Ohio estimates their whitetail deer population at about 725,000.......That is roughly 18 per square mile(40,000 sq miles encompass the State)..............If you remove the urban centers of Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati,,,,,,,I am guessing that there is somewhere around 38,000 sq. miles of suburan/farm/forested landscape harboring a good 19 deer per square mile.............Based on pre-settlement(A.D. 1500) conditions where it is estimated that White Tail density in Eastern North America was 6 to 12 deer per square mile, it is readily apparent that while Coyotes, black bears and a returning bobcat population dots the landscape, plant and tree regeneration is being retarded in the Buckeye State inspite of 30% of the deer herd being killed by hunters annually(This season, 220,000 of the 725,000 total).........Pumas and Wolves are a very important missing ingredient of an optimum "heart healthy" and optimum functioning Ohio wildscape.

State hunters bagged 20,000 fewer deer this season

(source-Ohio Dept of Natural Resources)

COLUMBUS -- Ohio officials said the number of deer harvested in the most recent hunting season decreased by almost 20,000 compared with 2011, and those lower numbers also were reflected in many counties across the Scioto Valley.

The final count released Monday by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources shows almost 220,000 deer were killed statewide during the 2011-12 season, compared with slightly more than 239,000 the previous season.

The highest individual county totals were tallied in east-central Ohio. Coshocton County had the most deer taken at 7,969. Neighboring Licking County had 7,275 and Tuscarawas County had 6,950. Hunters in the Scioto Valley generally were unable to match 2011-10's numbers. In Ross County, 3,741 deer were bagged, down from 3,864 in 2010-11.

In Pickaway County, the 1,049 deer bagged was a 152-animal decline from 2010-11. Fayette County saw a 51-animal decrease, Jackson County a 256-deer drop-off and Highland County a 130-animal decline. Some local areas were exceptions, however. Pike County's numbers went from 2,304 deer bagged in 2010-11 to 2,367 this year. Vinton County's total increased by 130 animals and Scioto County's bag total was up by 73 deer.The numbers include all forms of hunting during the white-tailed deer season
                              ohio

The white-tailed deer is Ohio's most popular game animal, and the state ranks in the top 10 nationally in terms of annual hunting-related sales and related jobs, according to ODNR.The agency also reported the two new methods of reporting kills made available this year met with support from hunters. Since the season began Sept. 24, 44 percent of hunters called in their bag totals and 36 percent reported them online.Twenty percent reported their kills in person at a license agent location.

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2011 UPDATE and historical history of deer in Ohio

Although absent from the state for nearly 2 decades, the white-tailed deer, Ohio's only big game animal, now occurs in all 88 counties.  Differences in the amount of forest cover, agriculture, and human population density, however, have contributed to a patchwork of densities across the state. 

white tails

 In general, deer populations are highest in the state's southeast Hill Country, lowest in the farm counties of the west, and intermediate in the glaciated counties of the northeast.  Good numbers of deer and excellent public hunting opportunities make southeast Ohio the favorite destination of many resident and nonresident deer hunters.  This region also continues to be the best bet for a trophy whitetail. 

             wolves and pumas are key to a healthy Ohio landscape

 The fall herd is estimated at 725,000 deer.  This year's harvest should be up slightly from last year's harvest of 239,475 but most likely below the record harvest of 261,260 in 2009-10.  Ohio's deer herd remains healthy and disease-free.  In 2010, 471 road-killed and 588 hunter-harvested deer from 44 counties were tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).  Nearly all of the hunter-harvested deer were also tested for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) as well.  We failed to detect these diseases in all samples.

Survey details and historical data can be found in the Forest Wildlife Overview section of the 2010-2011 Wildlife Population Status and Hunting Forecast.