Adams County bowhunters are having a good year as the current deer numbers from ODNR would indicate. As of this writing, November 13, Adams County hunters have tagged 1,288 deer this far into the season, that is up nearly 10 percent from deer season at this same time last year Statewide the numbers are down slightly, .05 percent, from the 2024 season.
On Saturday, November 8, 4,748 deer were checked which was the best day for bowhunters across the state according to a report from ODNR. Of the numbers deer hunters ten most successful days were November 1,2,3,4, 6, and October 11, 25,26, and opening day, September 27.
The top five counties for Ohio bowhunters continue to be the Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Ashtabula, Trumbull, and Holmes Counties..
Coming up Ohio’s youth gun season is open the weekend of November 22 and 23. Ohio’s statewide deer gun season is open December 1 through December 7, and December 20-21. The statewide muzzleloader season is January 3-6.
According to Ohio’s Acorn Mast Survey 72 percent of red oaks and 56 percent of white oaks bore fruit this year. That’s approximately a 29 percent increase above average in red oaks, and a whooping 47 percent increase in white oak acorns over the long-term average. Locally, it appears to be a bumper crop for acorns all across Adams County.
My own bow hunt came to a sudden close on the windy evening of November 5. Earlier that same evening a 10-pointer caught me by surprise tracking a doe past my stand with the entire length of corn stalk tangled in his right antler. About an hour later a heavy 8-pointer walked past my tree stand at 5:10 pm. I had that particular buck on trail camera several times prior, so I knew who he was the minute he decided to change course and walk to within 10-yards of my stand.
That stand was not my first choice for the evening’s hunt, but the wind was so brisk that my first-choice stand along the edge of field would have been intolerable, so I opted for the stand in the woods to break some of the wind. Good choice. After the shot I watched the buck until dark, when it bedded down in a heavy thicket of briers and honeysuckle which is where I later found him and tagged him. His antlers are now at a local taxidermy shop.
Looking back, I hunted 13 days, saw a total of 69 deer, of which 13 were bucks, 46 were antlerless and 10 were unknown. I observed one mink and one coyote. By contrast, during last year’s bow season 2024, I hunted 16 days, saw 55 deer, 11 bucks, 35 antlerless, and 9 unknowns, and no furbearers. According to my data the deer numbers appear up about 25 percent where I hunt. And I’d like to know, are you seeing more deer this year?