COLUMBUS — Hunters checked 66,759 white-tailed deer during Ohio’s 2016 deer-gun hunting season, November 28-December 4, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Last year, hunters checked 73,392 deer over the weeklong deer-gun season.

Darke County had 259 white-tailed deer checked by hunters. In 2015, the number of deer was 282.

Two days (Saturday, Dec. 17, and Sunday, Dec. 18) of deer-gun season remain. The muzzleloader season is Jan. 7-10, 2017, and archery season remains open through Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife remains committed to properly managing Ohio’s deer populations. The goal of Ohio’s Deer Management Program is to provide a deer population that maximizes recreational opportunities, while minimizing conflicts with landowners and motorists.

Hunting Popularity

Hunting is the best and most effective management tool for maintaining Ohio’s healthy deer population. Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.