More than 17,500 deer harvested on first day of Ohio deer-gun season

December 2, 2014 at 4:05p.m.

COLUMBUS — Hunters checked 17,512 white-tailed deer on Monday, the opening day of Ohio’s deer-gun hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

New for the 2014 deer hunting season, rifles using specified straight-walled cartridges can be used. Gun hunters took advantage of the new opportunity, checking in 1,805 deer with straight-walled cartridge rifles.

Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer checked in on Monday were: Coshocton (793), Tuscarawas (667), Muskingum (652), Ashtabula (586), Knox (573), Guernsey (512), Licking (501), Holmes (477), Harrison (455) and Carroll (451). Last year hunters checked 22,619 deer on the first day of deer-gun season.

Ohio’s deer-gun season remains open through Sunday.