COLUMBUS, Ohio – Hunters checked 13,476 white-tailed deer from Saturday, Jan. 4 to Tuesday, Jan. 7 during Ohio’s muzzleloader hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. This total accounts for all deer taken with muzzleloaders or archery equipment during the annual four-day season.
Last year, hunters checked 12,714 deer during the muzzleloader season. Over the last three years, hunters bagged an average of 13,081 deer in the same timeframe.
Hunters checked 13,476 during the 2025 deer muzzleloader hunting season, Jan. 4-7.
Hunters checked 3,629 antlered deer (27% of deer tagged) and 9,847 antlerless deer (73%), a category that includes does (8,127) and button bucks (1,445). Hunters checked 172 bucks with shed antlers and 103 bucks with antlers shorter than 3 inches.
The 10 counties with the highest totals during the muzzleloader season:
- Coshocton (544)
- Muskingum (462)
- Tuscarawas (450)
- Guernsey (440)
- Carroll (430)
- Knox (407)
- Licking (373)
- Harrison (351)
- Washington (334)
- Columbiana (321)
As of Tuesday, Jan. 7, hunters in Ohio have tagged 225,911 deer during the 2024-25 season. For the third consecutive year, the season total surpassed 200,000. Deer checked by season includes:
- Archery: 97,421. Archery season is open until Sunday, Feb. 2.
- Youth gun: 10,449
- Gun season: 87,192
- Additional gun weekend: 17,373
- All deer checked with a gun, which includes deer taken during controlled hunts: 128,546
On average, a deer yields about 50 pounds of meat, so hunters statewide have added more than 11 million pounds of venison for hunters and their friends and families to enjoy. Go to wildohio.gov to view venison recipes from the Wild Ohio Harvest cookbook.
The Division of Wildlife has issued 428,721 deer permits for resident and nonresident hunters during the 2024-25 season. Ohio is a popular destination for out-of-state hunters, and hunters from all 50 states have purchased licenses for the 2024-25 season. The states with the most nonresident Ohio hunters are:
- Pennsylvania (7,876 licenses sold)
- Michigan (5,156)
- West Virginia (3,616)
- North Carolina (3,277)
- New York (3,153)
Hunters interested in tracking the season’s harvest can view weekly deer reports at wildohio.gov. The Division of Wildlife posts deer numbers each Wednesday throughout the hunting season. A final report is also posted after the conclusion of the archery season.
All deer taken in Ohio are required to be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System. This mandatory reporting gives the Division of Wildlife a long-term data set that aids wildlife biologists in monitoring deer health, distribution, and relative abundance.
Help protect Ohio’s wildlife resources. Report any violations to the division’s Turn-In-a-Poacher (TIP) hotline by calling 1-800-POACHER (762-2437). All reports remain anonymous, and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.
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.
