The season has finally begun, and the traditional signs have begun to spring up everywhere - whether it is the smile on a young child's face Š or the plethora of orange vests.

That's right, all across the county on Monday, residents were putting St. Nick on the backburner and dusting off their rifles as deer-gun hunting season kicked off in Ohio.

Ironton resident Jamie McFann took Monday and today off work to take a shot at bagging a big buck.

As he refueled his truck at check-in station Phillip's Grocery Store Monday afternoon, he said he hadn't had much luck.

&#8220I haven't seen anything worth shooting really, just a bunch of doe,” McFann said. &#8220I'm just unlucky, I reckon, that's how my luck goes.”

Although he hadn't yet brought down the big one, McFann wasn't deterred; he was already planning on heading back into the wild.

&#8220I'm hoping for a monster buck, just like everybody else,” McFann said with a laugh.

Carrie Jenkins had been hunting since 6 a.m. Monday, and had already gotten her prize: An eight-point buck that she had just checked in at the grocery store.

Hunting is a family affair for Jenkins, who had gone along with her son, 10-year-old Keith, and husband, Michael who said he was just there to help.

&#8220I'm just going with them this year,” Michael Jenkins said. &#8220Usually, when I go out with them I just let them do all the hunting. I'm just there. I do all the work.”

Although Carrie said that she was headed back to her house, Michael was planning to take Keith out for another round of hunting, even though he didn't seem to concerned if he got his own trophy.

&#8220I just like being out in the woods,” Keith said.

The deer-gun season will be open through Sunday from one half-hour before sunrise to sunset.

Officials have estimated a population of 650,000 white-tailed deer and anticipate a kill of 120,000 to 130,000 deer during the week-long hunt. The Division of Wildlife expects around 400,000 hunters to participate.