How it hunts
Hardwood ridges, CRP edges, and river-bottom timber.
Public access. Mostly private ground with scattered metroparks, stream corridors, or small WMAs.
423 sq mi of land (Census)
Glaciated Allegheny Plateau
Ashland County
Rolling hills, woodlots, and creek bottoms cut through mixed farm country.
Sit forecast
Checking the forecast…
76/100
TrophyBook Opportunity Score · v1
Tied #4 of 88 Ohio counties
Ranks the county on harvest and record-book numbers. Not the odds of taking a buck.
- Total harvest5,108 deer · beats 87% of other counties34.8 / 40
- Harvest trend+22% · beats 64% of other counties16.0 / 25
- Harvest per sq mi12.1 per sq mi · beats 93% of other counties18.6 / 20
- Book-buck odds2.1 per 1,000 deer · beats 44% of other counties6.6 / 15
2025-26 harvest · record book 2019–2023 · How it works
Harvest460#12 of 88 · +27.1% vs last year
So far in 2026-27
Bucks117#24 of 88 · 25% of harvest
343 antlerless · +14% vs last year
Harvest per sq mi1.1#7 of 88
Not a population count
Book-buck odds2.1#46 of 88 · 1× Ohio
Per 1,000 deer · 40 entries, 2019–23
Harvest trend+22%#30 of 88
Last 3 seasons vs the 3 before
Harvest by season
Through Oct 13, 2026 · 362 at this point last season
Book bucks
370 Buckeye Big Buck Club entries · 290 typical · 80 non-typical · latest 2024 · #19 of 88
| Score | Hunter | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 221 1/8 | Jeffrey J Spreng | 2002 |
| 211 3/8 | Jon A Byers | 2003 |
| 199 3/8 | Jason R Thomas | 2023 |
| 197 5/8 | Bradley Williams | 2012 |
| 195 7/8 | Michael R Dull | 1992 |
Taken with: Modern Shotgun 138 · Long Bow 89 · Crossbow 88 · Muzzleloader 41
All 370 entries →Buck board: no Ashland deer posted for 2026-27 yet. Post the first
History
Ashland County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,447. Its county seat and largest city is Ashland. The county is named for "Ashland", the home of Senator Henry Clay near Lexington, Kentucky. It was formed in 1846 from parts of Huron, Lorain, Richland and Wayne Counties.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA