Ohio's Deer Archery Hunting Season Kicks Off Next Weekend

OHIO — Deer archery hunting starts in the Buckeye State on Sept. 24 and runs through Feb. 5.

What You Need To Know

• ODNR said October and November are the most popular months for bow hunting
• For those who don't use bows, gun season will be Nov. 28 through Dec. 4
• Some counties got a head start due to the spread of Chronic Waste Disease, otherwise known as "zombie deer disease"

The 2021-22 deer season saw more than 95,300 deer hunted with a bow, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. That accounts for about 48% of the season’s total harvest.

ODNR said October and November are the most popular months for bow hunting.

For those who don't use bows, gun season will be Nov. 28 through Dec. 4. This year, there's a bonus weekend on Dec. 17-18. Muzzleloader season is Jan. 7 through Jan. 10.

“Deer hunting is a tradition in Ohio,” said Gov. Mike DeWine in a press release. “Throughout the season and beyond, hunting-related tourism, equipment sales and license sales generate revenue in Ohio from hunters across the nation, with much of that revenue being directed back to the state’s wildlife.”

However, some counties got a head start to the archery season.

ODNR's Division of Wildlife earlier this added month Hardin, Wyandot and Marion counties to the Disease Surveillance Area due to Chronic Wasting Disease, commonly referred to as "zombie deer disease." Their deer archery season started Sept. 10 to encourage more deer to be harvested before the disease spread even further since those counties had reported the most cases in recent months.

Wyandot was included in it last year when the initial surveillance area had been created.

Chronic Deer Disease is a deadly neurological disorder similar to Mad Cow that’s found in deer, elk and moose. It makes the deer disoriented, causing them to stumble around, and discolored patches of skin also appear.

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