Ohio's to-date deer kill number slows but still ahead of last year's comparable figure

Going through the Christmas holiday season and as of December 26th, Ohio’s to-date deer kill remains 6,000 animals above its like-2016 figure; 6,281 more deer to be exact.

As of December 26^th 2017, the to-date deer kill stood at 163,638 animals. Its December 27^th 2016 to-date figure was 157,357 animals.

Interestingly, however, is that though the 2017 to-date total deer kill figure is larger than its 2016 counterpart, the number of antlered deer taken to-date is actually slightly down: 68,887 antlered animals compared to the 2016 to-date tally of 69,459 antlered animals. That’s only a 572 antlered deer difference, though.

Still, the only current member of the Five Thousand-Plus Deer Kill Club is Coshocton County whose to-date deer taken number is 5,756 animals. The comparable 2016 to-date figure for Coshocton County was 5,063 animals.

Also, the December 19^th to-date deer kill for Coshocton County was 5,731 animals. Another way of putting it is that during the one-week period between the December 19^th and December 26^th reporting dates only 25 more deer were recorded as being shot in Coshocton County.

Here are the leading to-date counties in alphabetical order with kills of at least three thousand animals each (with their respective 2016 to-date numbers in parentheses): Ashtabula – 4,532 (4,346); Athens – 3,240 (3,060); Carrroll – 3,418 (3,011); Coshocton – 5,756 (5,063); Guernsey – 4,040 (3,915); Harrison – 3,187 (3,134); Holmes – 3,663 (3,272); Knox – 4,121 (3,978); Licking – 4,319 (4,204); Muskingum – 4,602 (4,315); Richland – 3,129 (2,861); Trumbull – 3,209 (3,239); and Tuscarawas – 4,988 (4,287).

The Bottom Bunch has not changed, however. Those counties with to-date deer kills of no more than 500 animals each in alphabetical order (with their respective 2016 to-date numbers in parentheses) are: Fayette – 318 (284); Madison – 469 (428); Ottawa – 410 (395); Van Wert – 469 (429).

Of Ohio’s 88 counties, 19 have declines in their respective 2017 to-date deer kill numbers when placed alongside their respective 2016 to-date deer kill figures.

Perhaps one of the biggest questions heading into the next to-date reporting period of January 2^nd is what impact the on-going bitterly cold weather will have on the figures. Equally of interest will be if the merciless snow squalls that continues to strike Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga and Cuyahoga counties will reduce the deer taken figures in those counties.

For example and using Ashtabula County as one point, the December 19^th to-date report listed 4,514 deer as having been taken there. Meanwhile, the current (December 26^th) to-date deer kill figure for Ashtabula County is 5,532 animals – that means just 18 more deer were reportedly shot in Ashtabula County between the December 19^th and December 26^th reporting dates.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net