Ohio deer research / Mercer County
Mercer County, Ohio Deer Hunting Research
Provisional FDR Deer Herd Index 28.8 Provisional, ranked #84 of 88 ranked Ohio counties. Built from Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) county season tables, 2019–2025; dated cumulative reports through 2026-02-01 plus public-land access.
2026–27 Ohio game information
No 2026–27 weekly harvest report was found in the six exact ODNR DAM URLs checked; the latest published harvest report here is dated 2026-02-01. Dates and limits below are structured from official Ohio Department of Natural Resources sources retrieved 2026-10-03.
| Season | Open | Close | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer archery statewide | 2026-09-26 | 2027-02-07 | County limits below |
| Deer archery disease surveillance area | 2026-09-12 | 2027-02-07 | County limits below |
| Youth deer gun statewide | 2026-11-21 | 2026-11-22 | County limits below |
| Deer gun statewide | 2026-11-30 | 2026-12-06 | County limits below |
| Bonus deer gun statewide | 2026-12-19 | 2026-12-20 | County limits below |
| Deer muzzleloader statewide | 2027-01-02 | 2027-01-05 | County limits below |
| Early deer gun disease surveillance area | 2026-10-10 | 2026-10-12 | County limits below |
| Wild turkey fall (70 counties) | 2026-10-01 | 2026-10-25 | 1 per season |
| Wild turkey spring | No closed season / TBA | No closed season / TBA | To be announced |
| Squirrel | 2026-09-01 | 2027-01-31 | 6 daily |
| Cottontail rabbit | 2026-11-06 | 2027-02-28 | 4 daily |
| Ring-necked pheasant (roosters only) | 2026-11-06 | 2027-01-10 | 2 daily |
| Chukar | 2026-11-06 | 2027-01-10 | 4 daily |
| Bobwhite quail (16 counties and specific wildlife areas only) | 2026-11-06 | 2026-11-29 | 2 daily |
| Crow (Friday, Saturday, Sunday only) | 2026-06-05 | 2027-03-07 | None |
| Fox, raccoon, skunk, opossum, weasel hunting/trapping | 2026-11-10 | 2027-01-31 | None |
| Coyote | No closed season / TBA | No closed season / TBA | No closed season |
| Woodchuck | No closed season / TBA | No closed season / TBA | No closed season |
| Mink, muskrat trapping | 2026-11-10 | 2027-02-28 | None |
| Mink, muskrat, raccoon, opossum, skunk, weasel: Lucas County east of Maumee River, Ottawa, Sandusky, Erie | 2026-11-10 | 2027-03-15 | No limit |
| Beaver trapping | 2026-12-26 | 2027-02-28 | None |
| River otter zone rules | 2026-12-26 | 2027-02-28 | Season total 3; no more than 1 from Zone B; up to 3 from Zone A |
| Ruffed grouse | Controlled hunts only | See permit | See permit |
| Youth small game | 2026-10-24 | 2026-10-25 | Same as regular season |
| Youth small game | 2026-10-31 | 2026-11-01 | Same as regular season |
| Early Canada goose | 2026-09-05 | 2026-09-13 | 5 daily |
| Early teal (blue-winged, green-winged, cinnamon) | 2026-09-05 | 2026-09-13 | 6 daily |
| Youth waterfowl | 2026-10-03 | 2026-10-04 | Same as regular season |
| Military waterfowl | 2026-10-03 | 2026-10-04 | Same as regular season |
| Goose regular season zone A | 2026-10-17 | 2026-11-01 | 5 combined Canada/white-fronted; no more than 1 brant; 10 combined snow/blue/Ross |
| Goose regular season zone A | 2026-11-14 | 2027-02-01 | 5 combined Canada/white-fronted; no more than 1 brant; 10 combined snow/blue/Ross |
| Duck, coot and merganser season zone A | 2026-10-17 | 2026-11-01 | Ducks: 6 daily with species caps; mergansers: 5 (only 2 hooded); coots: 15. See duck limits below. |
| Duck, coot and merganser season zone A | 2026-11-14 | 2026-12-27 | Ducks: 6 daily with species caps; mergansers: 5 (only 2 hooded); coots: 15. See duck limits below. |
| Goose regular season zone B | 2026-10-17 | 2026-10-25 | 5 combined Canada/white-fronted; no more than 1 brant; 10 combined snow/blue/Ross |
| Goose regular season zone B | 2026-11-21 | 2027-02-15 | 5 combined Canada/white-fronted; no more than 1 brant; 10 combined snow/blue/Ross |
| Duck, coot and merganser season zone B | 2026-10-17 | 2026-10-25 | Ducks: 6 daily with species caps; mergansers: 5 (only 2 hooded); coots: 15. See duck limits below. |
| Duck, coot and merganser season zone B | 2026-11-21 | 2027-01-10 | Ducks: 6 daily with species caps; mergansers: 5 (only 2 hooded); coots: 15. See duck limits below. |
