COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s white-tailed deer hunters completed the 2021 muzzleloader season with 9,708 deer checked from Saturday, Jan. 2 to Tuesday, Jan. 5, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Over the last three years, an average of 12,695 deer were taken during the same four-day period.
During the weeklong and extra weekend of deer-gun season, 86,853 deer were checked by Ohio hunters. In total, 102,672 deer were harvested with a gun, including muzzleloaders, during the 2020-2021 gun hunting seasons. Over the last three years, hunters harvested an average of 90,722 deer during the three gun hunting seasons.
The total number of deer taken in Ohio during all 2020-2021 hunting seasons is 187,883, with one month remaining to hunt with archery equipment. That number has already surpassed last season’s final tally of 184,468.
“Deer hunters have taken advantage of Ohio’s abundant deer population and found success this year, and the muzzleloader season was no exception,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “Hunting with a muzzleloader is rooted in history, while modern advances will satisfy even the most tech savvy hunters. We are pleased that so many Ohioans continue to enjoy this hunting season.”
Top 10 counties for deer harvested during the 2021 muzzleloader season include: Coshocton (367), Tuscarawas (344), Licking (290), Guernsey (279), Muskingum (263), Meigs (260), Knox (256), Carroll (249), Holmes (243), and Ashtabula (238).
Deer hunting occurs in all 88 counties and an estimated 310,000 hunters participated during Ohio’s deer-gun seasons. Ohio hunters have purchased 398,190 deer permits through Jan. 5. There is still time to pursue deer in Ohio, as archery season remains open through Sunday, Feb. 7. Hotspots for deer hunting are found mostly in the eastern regions, including Ashtabula, Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Muskingum, Guernsey, and Knox counties.
Each year, the number of deer taken with archery equipment continues to grow, while gun hunting also remains popular. Beginning in September, Ohio archery hunters have taken 85,211 deer, or 45% of the harvest. Muzzleloaders accounted for 9% of deer taken (15,973 deer for all gun seasons). Ohio’s youth hunters checked 5,795 whitetails during the two-day youth season, Nov. 21-22, 2020.
Find more information about deer hunting in the 2020-2021 Hunting and Trapping Regulations and at wildohio.gov. Past year’s harvest summaries and weekly updated harvest reports can be found on the Deer Harvest Summary page.
Deer hunters are reminded to download the HuntFish OH mobile app, which allows hunters to check in their deer while in the field, even without a Wi-Fi connection. When a hunter checks game without a clear signal, harvest information is recorded and stored until the hunter moves to a location with better reception. Users can also purchase licenses and permits and view wildlife area maps through the app. HuntFish OH is free and available for Android and iOS users through the app store.
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
A county list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters during the 2021 deer muzzleloader hunting season is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2020, and the three-year average of deer harvested in 2017, 2018, 2019 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: 166 (220); Allen: 39 (54); Ashland: 195 (227); Ashtabula: 238 (284); Athens: 201 (326); Auglaize: 34 (54); Belmont: 223 (268); Brown: 178 (189); Butler: 79 (91); Carroll: 249 (325); Champaign: 89 (75); Clark: 32 (47); Clermont: 120 (141); Clinton: 33 (58); Columbiana: 169 (240); Coshocton: 367 (455); Crawford: 46 (68); Cuyahoga: 3 (2); Darke: 26 (42); Defiance: 82 (104); Delaware: 65 (66); Erie: 41 (40); Fairfield: 84 (136); Fayette: 14 (27); Franklin: 21 (37); Fulton: 22 (41); Gallia: 154 (165); Geauga: 91 (89); Greene: 41 (49); Guernsey: 279 (397); Hamilton: 17 (37); Hancock: 52 (64); Hardin: 71 (99); Harrison: 215 (310); Henry: 23 (32); Highland: 179 (192); Hocking: 135 (282); Holmes: 243 (282); Huron: 105 (131); Jackson: 154 (222); Jefferson: 136 (160); Knox: 256 (331); Lake: 27 (25); Lawrence: 100 (97); Licking: 290 (367); Logan: 105 (132); Lorain: 105 (127); Lucas: 10 (21); Madison: 33 (31); Mahoning: 90 (121); Marion: 29 (52); Medina: 132 (130); Meigs: 260 (309); Mercer: 31 (36); Miami: 25 (39); Monroe: 174 (222); Montgomery: 26 (29); Morgan: 201 (292); Morrow: 73 (107); Muskingum: 263 (423); Noble: 171 (247); Ottawa: 22 (28); Paulding: 41 (71); Perry: 149 (222); Pickaway: 37 (59); Pike: 118 (153); Portage: 80 (109); Preble: 50 (68); Putnam: 31 (23); Richland: 187 (238); Ross: 171 (231); Sandusky: 53 (56); Scioto: 103 (149); Seneca: 106 (101); Shelby: 50 (63); Stark: 150 (178); Summit: 24 (34); Trumbull: 122 (178); Tuscarawas: 344 (391); Union: 46 (54); Van Wert: 10 (24); Vinton: 134 (218); Warren: 42 (75); Washington: 226 (317); Wayne: 100 (158); Williams: 86 (93); Wood: 49 (50); Wyandot: 65 (88).
2020 total: 9,708
Three-year average: (12,695)