Nearly 220,000 deer taken in Ohio hunting season

LIMA, Ohio (AP) - Ohio officials say the number of deer harvested in the most recent hunting season decreased by nearly 20,000 compared with last year.

The Lima News reports nearly 220,000 deer were killed during the 2011-2012 season, compared with a little over 239,000 the previous season.

The final count released Monday by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources shows the highest county totals were tallied in east-central Ohio. Coshocton County had the most deer taken at 7,969. Neighboring Licking County had 7,275, followed by Tuscarawas County with 6,950.

The newspaper says the white-tailed deer is Ohio's most popular game animal, and the state ranks in the top 10 nationally in terms of annual hunting-related sales and related jobs.