| Goose regular season zone C | 2026-10-17 | 2026-10-25 | 5 combined Canada/white-fronted; no more than 1 brant; 10 combined snow/blue/Ross |
| Goose regular season zone C | 2026-11-21 | 2027-02-15 | 5 combined Canada/white-fronted; no more than 1 brant; 10 combined snow/blue/Ross |
| Duck, coot and merganser season zone C | 2026-10-17 | 2026-10-25 | Ducks: 6 daily with species caps; mergansers: 5 (only 2 hooded); coots: 15. See duck limits below. |
| Duck, coot and merganser season zone C | 2026-12-12 | 2027-01-31 | Ducks: 6 daily with species caps; mergansers: 5 (only 2 hooded); coots: 15. See duck limits below. |
| Dove (mourning and Eurasian collared) | 2026-09-01 | 2026-11-08 | 15 daily |
| Dove (mourning and Eurasian collared) | 2026-12-12 | 2027-01-01 | 15 daily |
| Rail (Virginia, Sora) | 2026-09-01 | 2026-11-09 | 25 daily |
| Gallinule | 2026-09-01 | 2026-11-09 | 15 daily |
| Wilson's snipe | 2026-09-01 | 2026-11-25 | 8 daily |
| Wilson's snipe | 2026-12-12 | 2027-01-01 | 8 daily |
| American woodcock | 2026-10-16 | 2026-11-29 | 3 daily |
Mercer County deer limits: statewide license-year maximum 6; statewide antlered maximum 1; ODNR map total limit 3. Public hunting areas have an antlerless maximum of 2, subject to the listed exceptions.
Official sources: ODNR official season chart · Ohio Administrative Code effective July 6, 2026 · Ohio Administrative Code DSA rule effective July 6, 2026 · ODNR final Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. County map limits: final ODNR 2026–27 regulation book, page 7. Permit restrictions: Ohio Administrative Code rule 1501:31-15-11, effective July 6, 2026. DSA boundaries: rule 1501:31-19-03. The map and permit-rule limits are retained separately.
Season dates may vary by zone or controlled permit. Use the official zone maps and permit rules for the area you hunt. Waterfowl zone map · River otter zone map
Game requirements and limits
- HIP certification. Migratory bird hunters need a valid Ohio hunting license and Harvest Information Program certification. Official guide, page 18
- Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp. Waterfowl hunters age 18 or older need the Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp endorsement. Official guide, page 18
- Federal Duck Stamp. Waterfowl hunters age 16 or older need a signed federal Duck Stamp or federal E-Stamp certification. Official guide, page 18
- Migratory bird hours. The page-18 migratory bird seasons run sunrise to sunset unless posted. Official guide, page 18
- Regular waterfowl hours. Regular waterfowl seasons run 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset unless posted. Official guide, page 19
- Migratory bird possession limit. After the second day the possession limit is three times the daily bag limit. Official guide, page 18
- Daily duck species caps. Within the 6-duck daily limit: no more than 4 mallards (only 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 3 pintails, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 2 black ducks or 1 mottled duck. Scaup: 1 during the first 15 days; 2 during the next 45 days of the season. Official guide, page 19
- Controlled deer hunts. Up to 6 additional deer may be taken during controlled hunts. Controlled deer do not count toward the county or statewide regular-season limit. Only 1 antlered deer may be taken across all regular and controlled seasons. Official guide, page 26
Controlled hunt and trapping applications
These are application windows. Hunt dates and access depend on the selected permit.
| Opportunity | Application period | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | March 1–March 31 (annual application window; year not specified in this table) | Online or phone |
| Deer, small game, dove, waterfowl, waterfowl blind | July 1–July 31 (annual application window; year not specified in this table) | Online or phone |
| Beaver, otter, furbearer | October 3, 2026 (one day) | In person |
What drives the Mercer County index
Provisional components, each scored 0–100 against the ranked Ohio counties. Provisional.
Trophy Index
82↑ out of 100. How this county ranks for trophy bucks against every county we cover. 100 is the top. Ranked per acre of bow-huntable land (10 m estimate).
2019–2025 harvest trend
| Season | Total harvest |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,432 |
| 2024 | 1,307 |
| 2023 | 1,137 |
| 2022 | 1,075 |
| 2021 | 931 |
| 2020 | 880 |
| 2019 | 814 |
Harvest totals from Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) county season tables, 2019–2025; dated cumulative reports through 2026-02-01. The annual county total remains the ODNR county season-table measure; dated cumulative reports below carry the report-date archery and gun breakdown.
See full Mercer County harvest charts →
ODNR weekly cumulative harvest
These are ODNR in-season report rows for Mercer County. Each row is a dated cumulative report; the annual county season total above remains the separate ODNR county season-table measure. The most recent report included here is 2026-02-01; no current 2026–27 weekly row is implied.
| Report date | Week | All deer cumulative | Archery cumulative | Gun cumulative | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-01 | 19 | 1,432 | 643 | 789 | ODNR report |
| 2026-01-27 | 18 | 1,419 | 630 | 789 | ODNR report |
| 2026-01-20 | 17 | 1,414 | 625 | 789 | ODNR report |
| 2026-01-13 | 16 | 1,409 | 620 | 789 | ODNR report |
| 2026-01-06 | 15 | 1,404 | 616 | 788 | ODNR report |
| 2025-12-30 | 14 | 1,365 | 613 | 752 | ODNR report |
| 2025-12-23 | 13 | 1,360 | 608 | 752 | ODNR report |
| 2025-12-16 | 12 | 1,265 | 604 | 661 | ODNR report |
Source: ODNR dated cumulative harvest reports through 2026-02-01. Values are reported cumulative totals; any week-to-week change is calculated from adjacent dated reports. Each row links to its ODNR source when a public URL is available.
Harvest composition
ODNR reports each deer as an Antlered Buck, Doe, or Button Buck (a male fawn). In 2025, Mercer County ran 555 antlered bucks, 722 does, and 155 button bucks.
| Season | Antlered buck | Doe | Button buck | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 555 | 722 | 155 | 1,432 |
| 2024 | 525 | 609 | 173 | 1,307 |
| 2023 | 492 | 498 | 147 | 1,137 |
| 2022 | 390 | 532 | 153 | 1,075 |
| 2021 | 397 | 406 | 128 | 931 |
| 2020 | 349 | 397 | 134 | 880 |
| 2019 | 337 | 349 | 128 | 814 |
Antlered buck = adult male; button buck = male fawn; doe = adult female. Only MDC's additive method portions are summed, so the three sum to the county total, with no double-counting.
See full Mercer County composition charts →
Herd & land detail
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Latest season (2025) | 1,432 deer |
| Harvest per sq mi | 3.10 |
| Buck : doe ratio | 0.77 |
| County land (sq mi) | 462.40 |
| Public-land acres | 486 |
Methodology
Provisional index. Provisional index: herd, harvest, trophy (the Trophy Index), and roadway (exposure-normalized deer-vehicle crash rate) components; habitat/age-structure partial where the state does not publish them.. FULLY DRAWN RESEARCH · Ohio DNR (ODNR) PROVISIONAL COUNTY DEER INDEX
Informational only. Built from public-record Ohio DNR (ODNR) county harvest data, US Census TIGER county land area, the Trophy Index, and exposure-normalized deer-vehicle crash rates where published. Provisional index; some components partial or pending. Not a prediction or guarantee. Verify with the Ohio DNR (ODNR).
See Mercer County on the map
Parcels with owner & acreage, public hunting land, leaf-off imagery, and this research, together on one hunting map.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Mercer County, Ohio good for deer hunting?
Mercer County scores 28.8 of 100 on the provisional FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #84 of 88 ranked Ohio counties. The provisional index is built from ODNR public harvest records, the Trophy Index and deer-vehicle crash data; some components are partial, as noted in the methodology.
How many deer were harvested in Mercer County last season?
ODNR records show 1,432 deer harvested in Mercer County, Ohio in 2025, the most recent reported season.