What a successful season! Be sure to check out the ODNR Photo Gallery to enjoy more trophies like this one taken last week.













COLUMBUS, OH

– Successful hunters checked 21,555 white-tailed deer during the 2013 muzzleloader season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Muzzleloader season concluded on Tuesday, Jan. 8.









The 2013 harvest total represents a 12 percent increase over the 2012 season, when hunters checked 19,251 deer. The muzzleloader harvest was 17,375 deer in 2011.









Counties reporting the highest number of deer checked during the 2013 muzzleloader season include: Guernsey (821), Coshocton (813), Tuscarawas (784), Muskingum (751), Belmont (739), Carroll (683), Harrison (677), Licking (675), Jefferson (619) and Knox (520).









Deer-archery season remains open through Sunday, Feb. 3. More information provided by ODNR Division of Wildlife about Ohio deer hunting can be found in the

or at

. Hunters can also share photos by clicking on the

Photo Gallery

tab online.









Hunters are encouraged to donate any extra venison to organizations assisting Ohioans in need. The ODNR Division of Wildlife is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate deer are not required to pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor. To see which counties are involved in this program, go to

.





Press release found at Ohio DNR



