Good muzzleloading hunt helps - but does not entirely erase - Ohio's deer kill deficit

Nasty weather once again stalked Ohio’s deer-hunting community, though the state’s muzzle-loading sportsmen and sportswomen were more than up to the challenging conditions.

In all, during the four-day season January 7^th through 10^th the state’s muzzle-loading hunters killed 15,843 deer; up 3,338 animals from the 2016 muzzle-loading season total deer kill of 12,505 animals. That 15,843 figure is the most since the 2014 muzzle-loading season, by the way.

In some cases the muzzle-loading season harvest increases were substantial. Ashtabula County saw a harvest increase of 193 deer (463 animals this past season verses 270 animals for the 2016 season); Belmont County saw a 108 animal increase (391 deer verses 283 deer); Coshocton County recorded a 166 deer harvest gain (591 animals verses 425 animals); Guernsey County noted a 147 animal harvest jump (490 deer verses 343 deer); Harrison County saw a harvest rise of 206 deer (499 animals verses 293 animals); Morgan County recorded a jump of 156 animals (429 deer verses 273 deer); Muskingum County reported a 218 deer kill increase (602 animals verses 384 animals); and Washington County saw a deer kill rise of 182 animals (472 deer verses 290 deer).

Of Ohio’s 88 counties, only 18 recorded muzzle-loading season-to-season declines while two - Champaign and Montgomery - posted identical muzzle-loading season-to-season kill figures.

“Out the gate, I am somewhat surprised, and I wouldn’t have guessed that but sometimes we over-think things,” said Geoffrey Westerfield, a wildlife biologist for the Wildlife Division’s Northeast Ohio office in Akron.

Westerfield did say that he’d like to examine the numbers more closely, especially looking at the daily figures. He suspects that perhaps the good weather on the Monday of the season enticed more hunters into the field since both the season’s Saturday and Sunday saw universally blustery conditions statewide.

“Maybe it’s just that stars all aligned just right,” Westerfield said. “We’ll know better when we have the opportunity to examine the data more closely.”

Even so, the current to-date total deer kill is still off by some 5,085 animals when the numbers are laid alongside the comparable 2016 to-date figures (175,832 deer currently to-date verses 180,917 deer to-date as of January 12, 2016).

And with only a few weeks left in Ohio’s archery deer-hunting season this deficit probably will not be made up. Last year between the January 12^th weekly deer kill report and the end of the season Ohio hunters killed an additional 7,412 animals. Thus, hunters would need to shoot 12,497 deer just to match the 2015-2016 all-deer-hunting seasons total of 188,329 deer.

That being said, if any hunter wants to complain to the Ohio Division of Wildlife about the status of the state’s deer herd they won’t be able to voice their thoughts at any agency-sponsored “Deer Summit.” The reason is that the Wildlife Division has shelved the popular hunter-agency get-together for this year as officials map out the details of a 10-year deer management plan.

Sportsmen will have to “wait until 2018 when more information is available to share,” said John Windau, the Wildlife Division’s communications manager.

For now the focus on the current to-date deer kill, or “harvest” in the parlance of the Wildlife Division’s biologists and talking heads. That attention is especially directed at the recently concluded statewide muzzle-loading deer hunting season.

As for how muzzle-loading hunters have fared over the past several years, last year Ohio’s four-day muzzle-loading deer-hunting season produced a kill of 12,505 animals. Other previous and recent muzzle-loading season deer kills were: 2015 – 13,726 animals; 2014 – 16,464 animals; 2013 – 21,555 animals; 2012 – 19,251 animals; and 2011 – 17,375 animals.

Regarding the annual Ohio Deer Summits, Windau says that “since the plan is still in the early stages and stakeholder input has not been incorporated yet,” the division has decided not to hold deer summits in 2017, but will wait until 2018 when more information is available to share.

“Based on input and discussions with attendees from past deer summits, the ODNR Division of Wildlife is taking steps to develop a comprehensive white-tailed deer management plan,” Windau said.

 

“The purpose of the plan is to provide a 10-year framework for how Ohio’s huntable deer populations will be managed based on historical perspectives, stakeholder interests, and science-based management.  “

 

Windau did say that anyone who has an interest in expressing his or her opinion on the state’s deer management objectives, goals, protocols – either currently or long-term -  can still do so at the agency’s yet-to-set district open houses, online at www.wildohio.gov, or directly by email to Wildinfo@dnr.state.oh.us.

 

Regarding the current to-date numbers, 34 of Ohio’s 88 counties have posted deer kill increases while one – Putnam County – has posted an identical 2016 and 2017 deer kill to-date figure of 994 animals.

