Deer gun seasons begin

COLUMBUS – Ohio's white-tailed deer gun hunting seasons begin in November, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Youth season, for hunters ages 17 and younger, is this weekend. The weeklong gun season, open to all hunters, kicks off Nov. 27 and runs through Dec. 3, and deer gun weekend is Dec. 16-17. "Ohio's deer gun hunting seasons are a valued tradition that create time outdoors with friends and family," ODNR Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker said. "The gun seasons are an excellent opportunity to harvest venison before the holidays." Hunters harvested 96,610 deer during the 2022 gun seasons. That total includes 71,932 deer taken during the seven-day gun season, which traditionally begins the Monday after Thanksgiving. There were 9,515 deer checked by hunters 17 and younger during last year's youth weekend, and another 15,163 deer in the December gun weekend. The three-year average for deer harvested in the gun seasons is 92,108. Legal hunting implements during the gun seasons include shotguns, straight-walled cartridge rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns and archery equipment. Ohio's deer muzzleloader hunting season is Jan. 6-9, 2024, when muzzleloaders and archery equipment are legal hunting implements. During any of the gun seasons, all hunters, regardless of implement, are required to wear hunter orange. Check the 2023-24 Hunting and Trapping Regulations for more information. Hunting and trapping regulations include information on county bag limits, licenses and permits, and the chronic wasting disease surveillance area in Hardin, Marion and Wyandot counties. As a reminder, deer management permits are valid only until Nov. 26. During the gun seasons, Ohio hunters will need an either-sex permit, unless exempted, available at wildohio.gov, on the HuntFish OH app, and at license vendors. The free HuntFish OH mobile app can be downloaded from the app store to conveniently purchase fishing and hunting licenses, view wildlife area maps, check county bag limits and find other information. Users can access the Division of Wildlife's online system to check harvested deer while out in the field, even without a Wi-Fi connection. Deer harvested in Ohio are required to be checked in the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System. This gives the Division of Wildlife a long-term data set that aids wildlife biologists in monitoring deer health, distribution, and relative abundance. Hunters can check game by using the HuntFish OH mobile app, visiting ohiogamecheck.com, calling 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (1-877-824-4864), visiting a license sales agent, or calling 1-866-703-1298 (landowner operator-assisted; fees apply). Hunters interested in tracking the season's harvest can view weekly deer harvest reports at wildohio.gov. The Division of Wildlife posts deer harvest numbers each Wednesday throughout the hunting season. A final report is also posted after the conclusion of the archery season. Help protect Ohio's wildlife resources during the gun seasons and beyond. Report any violations to the division's Turn-In-a-Poacher (TIP) hotline by calling 1-800-POACHER (762-2437). All reports remain anonymous, and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.