Youth deer hunters bag 9,759; ODNR Wildlife accepting deer donations

Hunters ages 17 and younger checked 9,759 white-tailed deer during Ohio’s youth gun hunting season Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23, according to a Nov. 25 news release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Each fall, youth hunters enjoy a weekend of deer hunting with a firearm before the statewide gun season begins.

The Division of Wildlife annually reports deer harvest totals at notable points during the hunting season. The top 10 counties for deer taken during Ohio’s 2025 youth season include Coshocton (319), Knox (317), Tuscarawas (274), Muskingum (266), Holmes (241), Carroll (240), Ashland (226), Licking (215), Harrison (210), and Ashtabula (209).

Youth hunters checked 5,224 antlered and 4,535 antlerless deer during the weekend, according to the release. In 2024, hunters harvested 10,436 deer during the two-day youth gun season. The three-year average from 2022 to 2024 is 9,990 deer.

The Division of Wildlife has issued 43,813 youth deer permits through Sunday, Nov. 23. Youth permits are valid for all remaining Ohio deer hunting seasons through Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.

Gun hunters of all ages can participate in the upcoming seven-day gun season which begins Monday, Dec. 1, and runs until Sunday, Dec. 7. A bonus weekend of gun hunting is Dec. 20-21; muzzleloader season will be Jan. 3-6, 2026. The archery season runs through Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.

Division of Wildlife accepting deer donations

ODNR's Division of Wildlife is accepting harvested white-tailed deer at select locations in December to help support local food pantries. Deer donation days are Dec. 1, 2, 6, and 7. Division of Wildlife staff will be available at donation locations to assist with drop-offs.

This year, the division began a partnership with the Ohio Penal Industries’ meat processing facility at the Pickaway Correctional Institution (PCI). Division staff will transport all donated deer to PCI for processing and packaging. Once packaging is complete, the Mid-Ohio Food Collective and the Ohio Association of Foodbanks will distribute all donated venison.

The division intends to distribute donated venison to local food pantries in the areas where those who donated live and work. One deer can provide up to 200 meals.

Deer donations are accepted for free at the following locations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 1 and 2:

• Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area, 19100 County Highway 115, Harpster, OH 43323
• Delaware Wildlife Area Shooting Range, 1110 state Route 229, Delaware, OH 43003
• Big Island Wildlife Area, 5389 Larue-Prospect Road W, New Bloomington, OH 43341

Deer donations are accepted for free at the following locations from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7:

• Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area, 19100 County Highway 115, Harpster, OH 43323
• Delaware Wildlife Area Shooting Range, 1110 state Route 229, Delaware, OH 43003
• Hebron State Fish Hatchery, 10517 Canal Road SE, Hebron, OH 43025
• Knox County Sheriff’s Office, 11540 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon, OH 43050

Donated deer are required to be properly tagged and game checked, and a donated deer counts toward county and statewide bag limits.