Nov. 12 best day for bowhunters

COLUMBUS — Ohio bowhunters checked 3,866 deer Nov. 12, the highest single-day total this season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. The end of October and the first two weeks of November are typically a great time to hunt deer in Ohio. 

Thus far during the 2022 archery deer hunting season, the 10 most successful harvest dates in Ohio have been as follows: Nov. 12 (3,866 deer checked); Nov. 13 (3,105); Sept.. 24 (2,943); Oct. 29 (2,626); Nov. 8 (2,274); Nov. 9 (2,178); Nov. 10 (2,142); Oct. 8 (2,106); Nov. 6 (1,933); and Nov. 7 (1,924).

This season, bowhunters across Ohio have harvested 65,154 deer as of Nov. 13. 

The three-year average for deer harvested over the same eight-week period from 2019-2021 is 67,522. Ohio’s top 10 counties for deer harvested during the first eight weeks of the 2022 deer season include: Coshocton (2,459), Tuscarawas (2,098), Holmes (1,867), Ashtabula (1,842), Licking (1,738), Trumbull (1,722), Knox (1,710), Muskingum (1,626), Guernsey (1,388), and Carroll (1,326). 

Ohio’s deer hunters are increasingly using longbows and crossbows to take advantage of a tremendous deer hunting in October and November. The archery season lines up with the peak of the rut, or deer breeding season. 

Deer are travelling more often and farther this time of year as bucks pursue does, making these months an exciting time to be hunting. With the rut continuing for several more weeks, hunters have ample opportunity to harvest a deer. 

The gun season Nov. 28 through Dec. 4, and again Dec. 17-18. Deer muzzleloader season is Jan. 7-10, 2023. Bowhunting is open until Feb. 5, 2023. Find complete details in the 2022-23 Hunting and Trapping Regulations. 

If you join the ranks of successful deer hunters, use the free HuntFish OH app to game check your harvest. 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. Hunters can also use the app to view public hunting area maps, buy hunting licenses and deer permits, and much more. 

If you’re interested in learning more about deer hunting, check out the Wild Ohio Harvest Community for online learning modules, resources, and recipes for after the harvest. Visit wildohio.gov to get started.