Ohio’s young hunters checked 6,234 white-tailed deer during the two-day youth gun season, Nov. 23-24, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
Youth hunters were required to be accompanied by a non-hunting adult during the two-day season. Learning from an experienced hunter is key to developing the skills to successfully harvest a deer.
Ohio offers many more opportunities for hunters of all ages to pursue deer. The deer-gun season is Monday, Dec. 2, through Sunday, Dec. 8, as well as Dec. 21-22. Deer-muzzleloader season is Saturday, Jan. 4, through Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. Deer-archery season is open now through Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. Find complete details in the 2019-2020 Hunting and Trapping Regulations or wildohio.gov. For summaries of past deer seasons, visit wildohio.gov/deerharvest.
Youth hunting seasons are also available for small game, wild turkey and waterfowl. Anyone interested in learning to hunt or becoming a mentor to a new hunter can visit the Wild Ohio Harvest Community page for information on how to get started, hunting-related workshops and special hunting opportunities for mentors and new hunters.
• Ohio’s archery hunters have taken close to 75,000 white-tailed deer thus far during the early part of the season, according to the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Through Tuesday, Nov. 26, archery hunters have checked 74,838 deer. Last year, archery accounted for 46% of the deer season total.
“Ohio’s lengthy archery deer season provides excellent opportunities for all hunters to pursue our most popular game animal and create memories outdoors,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “Generous bag limits and healthy venison make deer hunting in Ohio the perfect outdoor adventure to engage in with friends and family.”
Locally, the youth gun harvest was nearly the same as last year, but the archery numbers are way up. Crawford, Knox, Morrow, and Richland counties have all shown significant harvest increases from a year ago.
• New outdoor adventures can be found right here in Ohio! Each year, Ohioans take an estimated 171 million outdoor recreation trips, and contribute $5.9 billion to the Buckeye State’s economy, according to a report entitled Economic Valuation of Natural Areas in Ohio, recently released by The Ohio State University.
The Division of Wildlife can help you take advantage of all Ohio has to offer. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for instant news stories, outdoor recreation ideas, local wildlife information and so much more. The Your Wild Ohio Hunter Facebook page provides hunting tips and useful information as you get outside this season. Visit wildohio.gov to find locations to hunt, fish, trap and view wildlife. And don’t forget to follow on Instagram to view the best of Ohio’s wildlife photography.
Until next time, Good Hunting and Good Fishing!
