DNR reports lower overall deer harvest in Ashland County; buck sizes look stronger

Jenna, a DNR wildlife staffer who joined the meeting online, told the committee that Ashland County’s deer harvest for the nine‑day season was down compared with the five‑year average.

Jenna reported specific harvest counts: 533 bucks and 127 does for a total of 660 deer harvested in Ashland County to date (the counts included youth, veterans, and disabled hunts). She said buck harvest was down 10% from the five‑year average and 7% from last year; doe (antlerless) harvest was down 35%, which she attributed to the absence of an antlerless tag allocation this year.

Jenna said age‑and‑body‑size data indicate larger-bodied bucks and improved antler growth in many yearlings, which she attributed in part to the mild winter last year. She also reported anecdotal observations that fewer hunters are staying as many days at camps and there are fewer drives, factors she said are likely reducing harvest. Lack of snow during opening weekend also reduced visibility and tracking, although a later snowfall increased harvest on subsequent days.

Jenna provided weapon‑specific counts: 69 bucks taken with vertical bow, 257 with crossbow, 10 during youth hunt, and 527 during gun season across weapon types (some weapon-specific accounting overlapped with youth or other categories). She said year‑to‑date bow and crossbow tallies have already exceeded last season’s full‑season totals for those weapon categories.

Ending: Jenna said the DNR continues to collect aging and chronic‑wasting‑disease samples and will report further results as they are compiled.