Top 10 finish for Richland County in deer hunting season
COLUMBUS -- Richland County placed 10th among Ohio's 88 counties during the 2024-25 hunting season that concluded Feb. 2, the state Division of Wildlife reported Tuesday.
The Richland County total was 5,028, which is above the three-year average of 3,966.
Hunters across Ohio checked 238,137 white-tailed deer during the 2024-25 hunting season. "The final total, the fourth highest number of deer taken on record, represents all deer bagged during archery, gun, muzzleloader, and youth seasons since Sept. 14, 2024," the state said via news release.
Other regional counties totals with the three-year average in parentheses:
-- Ashland: 4,678 (3,906)
-- Crawford: 1,775 (1,466)
-- Erie: 1,178 (971)
-- Holmes: 5,684 (5,137)
-- Huron: 3,308 (2,661)
-- Knox: 6,730 (5,464)
-- Morrow: 2,446 (2,006)
-- Seneca: 2,881 (2,262)
In 2023-24, Ohio deer hunters checked 213,927 deer. The three-year average (2021 to 2023) is 207,295.
Top 10 Ohio counties for 2024-25:
1. Coshocton: 8,196 (Last season, Coshocton County also led the state with 7,740 deer checked.)
2. Tuscarawas: 7,373
3. Knox: 6,730
4. Muskingum: 6,269
5. Ashtabula: 6,042
6. Guernsey: 5,762
7. Carroll: 5,759
8. Licking: 5,754
9. Holmes: 5,684
10. Richland: 5,028
Since the deer season opened, Ohio hunters added approximately 12 million pounds of venison to dinner tables and freezers.
"A deer can yield 50 pounds of nutritious meat for hunters to share with friends and families or donate to food banks around Ohio," the news release said.
Ohio’s 2024-25 deer checked, by individual season:
-- Archery: 106,269
-- Weeklong and two-day gun seasons: 104,565
-- Four-day muzzleloader season: 13,476
-- Two-day youth season: 10,449
-- Controlled firearm hunts: 3,378