Ohio's deer hunt lags from last year's

COLUMBUS (AP) — State officials say hunters bagged more than 114,600 white-tailed deer during the seven days of gun hunting that ended Sunday.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife said Monday that the total was lower than the 116,800 deer killed during the same period last year.

Tuscarawas County in eastern Ohio reported the most deer brought to check stations: 5,901. Neighboring Harrison County had the second-highest number, followed by Guernsey County in southeast Ohio, central Ohio’s Licking County, and Coshocton County in eastern Ohio.

The hunting season resumes later in the month for two more days, the weekend of Dec. 19-20.

Officials estimated that Ohio had a preseason deer population of 650,000 whitetails.