COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s 2022-23 white-tailed deer hunting season concluded Sunday, Feb. 5, with 210,977 deer checked, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The final total represents all deer harvested during archery, gun, muzzleloader, and youth hunting seasons since Sept. 10, 2022.
“Ohio is consistently one of the nation’s best states for deer hunting, and this season reaffirmed that status,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “Ohio hunters have enjoyed a long season with many chances to get afield. This is the first time since 2012-13 that the number of deer taken surpassed 200,000.”
Ohio’s statewide deer harvest, by year:
2022-23: 210,977
2021-22: 196,988
3-year average (2019-2021): 193,058
Ohio’s 2022-23 statewide deer harvest, by individual season:
Archery: 99,742
Weeklong and two-day gun seasons: 87,095
Four-day muzzleloader season: 13,617
Two-day youth season: 9,515
Controlled firearm hunts: 1,008
Top 10 counties for 2022-23 deer harvest:
Coshocton (7,590). Last season, Coshocton County also led the state with 7,144 deer checked.
Tuscarawas (7,028)
Muskingum (5,982)
Ashtabula (5,592)
Knox (5,477)
Licking (5,467)
Holmes (5,183)
Guernsey (5,073)
Carroll (4,866)
Trumbull (4,251)
Most popular hunting implements:
Crossbow: 71,701 (34%)
Straight-walled cartridge rifle: 56,437 (26%)
Shotgun: 36,398 (17%)
Vertical Bow: 28,041 (13%)
Muzzleloader: 17,854 (9%)
Handgun: 546 (1%)
Deer harvest, by type:
Bucks: 86,645; 41% of the total
Does: 101,141; 48%
Button bucks: 19,851; 9%
Bucks with shed antlers and bucks with antlers less than 3 inches: 3,340; 2%
Permit sales
Ohio hunters purchased 409,672 permits across all hunting seasons. Hunters from all 50 U.S. states purchased deer permits in Ohio for use in the 2022-23 seasons. States outside of Ohio with the highest nonresident permit sales include:
Pennsylvania (9,365)
Michigan (6,420)
West Virginia (4,367)
North Carolina (4,284)
New York (3,878)
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.
All deer taken in Ohio are required to be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System. This mandatory reporting gives the Division of Wildlife a long-term dataset that aids wildlife biologists in monitoring deer health, distribution, and relative abundance. Weekly reports can be found on the Deer Harvest Summary page at wildohio.gov.
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.
