Ohio hunters seeing success in 2005

The Marietta Times is
reporting that Ohio bow hunters are harvesting deer at a record pace, taking nearly 42,000 deer during the first six weeks of the season. The paper also reports that this year’s early harvest exceeds last year’s record setting totals by about 1,000 deer.

From the story:

Approximately 250,000 bow hunters are believed to be participating in Ohio’s statewide deer-archery hunting season that began Oct. 1 and continues through Jan. 31, 2006.

“This year’s deer hunting season is off to a great start,” said Steven Gray, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, in a release issued Tuesday. “Good weather and Ohio’s well-deserved reputation for trophy bucks make the early months of the archery season a very desirable time to hunt deer in the Buckeye State.”

Counties reporting the highest number of deer brought to check stations were Holmes, with 1,710; Licking and Tuscarawas, 1,532; Coshocton, 1,324; and Knox, 1,025.

Washington County ranked 22nd with hunters taking 687 deer so far this season. It is 78 more deer taken in the county than last year at the same time.

Last year’s total bow hunting harvest topped 50,000 and represented about 25 percent of the nearly 200,000 deer taken statewide during all seasons.

“There’s no shortage of deer out there,” bow hunter Tom Young told the newspaper. “I haven’t filled any of my tags yet, but I’ve seen a lot around.”

A special deer gun season for children under 18 is set for this weekend. Children who are licensed hunters and who are accompanied by a non-hunting licensed adult can take a deer with a gun this Saturday and Sunday.

The statewide deer gun season is the week after Thanksgiving.

For more information on Ohio’s deer hunting seasons: www.ohiodnr.com.