How it hunts
Oak-hickory forest, regenerating clearcuts, and brushy benches.
Public access. Jefferson Lake and broken ridge timber along the river hills.
408 sq mi of land (Census)
Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau
Jefferson County
Steep timber, hollows, and ridge-to-creek funnels. Big-woods public tracts mixed with family farms.
Sit forecast
Checking the forecast…
85/100
TrophyBook Opportunity Score · v1
#1 of 88 Ohio counties
Ranks the county on harvest and record-book numbers. Not the odds of taking a buck.
- Total harvest3,691 deer · beats 80% of other counties32.0 / 40
- Harvest trend+44% · beats 95% of other counties23.8 / 25
- Harvest per sq mi9.0 per sq mi · beats 86% of other counties17.2 / 20
- Book-buck odds3.3 per 1,000 deer · beats 80% of other counties12.0 / 15
2025-26 harvest · record book 2019–2023 · How it works
Harvest243#29 of 88 · +2.5% vs last year
So far in 2026-27
Bucks139#20 of 88 · 57% of harvest
104 antlerless · +14% vs last year
Harvest per sq mi0.60#27 of 88
Not a population count
Book-buck odds3.3#16 of 88 · 1.5× Ohio
Per 1,000 deer · 43 entries, 2019–23
Harvest trend+44%#5 of 88
Last 3 seasons vs the 3 before
Harvest by season
Through Oct 13, 2026 · 237 at this point last season
Book bucks
480 Buckeye Big Buck Club entries · 412 typical · 68 non-typical · latest 2025 · #7 of 88
| Score | Hunter | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 223 6/8 | Daniel E Meyers | 1991 |
| 218 5/8 | George Barger | 1957 |
| 211 0/8 | Howard W Stine | 1992 |
| 210 5/8 | Lemuel Brown | 2009 |
| 205 4/8 | Braden Ghrist | 2022 |
Taken with: Modern Shotgun 215 · Long Bow 116 · Crossbow 95 · Muzzleloader 34
All 480 entries →Buck board: no Jefferson deer posted for 2026-27 yet. Post the first
History
Jefferson County was established in 1797 and named for Thomas Jefferson. Steubenville, the seat, sits on the Ohio River across from West Virginia.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA