Ohio's to-date archery deer kill is "miles ahead" of where it was in 2018

Ohio’s deer hunters scored significant gains in the number of animals they killed between the November 12th and 19th reporting periods.

The November 12th weekly reporting period showed a total deer kill-harvest of 58,671 animals while the November 1th9 deer kill-harvest showed a take of 70,567 animals, or a jump of 11,896 white-tails.

However, compare that 70,567 figure with the corresponding November 20th, 2018 figure of 67,881 deer and the difference shrinks to just 2,686 animals. Yet here exists a really huge caveat.

The November 20th, 2018 total tally also includes the 6,563 deer taken during the November 17th and 18th, 2018 statewide youth-only firearms deer-hunting season.

Thus, subtract the 6,563 figure from the 67,881 figure and the actual November 20th, 2018 to-date archery deer kill-harvest figure stands at 61,318 animals.

Consequently, the November 19th to-date deer kill-harvest is actually 9,249 more animals than bowmen shot last year for the same recording period in 2018.

“That’s a 14-percent increase, and that is pretty significant,” said Clint McCoy, the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s chief deer biologist. “We are miles ahead, archery-wise, than where we were one year go.”

Of course, much territory remains, especially with the state’s general firearms deer-hunting season set for December 2nd through 8th.

“We are about where we expected to be, given our conservative regulations and all,” McCoy said also. “All of the stars are aligned for a good harvest overall.”

Regarding further the December 19th weekly reporting period, 23 of Ohio’s 88 counties reported deer kill-harvests of one-thousand or more animals each. For the November 20th, 2018 reporting period the figure was a tad more: 24 counties.

Even so, of Ohio’s 88 counties, 66 of them showed to-date gains when their November 19th weekly numbers were compared against their respective November 20th, 2018 numbers, even with the inclusion of last year’s youth gun season.

Some of the leading counties as of November 19th (with their respective November 20tg, 2018 numbers – including the youth-only gun season figures - in parentheses) were: Ashtabula – 1,813 (1,719); Coshocton – 2,633 (2,467); Holmes – 1,787 (1,635); Knox – 1,706 (1,673); Licking – 1,980 (1,890); Muskingum – 1,711 (1,641); Richland – 1,356 (1,247); Trumbull – 1,615 (1,515); and Tuscarawas – 2,028 (1,867).

Only six of Ohio’s 88 counties had kill-harvests of 300 or fewer animals each, and based upon the November 19tg weekly reporting period: Clinton – 286; Fayette – 111; Madison – 217; Marion – 300; Pickaway – 283; Van Wert – 200.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com