In the aftermath of a late summer outbreak from the notorious biting midge and then a howling weekend snowstorm that coincided with the deer gun season opener on Dec. 1, Ohio hunters managed to harvest 23,149 whitetails, according to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife news release.

Still, it was a 13 percent decrease from 2024’s total of 26,670 on that year’s opener.

It appears the hurdles may have had an effect, either because hunters were chased from going outside into the cold or their desire to not take animals in face of the severe mortality numbers from epizootic hemorrhagic disease, as some wildlife officials said previously would be a good way to counter the losses.

“EHD impacts are certainly part of it — as the opening day harvest for those four counti

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