What
a difference one year -
and
nicer, more hunting-conducive weather -
can
do to an overall firearms deer-season kill.
That
detail includes
Ohio’s recently
held
two-day youth-only firearms
deer-hunting season.
Whereas the 2017 youth gun season hunt was plagued by miserable
weather, at least one day this year and for nearly the entire state
saw much better hunting conditions.
All
of which
led to a boast in the two-day youth-only season kill from
4,958 animals in
2017 to
6,563 animals this year, the season having
been held
November 17th
and 18th.
And
the large volley fired by the youths contributed to a jump
in the weekly to-date overall deer kill as well. In
fact, only an election in Florida would see such a tightening of
numbers; the overall to-date 2017 and 2018 deer kill statistics being
that close.
Returning
to the just-concluded youth-only firearms deer-hunting season, the
6,563 deer killed was the largest such number since the 2015
youth-only
season hunt when 7,223 animals were taken by youngsters.
Going
back to 2014, the youth-only deer kill numbers were 6,453; the 2015
figure again was 7,223;
the
2016 number was 5,930; and the 2017 figure again was 4,958.
As
for the county-by-county
take during the 2018 youth-only season, we see that of Ohio’s 88
counties, 12
saw declines and three counties posted identical 2017 and 2018
youth-only season deer kills. The remaining 73 counties posted gains
in 2018 over their 2017 youth-only gun season totals.
“Of
all the deer seasons we have, the youth hunt is the most impacted by
the weather. If it’s bad than the kids don’t go and the adults
don’t take them,” said Clint McCoy, the Ohio Division of
Wildlife’s lead deer management biologist.
McCoy
did say that because the youth-only firearms hunt went so well that
the numbers
contributed to the uptick in the current weekly to-date deer kill
figures.
However,
those looking forward to the general firearms deer-hunting season
need not worry that the youths shot off all of the state’s bucks
and does.
“Spread
out over the entire state, the youth hunt harvest really does not
impact the general firearms deer season harvest results,” McCoy
said.
That
youth-only
harvest
results will stand on the shoulders of the to-date deer kill totals
on the eve of Ohio’s general firearms season. And right now the
overall to-date 2018 kill is mirroring the comparable 2017 to date
figure.
So
far and as of the November 20th
2018 weekly reporting period, 67,881 deer have been killed. For the
comparable November 21st
2017 weekly reporting period that number was 67,291 animals, or only
a 590 animal difference.
Between
the November 13th,
2018 and the November 20th,
2018 reporting periods, Ohio’s deer hunters shot 13,573 animals,
including those deer taken during the two-day/youth-only firearms
season.
Now
that we are in the all-implements phases of Ohio’s deer hunting
seasons the numbers are combined as to what hunters are using to take
their animals.
In
looking at the statistics, of
Ohio’s 88 counties, 49
of
them posted
gains when compared to their respective 2017 to-date numbers while
three counties
had
identical figures. The remaining 36
counties posted declines.
Among
those counties seeing increases (with their respective and comparable
2017 numbers in parentheses) were: Brown – 904 (899); Fairfield –
728 (696); Gallia – 854 (756); Hardin – 421 (393);
Holmes
– 1,635 (1,576); Jefferson
– 602 (560);
Knox – 1,673 (1,590);
Medina – 877 (810);
Mercer – 299 (257);
Noble – 1,001 (958);
Portage – 1,091 (920);
Stark – 1,193 (1,137);
Trumbull – 1,515 (1,470);
and Wyandot – 502 (460).
Among
those counties seeing decreases (with their respective and comparable
2017 numbers in parentheses) were: Adams – 1,289 (1,344); Ashtabula
– 1,739 (1,769); Columbiana – 981 (1,013); Geauga – 759 (788);
Guernsey – 1,454 (1,533); Harrison – 1,123 (1,165); Hocking –
1,041 (1,097); Lake – 398 (452); Licking – 1,890 (1,948); Marion
– 272 (273); Muskingum – 1,641 (1,713); Tuscarawas – 1,867
(1,882); and Vinton – 936 (939).
The
three counties with identical 2017 and 2018 to-date deer kill numbers
were Allen
– 406; Crawford 378; and Jackson – 1,098.
To
date, 24 of Ohio’s 88 counties have reported deer kills of
one-thousand animals or more each. The comparable 2017 figure was 23
counties.
The
county-by-county results for the two-day youth-only firearms
deer-hunting season are:
Adams:
145 (106); Allen: 35 (21); Ashland: 133 (72); Ashtabula: 155 (115);
Athens: 132 (97); Auglaize: 38 (20); Belmont: 135 (143); Brown: 84
(60); Butler: 36 (21); Carroll: 111 (135); Champaign: 53 (24); Clark:
26 (14); Clermont: 67 (33); Clinton: 39 (25); Columbiana: 84 (93);
Coshocton: 287 (225); Crawford: 37 (37); Cuyahoga: 1 (0); Darke: 27
(24); Defiance: 67 (46); Delaware: 31 (17); Erie: 83 (71); Fairfield:
62 (60); Fayette: 14 (9); Franklin: 11 (11); Fulton: 18 (19); Gallia:
126 (76); Geauga: 42 (30); Greene: 29 (13); Guernsey: 154 (155);
Hamilton: 12 (10); Hancock: 35 (34); Hardin: 42 (28); Harrison: 116
(119); Henry: 19 (22); Highland: 94 (97); Hocking: 84 (77); Holmes:
235 (125); Huron: 96 (59); Jackson: 117 (88); Jefferson: 82 (63);
Knox: 185 (124); Lake: 12 (7); Lawrence: 78 (57); Licking: 145 (130);
Logan: 90 (48); Lorain: 58 (39); Lucas: 10 (7); Madison: 28 (17);
Mahoning: 56 (35); Marion: 22 (24); Medina: 43 (28); Meigs: 138
(104); Mercer: 22 (16); Miami: 32 (16); Monroe: 98 (84); Montgomery:
13 (5); Morgan: 144 (82); Morrow: 54 (32); Muskingum: 170 (164);
Noble: 118 (75); Ottawa: 19 (19); Paulding: 42 (33); Perry: 85 (89);
Pickaway: 28 (30); Pike: 91 (59); Portage: 29 (20); Preble: 47 (29);
Putnam: 42 (27); Richland: 112 (71); Ross: 136 (138); Sandusky: 29
(9); Scioto: 98 (70); Seneca: 83 (68); Shelby: 45 (29); Stark: 79
(56); Summit: 14 (6); Trumbull: 96 (49); Tuscarawas: 223 (186);
Union: 37 (26); Van Wert: 38 (14); Vinton: 92 (67); Warren: 34 (18);
Washington: 117 (101); Wayne: 77 (54); Williams: 43 (26); Wood: 34
(25); Wyandot: 83 (51).
Total: 6,563 (4,958).
Total: 6,563 (4,958).
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
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