COLUMBUS — Ohio’s white-tailed deer archery hunters have taken 53,922 white-tailed deer through Sunday, Nov. 8, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Ohio’s archery season opened in September, and bow hunters are taking advantage of excellent hunting conditions, including fantastic weather. Ohio’s deer-archery season is open until Feb. 7, 2021.

The top 10 counties for deer taken by archery hunters so far in Ohio include: Coshocton (2,000); Licking (1,629); Tuscarawas (1,600); Ashtabula (1,558); Knox (1,430); Holmes (1,424); Trumbull (1,407); Muskingum (1,267); Guernsey (1,163), and Richland (1,101).

The ODNR said Darke County archery hunters have taken 225 white-tailed deer this season.

Deer tend to be highly active during the first two weeks of November because of the breeding season, making this period popular for many Ohio bowhunters. Hunters in the 2020 season have so far taken a nearly identical number of deer when compared to the average of the past three years, which is 53,384. Deer permit sales have increased by 3 percent in 2020 when compared to this same time last year (245,739 permits in 2020; 238,552 permits in 2019).

Ohio offers many more opportunities for hunters of all ages to pursue deer. Young hunters have a chance to harvest a deer during the youth-only weekend, Nov. 21 to 22. The deer-gun season is Monday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 6, as well as Dec. 19 to 20. Deer-muzzleloader season is Saturday, Jan. 2, through Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021.

Find complete details in the 2020-2021 Ohio Hunting Regulations or wildohio.gov. More information on previous seasons can be found in the Deer Harvest Summary. Anyone interested in learning to hunt or becoming a mentor to a new hunter can visit the Wild Ohio Harvest Community Page for information on how to get started, hunting-related workshops, and special hunting opportunities for mentors and new hunters.

For more information about hunting in Ohio download the HuntFish OH mobile app or visit wildohio.gov. Follow the Your Wild Ohio Hunter Facebook page for hunting tips and useful information as you get outside this season. The mission of the Division of Wildlife is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to find out more. ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov