Deer gun season to run through Sunday

Monday marked the beginning of deer-gun season in Ohio and hunters were out early to try for their game. With only nine days total, hunters are taking advantage of every opportunity they have.

Jerry Taylor owns Gone Fishing Live Bait & Tackle, which is also one of the checkstations for people to take the deer after they have been killed. He said by lunch, he had already checked in 30 deer. He said this is the season that produces more results for hunters.

“You get more deer killed in gun season,” Taylor said.

At a checkstation, the deer are tagged and a record is kept of what time the deer was killed, who killed it and when it was brought in to the checkstation. This process helps ensure hunting laws are followed.

Vicki Ervin, communications manager for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, said the most hunted game animal in Ohio is the white-tail deer.

“We probably have the most hunters out this week than any other time during hunting season,” she said.

With an estimate of about 750,000 deer in the state of Ohio, which Ervin said is up a little from last year, they are expecting somewhere between 120,000 and 125,000 deer will be killed during this season.

Injuries and fatalities are always a concern during hunting season, and Ervin had some tips on how to be careful this hunting season.

“Always treat every gun like it’s loaded,” she said. “Always point your muzzle in a safe direction, and be sure of your target and beyond. If you keep those three things in mind, it will be a safe season.”

For people who enjoy the sport of hunting, but not the taste of deer meat, Ervin offered a win-win suggestion.

The Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry is a non-profit organization that covers the cost of processing for people who don’t want to keep the meat, and the meat is then donated to a food bank to feed the hungry.

“We have been working with the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry program and every year it is growing,” Ervin said. “We provide funding to the program and they will raise money also, and that pays for the processing of deer.”

Deer-gun season began Monday and continues through Sunday, with two additional days Dec. 18 and 19.