Tribune staff report

Hunters in Ohio took 45,296 deer on opening day of the statewide deer gun season Monday,

just 29

shy of the 1994 record opening-day harvest of 45,325. Hunters in Lawrence County, however, killed 13 fewer deer than one year ago.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, the preliminary figure obtained from deer check stations throughout the state represents a 10-percent increase from last year's opening day total of 41,257.

In Lawrence County, however, a total of 686 deer were tagged on opening day, a 2-percent decline from the 699 tagged in 2001,

Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer brought to Ohio check stations on Monday included Guernsey (1,833), Coshocton (1,824), Tuscarawas (1,787),

Washington (1,763) and Muskingum (1,554).

In nearby counties, Jackson reported 1,226 deer checked, Gallia 1,104, and Scioto 503.

"The combination of perfect weather and a three-deer limit in 24 southeastern Ohio counties made for a great opening day of deer season," Mike Budzik, chief of ODNR's Division of Wildlife, said.

The deer gun season remains open statewide through Sunday. ODNR estimates 450,000 hunters will participate in the statewide deer hunting season. At the beginning of the hunting season, the statewide deer population was estimated to be 575,000.

This year, for the first time, Sunday hunting on private land is not restricted by acreage size requirements.

Earlier this year Gov. Bob Taft signed House Bill 493, the Sunday Hunting bill, which removed previous private land restrictions on Sunday hunting during hunting seasons in Ohio. Public land was already open to Sunday hunting with no restrictions.

The following is a list of deer checked and tagged by hunters during the first day of

deer gun hunting season.

the number taken during the 2001 season is in parenthesis :

Adams: 489 (459); Allen: 202 (213); Ashland: 656 (561); Ashtabula: 856 (612); Athens: 1,422 (1,754); Auglaize: 106 (122); Belmont: 993 (825); Brown: 520 (454); Butler: 130 (92); Carroll: 660 (602); Champaign: 309 (243); Clark: 156 (136); Clermont: 433 (386); Clinton: 139 (192); Columbiana: 687 (478); Coshocton: 1,824 (1,505); Crawford: 197 (216); Cuyahoga: 15 (18); Darke: 122 (116); Defiance: 199 (144); Delaware: 230 (250); Erie: 65 (54); Fairfield: 636 (440); Fayette: 63 (81); Franklin: 96 (123); Fulton: 121 (143); Gallia: 1,104 (1,132); Geauga: 304 (275); Greene: 130 (119); Guernsey: 1,833 (1,446); Hamilton: 111 (130); Hancock – 146 (112); Hardin: 203 (194); Harrison: 1,550 (1,147); Henry: 84 (69); Highland: 672 (636); Hocking: 1,017 (1,036); Holmes: 1,366 (894); Huron: 374 (334); Jackson: 1,226 (1,337); Jefferson: 1,200 (973); Knox: 951 (957); Lake: 105 (113); Lawrence: 686 (699); Licking: 1,305 (1,225); Logan: 304 (226); Lorain: 222 (173); Lucas: 93 (114); Madison: 105 (63); Mahoning: 206 (180); Marion: 100 (102); Medina: 139 (117); Meigs: 1,050 (1,170); Mercer: 142 (130); Miami: 37 (55); Monroe: 1,158 (1,008); Montgomery: 32 (50); Morgan: 1,122 (968); Morrow: 293 (288); Muskingum: 1,554 (1,536); Noble: 987 (836); Ottawa: 50 (41); Paulding: 178 (231); Perry: 1,189 (1,035); Pickaway: 351 (360); Pike: 483 (425); Portage: 194 (193); Preble: 67 (107); Putnam: 154 (133); Richland: 542 (473); Ross: 1,118 (1,085); Sandusky: 67 (64); Scioto: 503 (424); Seneca: 224 (217); Shelby: 213 (203); Stark: 332 (385); Summit: 64 (43); Trumbull: 645 (640); Tuscarawas: 1,787 (1,329); Union: 218 (234); Van Wert: 30 (42); Vinton: 822 (925); Warren: 212 (258); Washington: 1,763 (1,442); Wayne: 151 (190); Williams: 393 (421); Wood: 81 (73); Wyandot: 228 (221); Total 45,296 (41,257)

Source:

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife