Husted harvests eight-point buck; gun season starts Nov. 27

Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted harvested an eight-point whitetail buck in Morrow County last week with a 10-point crossbow made in Ohio.

“I love crossbow hunting during the fall,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “The weather is mild, the trees are beautiful, the harvesting of crops is active, the aroma in the air is refreshing, and there is so much activity in the outdoors with the animals in the forest actively preparing for winter. It’s peaceful and wonderful.”

An avid hunter, this isn’t the Lt. Governor’s first harvest. He learned to hunt at a young age from his father, Jim, and harvested his first deer at the age of 14.

The Lt. Governor said the key to this bag was “patience.” The deer was taken to Trailside Custom Meats in Kenton, where they will process it into steaks, burgers, bologna, and deer sticks.

Second Lady Tina Husted shares the Lt. Governor’s excitement for the harvest. “Jon’s avid hunting has blessed our family over the years, filling our freezer with high-quality Ohio deer meat that will nourish our family in the winter months. I make a mean deer stew, and I’m looking forward to that first meal from this harvest.”

The Lt. Governor isn’t the only hunter in the family. Two years ago, his daughter, Katie, harvested a 12-point buck in Clark County.

One of Ohio’s most anticipated fall traditions begins soon during the annual white-tailed deer gun hunting seasons. Ohio’s youth hunting season is Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18-19. Gun hunters of all ages can participate in the upcoming seven-day gun season from Monday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Dec. 3. A bonus weekend of gun hunting will take place Dec. 16-17; muzzleloader season is Jan. 6-9, 2024. Ohio’s archery season runs through Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. 

Legal hunting implements during the gun seasons include shotguns, straight-walled cartridge rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns, and archery equipment. All hunters, regardless of the implement they use, are required to wear hunter orange during the gun seasons. Learn more by reading the 2023-24 hunting and trapping regulations and visiting the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife’s hunting webpage.

Hunters who harvest a deer and would like to donate the venison through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry can bring it to one of 26 certified deer processing shops in Ohio. Each donated deer is provided to a verified charitable organization that offers food assistance. One harvested deer yields approximately 50 pounds of venison and 200 meals. Find the complete list of processors accepting donations of harvested deer at feedingthehungry.org. Hunters who donate their deer are not required to pay for the processing of the venison.