Hunting Archery Duck Deer

Ohio Deer harvest numbers decline - Bad weather and more hunters taking advantage of the earlier archery season is being blamed for a reduction in the number of deer being killed during last week’s deer-gun season in Ohio and in Washington County.

Ohio deer hunters took 116,855 deer during the annual week-long gun season which ended Sunday. Last year’s whitetail deer harvest was 125,681.

Despite the most liberal bag limits in the state’s history, 59 of the state’s 88 counties reported a decline in the number of deer being taken.

Washington County hunters ranked fourth in the state with the total number of deer taken with 3,740 compared to 4,221 in 2004. Tuscarawas County led the state with 5,021.

Mike Tonkovich, Ohio Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, said a shift from gun hunting to bowhunting is one reason the totals are off.

Ohio’s bow season begins in late October and ends in January.

“Certainly there are more opportunities there and bow hunting continues to grow,” Tonkovich said.

Also, the state’s annual special youth deer-gun season was a success, up 30 percent from last year. Youth hunters took more than 8,700 deer during the special two-day hunt last month.

“When you look at the total season harvest, which is about 167,000, we’re only slightly off from where we were last year at 173,000,” Tonkovich said.

Local hunter Andy Larson, 43, of Marietta, said he agrees that more people are trying bow hunting.

“A few years ago I only knew a handful of guys who would bowhunt,” Larson said. “Today, almost everyone I know bowhunts. And yes, a few had already filled their tags before gun season even started.”

Larson said bowhunting is growing in popularity because of the length of the season and because modern archery equipment has become easier to use.

“Crossbows especially are easy to use and they aren’t all that expensive,” Larson said. “Also, the whole sport is a lot more challenging and rewarding, to me anyway, than gun-hunting.”

Tonkovich said after consecutive record harvest totals the state may have reached its maximum sustainable harvest.

“We may have reached a ceiling,” Tonkovich said. “We may be at that point where we just can’t harvest any more deer than where we are.”

Last year 216,000 deer were killed by Ohio hunters. With bow season continuing and a special primitive gun season still ahead, Tonkovich said he expects this year’s harvest to come in just under last year’s totals.

The statewide deer population was estimated to be 650,000 prior to the start of hunting season.

Ohio’s first modern day deer-gun season opened in 1943 in three counties, where hunters harvested 168 deer. By 1956, hunting was allowed in all 88 counties and hunters killed 3,911 deer during that one-week season.

The number of fatal hunting accidents stayed the same from last year at two, and the overall number of accidental shootings remained at nine, according to wildlife officials. Three of this year’s accidental shootings were self-inflicted, also the same as last year.

Noah Gillogly, 12, was shot to death by his older brother in Vinton County while hunting last Monday evening. Steve Burchard, 19, of Newark, was killed Saturday in a remote area of Licking County.

Both shootings remain under investigation
By Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.com