Ohio hunters as soon as once more delivered a powerful efficiency through the 2025–26 deer season, checking a complete of 232,142 white-tailed deer, in line with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The season concluded on Feb. 1 and included all archery, gun, muzzleloader, and youth hunts relationship again to Sept. 13.
That whole ranks because the seventh-highest deer harvest in state historical past and marks the fourth straight season topping 200,000 deer. Whereas it didn’t fairly match final yr’s 238,137 deer, it nonetheless sits properly above the latest three-year common of 221,013.
Thousands and thousands of Kilos of Venison
Past the numbers, the season put an estimated 11 million kilos of venison on Ohio dinner tables and freezers. With one deer offering about 50 kilos of meat. ODNR emphasised the significance of hunters in feeding households and supporting meals banks statewide.
That affect grew throughout Deer Donation Days, when ODNR teamed up with Ohio Penal Industries on the Pickaway Correctional Establishment to course of donated deer. Hunters contributed 136 deer, yielding 5,328 kilos of processed venison. Extra help was supplied by way of a partnership with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, which helped develop donations to native meals pantries.
EHD in Southeast Ohio
Not each a part of the state skilled robust numbers. An unprecedented outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Illness (EHD) brought about considerably decrease harvests in Athens, Meigs, Morgan, and Washington counties. These 4 counties mixed for 4,289 deer, a pointy drop from 15,659 the earlier season.
One County Stands Out
Coshocton County maintained its long-standing dominance by main the state with 8,527 deer checked, marking its twenty fourth consecutive yr on the prime. Archery made up the most important portion of the harvest, intently adopted by the weeklong gun season. Straight-walled cartridge rifles and crossbows remained the most well-liked implements.
Zooming Out
All instructed, Ohio’s 2025–26 season strengthened one factor: deer looking stays robust, influential, and deeply rooted within the Buckeye State. It’s each a convention and a lifestyle.
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