 

On the tally board, select counties with their current to-date kill figures, followed by their respective 2016 to-date numbers in parentheses, are: Adams – 3,186 (4,033); Ashtabula – 4,880 (4,638); Athens – 3,538 (3,854); Belmont – 3,150 (3,119); Brown – 2,347 (2,652); Carroll  – 3,469 (3,431); Clermont – 2,169 (2,596); Columbiana – 3,120 (3,190); Coshocton – 5,729 (5,504); Crawford – 1,101 (1,142); Cuyahoga – 940 (669); Defiance 1,624 (1,723); Delaware – 1,438 (1,570); Fayette - 306 (301); Franklin – 780 (736); Gallia – 2,679 (2,863); Geauga – 1,761 (1,714); Guernsey – 4,454 (4,274); Hamilton – 1,427 (1,801); Hancock – 1,147 (1,141); Harrison – 3,674 (3,686); Henry – 696 (675); Highland – 2,519 (2,837); Hocking – 3,153 (3,611); Holmes – 3,602 (3,621); Jackson – 2,772 (3,096); Jefferson – 2,725 (2,562); Knox – 4,370 (4,322); Lake – 886 (818); Licking – 4,739 (5,050); Lorain – 2,390 (2,267); Miami – 739 (800); Madison – 470 (473); Meigs – 3,361 (3,496); Mercer – 592); Monroe – 2,522 (2,533); Morgan – 2,929 (3,035); Muskingum – 4,982 (4,807); Noble – 2,781 (2,889); Perry – 2,722 (2,799); Portage – 2,105 (2,066); Richland – 3,138 (3,072); Ross – 2,941 (3,281); Scioto – 2,409 (2,930); Stark – 2,652 (2,626); Trumbull – 3,543 (3,172); Tuscarawas – 4,865 (4,722); Van Wert – 457 (487); Vinton – 2,619 (2,995); Washington – 3,320 (3,434); Wayne – 1,976 (1,906); Williams – 1,638 (1,792); Wyandot – 1,422 (1,459).

Also, here is the list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters using muzzleloaders during the four-day deer-muzzleloader season is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for this year’s season, and last year’s numbers are in parentheses: Adams: 308 (274); Allen: 50 (45); Ashland: 239 (224); Ashtabula: 463 (270); Athens: 442 (357); Auglaize: 48 (49); Belmont: 391 (283); Brown: 230 (221); Butler: 75 (72); Carroll: 427 (277); Champaign: 72 (72); Clark: 42 (41); Clermont: 168 (173); Clinton: 59 (64); Columbiana: 293 (222); Coshocton: 591 (425); Crawford: 52 (50); Cuyahoga: 2 (3); Darke: 37 (34); Defiance: 84 (92); Delaware: 71 (81); Erie: 30 (18); Fairfield: 138 (111); Fayette: 14 (11); Franklin: 27 (23); Fulton: 33 (21); Gallia: 338 (204); Geauga: 132 (83); Greene: 47 (49); Guernsey: 490 (343); Hamilton: 39 (42); Hancock: 51 (49); Hardin: 111 (87); Harrison: 499 (293); Henry: 32 (19); Highland: 216 (214); Hocking: 366 (319); Holmes: 289 (259); Huron: 133 (127); Jackson: 324 (274); Jefferson: 359 (211); Knox: 340 (309); Lake: 48 (28); Lawrence: 194 (129); Licking: 440 (322); Logan: 136 (144); Lorain: 142 (104); Lucas: 14 (24); Madison: 32 (27); Mahoning: 135 (109); Marion: 57 (54); Medina: 126 (107); Meigs: 420 (355); Mercer: 29 (17); Miami: 41 (29); Monroe: 344 (256); Montgomery: 29 (29); Morgan: 429 (273); Morrow: 96 (88); Muskingum: 602 (384); Noble: 310 (270); Ottawa: 25 (28); Paulding: 42 (47); Perry: 301 (201); Pickaway: 60 (44); Pike: 172 (173); Portage: 129 (94); Preble: 63 (62); Putnam: 20 (17); Richland: 230 (204); Ross: 287 (284); Sandusky: 52 (56); Scioto: 229 (195); Seneca: 100 (77); Shelby: 67 (63); Stark: 215 (174); Summit: 36 (28); Trumbull: 256 (147); Tuscarawas: 514 (410); Union: 42 (43); Van Wert: 24 (20); Vinton: 305 (268); Warren: 63 (74); Washington: 472 (290); Wayne: 150 (119); Williams: 85 (95); Wood: 32 (31); Wyandot: 96 (115); Total: 15,843 (12,503).

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net