How it hunts
Hardwood ridges, CRP edges, and river-bottom timber.
Public access. Dawes / infield woodlots plus the Licking River bottoms. Most BBBC entries in Ohio.
683 sq mi of land (Census)
Glaciated Allegheny Plateau
Licking County
Rolling hills, woodlots, and creek bottoms cut through mixed farm country.
Sit forecast
Checking the forecast…
67/100
TrophyBook Opportunity Score · v1
Tied #16 of 88 Ohio counties
Ranks the county on harvest and record-book numbers. Not the odds of taking a buck.
- Total harvest5,770 deer · beats 93% of other counties37.2 / 40
- Harvest trend+4% · beats 20% of other counties5.0 / 25
- Harvest per sq mi8.5 per sq mi · beats 84% of other counties16.8 / 20
- Book-buck odds2.4 per 1,000 deer · beats 56% of other counties8.4 / 15
2025-26 harvest · record book 2019–2023 · How it works
Harvest537#7 of 88 · +21.2% vs last year
So far in 2026-27
Bucks244#6 of 88 · 45% of harvest
293 antlerless · +29% vs last year
Harvest per sq mi0.79#22 of 88
Not a population count
Book-buck odds2.4#38 of 88 · 1.1× Ohio
Per 1,000 deer · 63 entries, 2019–23
Harvest trend+4%#70 of 88
Last 3 seasons vs the 3 before
Harvest by season
Through Oct 13, 2026 · 443 at this point last season
Book bucks
818 Buckeye Big Buck Club entries · 654 typical · 164 non-typical · latest 2024 · #1 of 88
| Score | Hunter | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 241 1/8 | Jim Fairchild | 1994 |
| 232 1/8 | Scott Walsh | 2001 |
| 231 4/8 | Norman L Myers | 1964 |
| 226 6/8 | David Bare | 1989 |
| 226 5/8 | John S Blythe | 1999 |
Taken with: Modern Shotgun 371 · Long Bow 200 · Crossbow 169 · Muzzleloader 60
All 818 entries →Buck board: no Licking deer posted for 2026-27 yet. Post the first
History
No Ohio county has put more bucks in the Buckeye Big Buck Club book.
Licking County was formed in 1808 and named for salt licks along the Licking River. Newark is the county seat, next to the Great Circle Hopewell earthworks.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA