East Harbor State Park on the shore of Lake Erie is a wonderful place to visit for great views of Lake Erie, East Harbor and has a spacious campground for visitors. It’s also a great place to enjoy seeing white-tailed deer and waterfowl. (Photo by D’Arcy Egan)

Ohio’s white-tailed deer hunters concluded this year’s hunting seasons by harvesting 184,465 deer, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Deer hunting in Ohio began Sept. 28, and concluded Feb. 2. The final harvest total represents all deer taken during archery, gun, muzzleloader, and youth seasons and topped last year’s 172,670 deer.

Ottawa County deer hunters tagged 517 deer, up from 476 a year ago. The top 10 counties for deer harvest include: Coshocton (6,715), Tuscarawas (5,781), Ashtabula (4,949), Muskingum (4,929), Licking (4,878), Knox (4,746), Guernsey (4,524), Holmes (4,507), Carroll (3,843) and Trumbull (3,668).

“It was another productive season for Ohio’s deer hunters. Ohio has a world-class deer population and continues to offer one of the best hunting experiences in the nation,” said Chief Kendra Wecker. “Even as this year’s deer season concludes, many are looking forward to spring wild turkey hunting and preparations for the next deer season. Plan to take someone new with you this year to share your passion and knowledge of Ohio’s wildlife and hunting traditions.”