During Ohio’s 2024-25 deer season, 109,093 of the 238,137 deer checked were taken with a bow. In each of the last two seasons, archery harvest has surpassed 100,000 deer, indicating bowhunting in the state continues to rise in popularity. The 2024-25 archery total included 78,254 deer taken with a crossbow and 30,839 with a vertical bow.
Ohio’s 2025-26 statewide archery season began Saturday, Sept. 27, and continues through Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. By Nov. 2 bow hunters in the Buckeye State checked 46,359 whitetail deer, which includes the first six weekends of bowhunting, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
In Arizona
A crossbow harvest more than double the number taken by vertical bow in Ohio illustrates why Arizona recently repealed R12-4-216. The elimination of the regulation means that as of Jan. 1, 2026, crossbows can no longer be used during the state’s archery-only seasons. Coues whitetail and mule deer in the Grand Canyon State don’t display the same adaptability and survival rate as prolific whitetails and wildlife managers anticipate the change will help them keep populations at desired levels.
The Pope and Young Club (P&Y)—a leading voice in support of bowhunting and related conservation initiatives—supported the repeal. It explained the substantial increase in crossbow permittees participating in Arizona’s archery hunts, and their higher harvest success rates, raised serious concerns about maintaining the integrity and challenge of traditional archery hunting.
“This decision protects the spirit and tradition of bowhunting,” stated Kyle Lipke, P&Y youth coordinator. “It helps secure fair-chase bowhunting experiences and keeps the focus on developing skill patience, and respect for wildlife—values we want to pass on to the next generation.”
Estimates vary widely, but somewhere between 670,000 and 900,000 deer live in Ohio. Arizona’s deer population, according to a 2023 survey that included both mule deer and Coues whitetails, was less than 200,000.
