How it hunts
Oak-hickory forest, regenerating clearcuts, and brushy benches.
Public access. Mostly private ground with scattered metroparks, stream corridors, or small WMAs.
408 sq mi of land (Census)
Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau
Perry County
Steep timber, hollows, and ridge-to-creek funnels. Big-woods public tracts mixed with family farms.
Sit forecast · Tomorrow · Thu, Oct 15
Fair day to sit
54/100
- Typical week (neutral)
- High 72° · 8° cooler (helps)
- Wind 4 mph (helps)
- Rain 45% (hurts)
- Waxing crescent (neutral)
NWS forecast for 6–10am and 3–7pm, the moon and past harvest timing. A guide, not a promise. All counties
63/100
TrophyBook Opportunity Score · v1
Tied #26 of 88 Ohio counties
Ranks the county on harvest and record-book numbers. Not the odds of taking a buck.
- Total harvest2,989 deer · beats 69% of other counties27.6 / 40
- Harvest trend+8% · beats 29% of other counties7.3 / 25
- Harvest per sq mi7.3 per sq mi · beats 79% of other counties15.8 / 20
- Book-buck odds3.4 per 1,000 deer · beats 84% of other counties12.6 / 15
2025-26 harvest · record book 2019–2023 · How it works
Harvest214#40 of 88 · +31.3% vs last year
So far in 2026-27
Bucks102#35 of 88 · 48% of harvest
112 antlerless · +62% vs last year
Harvest per sq mi0.52#34 of 88
Not a population count
Book-buck odds3.4#13 of 88 · 1.6× Ohio
Per 1,000 deer · 49 entries, 2019–23
Harvest trend+8%#61 of 88
Last 3 seasons vs the 3 before
Harvest by season
Through Oct 13, 2026 · 163 at this point last season
Book bucks
456 Buckeye Big Buck Club entries · 399 typical · 57 non-typical · latest 2024 · #11 of 88
| Score | Hunter | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 212 4/8 | Jack Patton | 1982 |
| 202 7/8 | Guy S Gulick | 1977 |
| 200 1/8 | Dave Wamer | 1976 |
| 198 4/8 | Donald J Griggs | 1988 |
| 197 1/8 | Scott Alfman | 2016 |
Taken with: Modern Shotgun 228 · Crossbow 90 · Long Bow 80 · Muzzleloader 37
All 456 entries →Buck board: no Perry deer posted for 2026-27 yet. Post the first
History
Perry County was created in 1818 and named for Oliver Hazard Perry. New Lexington is the county seat of this Appalachian coal-and-timber county.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA