Ohio hunters harvested 85,448 deer during the week-long gun season that concluded Sunday, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Out of Ohio's 88 counties, Northeast Ohio had four of the top 10 on the list for the number of deer taken: Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll and Tuscarawas.
Ashtabula topped out as the most popular county in our area for deer gun hunting. It's been a hotspot for deer hunters for ages.
READ MORE: Ashtabula County tops Ohio's deer hunting popularity rankings this season
The 2025 total represents a slight decrease from 2024, when hunters reported taking 87,191 deer during the seven-day gun season. The three-year average for the gun season stands at 76,409 deer.
During this year's gun week, hunters checked 27,934 antlered deer, representing 33% of the total harvest, and 57,514 antlerless deer, accounting for 67% of the take.
Coshocton County again led the state with 3,037 deer harvested, maintaining its top position from 2024 when hunters there checked 2,955 deer.
The top 10 counties for deer harvested during gun season were:
- Coshocton (3,037)
- 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 dropped below average in Athens, Meigs, Morgan, and Washington counties due to an unprecedented outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease that struck the region over the summer. Officials reduced bag limits in those counties in response to the disease outbreak.
Straight-walled cartridge rifles, legal for deer hunting since 2014, remained the most popular hunting implement, accounting for 67% of the harvest with 57,623 deer taken. Shotguns followed at 27% with 23,217 deer, while muzzleloaders accounted for 3% with 2,630 deer. Archery equipment was used for 2% of the harvest with 1,544 deer, and handguns accounted for less than 1% with 434 deer.
Since the archery season opened in September, hunters using both archery and firearms equipment have harvested 187,283 deer through Sunday.
Hunters will have additional opportunities during the gun weekend Dec. 20-21, the muzzleloader season Jan. 3-6, 2026, and the extended archery season through Feb. 1, 2026.
All harvested deer must be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System, providing biologists with data to monitor deer health, distribution, and population levels.
Hunters can check their harvest using the HuntFish OH mobile app, visiting ohiogamecheck.com, calling 1-877-TAG-IT-OH, or visiting a license sales agent.
