Ohio Hunters Bag 22,620 Deer on Opening Day
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio hunters checked 22,620 white-tailed deer Monday, the opening day of the state’s deer-gun hunting season. In the immediate region, Columbiana County ranked ninth among the 88 counties with 584 deer checked.
Ohio hunters checked 218,910 deer during the 2012-13 season, ranking the Buckeye State fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting in Ohio has an economic impact of more than $853 million through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Some 420,000 hunters are expected to participate this season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
So far this season, hunters have killed 109,932 deer compared to 113,107 at the same point last year. Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer checked in 2013: Coshocton (940), Ashtabula (880), Tuscarawas (853), Muskingum (831), Guernsey (742), Harrison (738), Carroll (698), Knox (645), Columbiana (584) and Licking (572). Mahoning and Trumbull County reported 227 and 482, respectively.
Hunters are encouraged to go after more antlerless deer in some areas to help the needy in their area and also manage deer populations. The Division of Wildlife is working with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate a deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as funding for the effort is available.
Ohio's deer-gun season remains open through Sunday.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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