Dave Golowenski

Special to The Columbus DispatchView Comments

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A small sampling probably should be studied with the skepticism most moderns reserve for the prophetic powers of chicken entrails.

So, is it sufficient to report only that the 2022-23 deer archery season got off to a slightly better start than did the first four days of the hunt a year ago? The honest answer is that it’ll have to be.

The numbers were higher as the current season comes somewhat complicated by deer diseases, one more acute and soon to pass and another chronic and likely to be in play for a long time.

Or, allowing for nice weather generally that encouraged participation, maybe the dual pestilence had little effect.

At any rate, between statewide opening day Sept. 24 and Tuesday the Ohio Division of Wildlife reported hunters checked 6,148 whitetails, 382 more than the 5,766 reported during…