Ohio's 2025 weeklong deer gun season results posted
Ohio hunters checked 85,448 deer during the weeklong gun season that concluded Sunday, Dec. 7, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. In 2024, hunters reported harvesting 87,191 deer during the seven-day gun season. The three-year average for the gun season is 76,409.
The Division of Wildlife annually reports deer harvest totals at notable points during the hunting season. During the deer gun week, hunters checked 27,934 antlered deer (33% of the total reported) and 57,514 antlerless deer (67%), according to a Dec. 8 news release from the division.
The top 10 counties for deer taken during the gun season were as follows:
- Coshocton, 3,037 — which also led the state in 2024 with 2,955 deer checked.
- Ashtabula, 3,031
- Tuscarawas, 2,764
- Muskingum, 2,581
- Knox, 2,558
- Carroll, 2,440
- Licking, 2,046
- Ashland, 2,037
- Columbiana, 1,968
- Harrison, 1,912
Harvest totals for this year were lower than average in Athens, Meigs, Morgan, and Washington counties as a result of an unprecedented outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in that region over the summer, according to the release. Coinciding with the start of the seven-day gun season, the bag limit in those counties was reduced in response to the disease outbreak.
Legal hunting equipment during the deer gun season includes shotguns, straight-walled cartridge rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns, and archery equipment. Straight-walled cartridge rifles have been legal for deer gun hunting since 2014. Deer checked by hunting implement includes:
- Straight-walled cartridge rifle, 67% (57,623 deer)
- Shotgun, 27% (23,217 deer)
- Muzzleloader, 3% (2,630 deer)
- Archery equipment, 2% (1,544 deer)
- Handgun, less than 1% (434 deer)
Hunters have another opportunity to take a deer with a firearm during the additional gun weekend Dec. 20 and 21. The muzzleloader season is Jan. 3-6, 2026. The archery season remains open until Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
Hunters interested in tracking the season's count can view weekly deer harvest reports at wildohio.gov. The Division of Wildlife posts deer hunting results each Wednesday throughout the hunting season. A final report is also posted after the conclusion of the archery season.
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