DMU Holmes, Ohio
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey
- Group
- Northeast Ohio
- Area
- N/A
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 5,684
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for White-tailed Deer so far. Wild Turkey also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedHolmes County sits in the heart of Ohio Amish Country on the glaciated Allegheny Plateau — rolling hills of mixed hardwood timber, crop fields, and pasture that rank it among Ohio top-10 deer-producing counties. The 2024-25 season yielded 5,684 deer checked (rank 9th statewide), driven almost entirely by private-land hunting. Public hunting is severely limited; Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area (~5,761 acres split between Holmes and Wayne counties) is the primary public option, a wetland-dominant parcel better suited to waterfowl than big-game. The Amish-dominated landscape means most productive farmland-timber edge goes unhunted or requires personal landowner permission. Hunters who secure private access encounter excellent habitat, a healthy deer herd, and a 3-deer bag limit with solid antlerless opportunity.
Glaciated Allegheny Plateau; rolling hills with oak-hickory-maple timber interspersed with Amish row-crop fields, pasture, and stream corridors. Killbuck Creek watershed bisects the county creating wetland and bottomland habitat. Elevation relief is moderate (900-1,200 ft). Ecoregion: Western Allegheny Plateau.
Moderate-to-high on limited public parcels; low-to-moderate overall because most productive private farmland goes untouched or has exclusive access. Killbuck Marsh sees significant waterfowl pressure but lighter deer hunting pressure relative to its size. The heavy Amish private-land concentration effectively removes large acreage from general hunting access, concentrating effort on the small public footprint. Neighboring Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties (ranked 1st and 2nd statewide) draw out-of-county hunters and may deflect some pressure from Holmes.
3-deer bag limit per license year (one of Ohio higher-tier counties). Maximum 1 antlered deer per license year (antlers 3+ inches). Additional antlerless deer via Deer Management Permits. On public hunting areas: limit of 2 antlerless deer per license year. 2024-25 season harvest: 5,684 total deer (2,063 antlered / 3,621 antlerless); ranked 9th among Ohio 88 counties. Three-year gun-season average: ~1,557 deer; 2024 gun week alone: 1,804 deer (above average). CWD note: first Ohio CWD detection was in a captive Holmes County shooting preserve (2014); 24+ additional captive-facility positives in Holmes and Wayne counties through 2021. Holmes County is NOT within the current wild-deer Disease Surveillance Area (DSA centered on Wyandot/Allen/Hardin counties). Hunters should check ODNR for voluntary CWD check station guidance.
Deer seasons (2024-25): Archery Sept 28 2024 – Feb 2 2025; Youth Gun Nov 16-17 2024; Gun Dec 2-8 and Dec 21-22 2024; Muzzleloader Jan 4-7 2025. Turkey: Spring season opens mid-April (Holmes in south zone, not northeast zone that opens early May); Fall turkey season Oct 1-26. 2025 spring statewide total: 16,014 birds — Holmes not in top tier but supports huntable populations given diverse farm-timber habitat. Bag limit: 1 bearded turkey spring, requires spring turkey permit.
9th-highest deer harvest in Ohio (5,684 deer in 2024-25) despite limited public land — testament to exceptional private-land habitat quality. Mixed Amish farmland and hardwood timber produces classic food-source edge that whitetails thrive on. Hunters with private-land access find relatively unharvested deer on large contiguous parcels. Killbuck Marsh offers free public hunting on a 5,700-acre wetland block with deer, waterfowl, and turkey. The 3-deer bag limit and robust antlerless harvest (~64% of take) indicate ODNR manages the herd for population control, not trophy protection — expect good deer numbers but moderate trophy potential compared to lower-harvest neighboring counties where bucks have more time to age.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about DMU Holmes— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
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Boundaries: ODNR official county-based deer management units. Community info last updated 16d ago.