How it hunts
Hardwood ridges, CRP edges, and river-bottom timber.
Public access. Mostly private ground with scattered metroparks, stream corridors, or small WMAs.
497 sq mi of land (Census)
Glaciated Allegheny Plateau
Richland County
Rolling hills, woodlots, and creek bottoms cut through mixed farm country.
Sit forecast
Checking the forecast…
73/100
TrophyBook Opportunity Score · v1
Tied #10 of 88 Ohio counties
Ranks the county on harvest and record-book numbers. Not the odds of taking a buck.
- Total harvest5,151 deer · beats 89% of other counties35.6 / 40
- Harvest trend+23% · beats 68% of other counties17.0 / 25
- Harvest per sq mi10.4 per sq mi · beats 92% of other counties18.4 / 20
- Book-buck odds1.5 per 1,000 deer · beats 16% of other counties2.4 / 15
2025-26 harvest · record book 2019–2023 · How it works
Harvest418#15 of 88 · +4.8% vs last year
So far in 2026-27
Bucks142#19 of 88 · 34% of harvest
276 antlerless · +16% vs last year
Harvest per sq mi0.84#18 of 88
Not a population count
Book-buck odds1.5#68 of 88 · 0.7× Ohio
Per 1,000 deer · 27 entries, 2019–23
Harvest trend+23%#28 of 88
Last 3 seasons vs the 3 before
Harvest by season
Through Oct 13, 2026 · 399 at this point last season
Book bucks
341 Buckeye Big Buck Club entries · 284 typical · 57 non-typical · latest 2024 · #22 of 88
| Score | Hunter | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 253 5/8 | Corey Smith | 2022 |
| 249 0/8 | David Dull | 1987 |
| 223 2/8 | Shannon Finnegan | 2013 |
| 210 2/8 | Dan Aquino | 2014 |
| 202 6/8 | G D Mitchell | 2004 |
Taken with: Modern Shotgun 143 · Crossbow 82 · Long Bow 74 · Muzzleloader 30
All 341 entries →Buck board: no Richland deer posted for 2026-27 yet. Post the first
History
Richland County was created in 1808 and named for its rich soil. Mansfield is the county seat.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA