After the final arrow was sent on its way, the last report from a slug shotgun heard and the remaining wafts of sulfur-rich black-powder dissipated, Ohio's deer hunters killed nearly 20,000 animals during the 2011-2012 all-seasons tally than they did the year before.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife announced that 219,698 deer were taken during Ohio's 2011-2012 hunting season, compared to 239,379 in the 2010-2011 season.

Even so, the total kill figure was just a smidgen below the minimum expected kill projected by the state's wildlife biologists. It was expected that Ohio's deer hunters would shoot between 200,000 and 225,000 animals in all for the various 2011-2012 hunting seasons.

Ohio had an estimated deer population of between 700,000 and 750,000 animals and prior to the start of the various hunting seasons.

The top three counties with the highest number of deer taken this season were: Coshocton, Licking and Tuscarawas.

Also, hunters showed support for the two new methods of game-reporting that were made available this year. Since deer season began on Sept. 24, 2011, 44 percent of hunters called in their numbers, 36 percent reported their numbers online and 20 percent traveled to a license agent’s location to report their game.

The following is a list of deer checked by hunters during the 2011-12 four-month deer hunting season. Deer season dates for 2011-2012: Sept. 24, 2011, through Feb. 5, 2012. Numbers for 2010-11 are listed in parentheses.]

Adams – 4,208 (3,914) Licking – 7,275 (7,818)
Allen – 1,037 (1,291) Logan – 2,283 (2,315)
Ashland – 2,894 (3,334) Lorain – 2,422 (2,742)
Ashtabula – 4,645 (5,331) Lucas – 705 (678)
Athens – 4,385 (4,256) Madison – 548 (591)
Auglaize – 731 (737) Mahoning – 1,889 (1,930)
Belmont – 4,785 (5,245) Marion – 830 (964)
Brown – 3,068 (3,377) Medina – 2,030 (2,121)
Butler – 1,583 (1,650) Meigs – 4,000 (3,974)
Carroll – 4,751 (5,721) Mercer – 625 (652)
Champaign – 1,613 (1,703) Miami – 827 (865)
Clark – 930 (967) Monroe – 3,727 (3,991)
Clermont – 3,301 (3,721) Montgomery – 676 (663)
Clinton – 1,015 (1,101) Morgan – 3,513 (3,742)
Columbiana – 3,843 (4,627) Morrow – 1,898 (2,143)
Coshocton – 7,969 (8,837) Muskingum – 6,630 (7,129)
Crawford – 1,110 (1,234) Noble – 3,936 (4,222)
Cuyahoga – 691 (625) Ottawa – 416 (404)
Darke – 819 (842) Paulding – 1,126 (1,440)
Defiance – 1,757 (2,042) Perry – 3,552 (3,877)
Delaware – 1,943 (2,121) Pickaway – 1,049 (1,201)
Erie – 688 (916) Pike – 2,367 (2,304)
Fairfield – 2,741 (3,058) Portage – 2,701 (2,726)
Fayette – 282 (333) Preble – 999 (940)
Franklin – 846 (827) Putnam – 732 (917)
Fulton – 844 (1,029) Richland – 4,038 (4,690)
Gallia – 3,435 (3,553) Ross – 3,741 (3,864)
Geauga – 2,421 (2,458) Sandusky – 766 (799)
Greene – 1,073 (1,073) Scioto – 2,882 (2,809)
Guernsey – 6,430 (6,989) Seneca – 1,609 (1,988)
Hamilton – 2,255 (2,139) Shelby – 1,008 (1,111)
Hancock – 1,189 (1,465) Stark – 2,180 (2,343)
Hardin – 1,145 (1,374) Summit – 1,492 (1,343)
Harrison – 5,716 (6,965) Trumbull – 3,310 (3,647)
Henry – 723 (939) Tuscarawas – 6,950 (8,158)
Highland – 3,304 (3,434) Union – 996 (967)
Hocking – 4,348 (4,221) Van Wert – 646 (835)
Holmes – 4,745 (5,633) Vinton – 3,177 (3,047)
Huron – 2,200 (2,315) Warren – 1,632 (1,691)
Jackson – 3,233 (3,489) Washington – 4,223 (4,594)
Jefferson – 4,118 (4,880) Wayne – 1,948 (2,353)
Knox – 5,373 (6,336) Williams – 2,099 (2,315)
Lake –836 (782) Wood – 705 (917)
Lawrence – 2,959 (2,843) Wyandot – 1,540 (1,832)

Total – 219,698 (239,379)