Knox County was in the top 10 for deer harvests in both the extra weekend of deer gun hunting on Dec. 17 and 18 and during the two-day special youth hunting season in November, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Hunters in Knox County checked 396 deer during the extra weekend of deer gun hunting on Dec. 17 and 18. Across the state, hunters checked 15,163 deer this year, compared to the 9,619 taken on the same weekend in 2021, according to an ODNR news release.
Knox had the seventh-highest total of deer taken during the two-day gun season. Neighboring Coshocton County was first with 517 and Licking County’s 403 deer taken placing it sixth. Coshocton led the state last year with 313 deer harvested over these two days.
“Hunting is a way for people to enjoy being outdoors, provide sustainable food for their families, and contribute to Ohio’s legacy of wildlife conservation,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker.
Gun hunters had checked a total of 97,326 deer this year following the weekend harvest, including 71,932 deer taken from Nov. 28-Dec. 4. In addition, youth hunters checked 9,515 deer Nov. 19-20, and archery hunters have harvested 85,272 deer through Sunday, Dec. 18, bringing the season total for all implements to 182,598 deer.
Over the course of the deer gun weekend, 57% of successful hunters chose a straight-walled cartridge rifle, 34% used a shotgun, 6% selected a muzzleloader, 2% used archery equipment, and less than 1% chose a handgun
Young hunters harvest 272 deer in Knox
Hunters 17 and younger took to the woods of Knox County in November and harvested 272 deer, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
That total put Knox in fifth for deer taken, with 9,515 total harvested across Ohio.
The two-day special youth hunting season concluded with 9,515 deer harvested on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19-20, according to ODNR.
The other counties in the top 10 for deer taken during the youth season include Tuscarawas (411); Coshocton (364); Muskingum (286); Holmes (277); Guernsey (250); Washington (247); Harrison (229); Licking (228); and Carroll (194).
Unused youth permits are also valid for all remaining Ohio deer hunting seasons.
Youth hunters checked 5,126 bucks, 3,461 does, and 928 button bucks. In 2021, hunters harvested 7,632 deer during the two-day youth gun season.
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.
Muzzleloader season will run from Jan. 7-10, 2023. Bowhunters can hunt until Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. All hunters, regardless of implement, are required to wear hunter orange during the gun seasons. Find complete details in the 2022-23 hunting and trapping regulations.
Successful deer hunters can check their game using the HuntFish OH mobile app, available for free in the Android and Apple app stores. Users can also explore public hunting areas, and purchase hunting licenses or deer permits. Beyond the app, hunters can check game by visiting ohiogamecheck.com, calling 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (1-877-824-4864), visiting a license sales agent, or calling 1-866-703-1298 (landowner operator-assisted; fees apply).
