Ohio's to-date deer kill still lags, down 972 animals from the same point in 2017

With the advent of the rut in Ohio, the state’s deer hunters are beginning to take more animals, the figures showing an additional 7,079 deer being killed between the October 23rd and October 30th reporting periods.

However, based on the weekly data made available via the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s computer-based harvest reporting system, 972 fewer deer have been taken to-date when laid side-by-side with the comparable to-date 2017 numbers.

In short, so far this year – and as of October 30th – Ohio’s deer hunters have killed 26,705 animals. For the to-date October 31st, 2017 reporting period, 27,677 deer were taken.

How the deluge and flooding conditions that are plaguing the state at the moment will play out verses the rut’s acceleration won’t be known until the November reporting week period figures are available. Those numbers will be released by the Wildlife Division November 7th.

Based on the October 30th to-date numbers, Of Ohio’s 88 counties, 26 saw gains when their respective to-date 2017 and 2018 numbers are compared while two counties saw identical figures. The remaining counties recorded declines between the two respective reporting periods.

Among the gainers between their respective to-date 2017 and 2018 numbers (with the 2017 figures in parentheses) were: Allen – 193 (176); Carroll – 418 (381); Columbiana – 410 (386); Coshocton – 957 (912); Hardin – 196 (171); Jefferson – 208 (163); Knox – 656 (618); Medina – 438 (382); Meigs – 364 (320); Noble – 330 (302); Portage – 553 (461); Stark – 532 (494); and Wood – 177 (160).

At the opposite end are the counties that have thus far posted to-date declines from their respective 2017 numbers. Among them (with their comparable 2017 to-date figures in parentheses) are: Adams – 405 (484); Ashtabula – 801 (892); Brown – 329 (337); Clarmont – 457 (505); Franklin – 161 (182); Guernsey – 493 (513); Huron – 332 (359); Lake – 196 (237); Licking – 740 (814); Lorain – 404 (448); Lucas – 156 (224); Morrow – 221 (270); Richland – 539 (582); Trumbull – 810 (814); and Vinton – 275 (321).

In terms of antlered deer taken to-date verses its comparable 2017 to-date number, the figures are 10,432 and 11,040, respectively. Thus, as the annual rut begins the number of antlered deer being shot so far is off last year’s pace.

Generally in Ohio the peak of the rut falls around Veteran’s Day, November 11^th.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net