How it hunts
Hardwood ridges, CRP edges, and river-bottom timber.
Public access. Dillon WA and Wolf Creek. Huge harvest county with river hills.
665 sq mi of land (Census)
Glaciated Allegheny Plateau
Muskingum County
Rolling hills, woodlots, and creek bottoms cut through mixed farm country.
Sit forecast
Checking the forecast…
72/100
TrophyBook Opportunity Score · v1
#12 of 88 Ohio counties
Ranks the county on harvest and record-book numbers. Not the odds of taking a buck.
- Total harvest6,283 deer · beats 95% of other counties38.0 / 40
- Harvest trend+11% · beats 37% of other counties9.3 / 25
- Harvest per sq mi9.5 per sq mi · beats 89% of other counties17.8 / 20
- Book-buck odds2.2 per 1,000 deer · beats 49% of other counties7.3 / 15
2025-26 harvest · record book 2019–2023 · How it works
Harvest535#8 of 88 · +23.8% vs last year
So far in 2026-27
Bucks250#5 of 88 · 47% of harvest
285 antlerless · +28% vs last year
Harvest per sq mi0.80#19 of 88
Not a population count
Book-buck odds2.2#44 of 88 · 1× Ohio
Per 1,000 deer · 59 entries, 2019–23
Harvest trend+11%#56 of 88
Last 3 seasons vs the 3 before
Harvest by season
Through Oct 13, 2026 · 432 at this point last season
Book bucks
771 Buckeye Big Buck Club entries · 674 typical · 97 non-typical · latest 2024 · #2 of 88
| Score | Hunter | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 226 4/8 | Rex A Thompson | 1981 |
| 225 3/8 | Harrold Sharrock | 1983 |
| 224 3/8 | Gene Cooper | 1973 |
| 213 2/8 | Bob Hermen | 2003 |
| 208 1/8 | Eric Ford, Jr | 2016 |
Taken with: Modern Shotgun 418 · Crossbow 159 · Long Bow 142 · Muzzleloader 35
All 771 entries →Buck board: no Muskingum deer posted for 2026-27 yet. Post the first
History
Muskingum County was formed in 1804; the name is a Native word for a river by the eye of the elk. Zanesville, famous for its Y-bridge, is the county seat.
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