How it hunts
Oak-hickory forest, regenerating clearcuts, and brushy benches.
Public access. Shawnee State Forest, Ohio's largest contiguous public woods.
610 sq mi of land (Census)
Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau
Scioto County
Steep timber, hollows, and ridge-to-creek funnels. Big-woods public tracts mixed with family farms.
Sit forecast
Checking the forecast…
42/100
TrophyBook Opportunity Score · v1
Tied #58 of 88 Ohio counties
Ranks the county on harvest and record-book numbers. Not the odds of taking a buck.
- Total harvest2,576 deer · beats 57% of other counties22.8 / 40
- Harvest trend+9% · beats 32% of other counties8.0 / 25
- Harvest per sq mi4.2 per sq mi · beats 39% of other counties7.8 / 20
- Book-buck odds1.7 per 1,000 deer · beats 25% of other counties3.8 / 15
2025-26 harvest · record book 2019–2023 · How it works
Harvest238#30 of 88 · +47.8% vs last year
So far in 2026-27
Bucks107#29 of 88 · 45% of harvest
131 antlerless · +55% vs last year
Harvest per sq mi0.39#45 of 88
Not a population count
Book-buck odds1.7#62 of 88 · 0.8× Ohio
Per 1,000 deer · 18 entries, 2019–23
Harvest trend+9%#58 of 88
Last 3 seasons vs the 3 before
Harvest by season
Through Oct 13, 2026 · 161 at this point last season
Book bucks
201 Buckeye Big Buck Club entries · 163 typical · 38 non-typical · latest 2024 · #40 of 88
| Score | Hunter | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 231 4/8 | Roger D Lewis | 2003 |
| 229 5/8 | Ron Vastine | 2002 |
| 225 6/8 | Virgil Laxton | 2004 |
| 218 6/8 | Hunter Windsor | 2024 |
| 206 6/8 | Charles Lancaster | 1995 |
Taken with: Modern Shotgun 78 · Long Bow 52 · Crossbow 41 · Muzzleloader 14
All 201 entries →Buck board: no Scioto deer posted for 2026-27 yet. Post the first
History
Shawnee State Forest, Ohio’s largest contiguous public woods, sits here.
Scioto County was created in 1803 and named for the Scioto River. Portsmouth, at the Ohio confluence, is the county seat; Shawnee State Forest covers the hills.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA