MOUNT VERNON — It’s early, but the 2012 deer gun season is looking to be one of the most successful in years.
That’s good news for local businesses who cater to hunters.
Whether it’s guns, shells or hunting gear, it helps to be well-stocked when the first hunters come through the doors. That’s especially true for stores that offer deer tagging services.
“We have five people working here, and all we did was check deer,” said Rick Musick, owner and operator of Rick’s Sporting Goods in Mount Vernon. “We really didn’t get anything else done.”
The season’s first day brought in over 29,000 deer to check stations across the state Monday, an increase of more than 24 percent from a year ago. Knox County itself saw a jump of nearly 15 percent (719 to 830) and Licking County’s numbers rose more than 30 percent (616 to 805).
To top that off, local owners believe there are fewer hunters using the new online method of tagging — a version introduced last year.
“We had a lot of deer come in (Monday),” said Musick. “It was a lot more than we had last year. More people are bringing them in to check them rather than the phone or the Internet.”
One hunter who prefers the old-fashioned method is Bob Lynch, who owns a 150-acre farm outside Centerburg. Every year, he invites friends from out of the area and leads them on hunts on his property.
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