COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s spring wild turkey hunting seasons are set to begin this April, continuing a popular tradition that has been enjoyed since 1966. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife has reported that hunters this year can expect to benefit from two years of above-average turkey hatches.
The youth wild turkey hunting season is scheduled for April 15 and 16, while Ohio’s regular seasons are divided into two zones. The south zone opens to hunters on April 22, and the northeast zone, which includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties, opens on April 29. The season limit is one bearded turkey.
Last year, hunters harvested a total of 11,872 wild turkeys during the spring season, including 1,103 checked by young hunters during the two-day youth season. Eastern and southern counties typically record the highest number of harvests since they have the most forested habitat. Ashtabula was the top county, with 348 birds taken, followed by Tuscarawas, Belmont, Guernsey, and Columbiana.
To participate in the upcoming youth hunting season, hunters aged 17 and under will need a valid youth hunting license and a youth turkey permit. Both can be purchased on the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System, via the HuntFish OH mobile app, or at participating license sales agents. Youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, aged 18 or older, and hunting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.
During the first nine days of the regular season, hunting hours in both the south and northeast zones are from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon. Hours are then extended until sunset for the remainder of the season. The season ends on May 21 for the south zone and May 28 for the northeast zone. Hunters must have a valid hunting license and spring turkey permit, unless exempted.
All harvested birds must be game-checked no later than 11:30 pm on the day it was taken. The Division of Wildlife’s automated game-check system is available on wildohio.gov, on the HuntFish OH mobile app, by phone, or at a participating license agent. Reporting the harvest is important to allow the Division of Wildlife to monitor the wild turkey populations and make management decisions.
For those new to turkey hunting, there is a Wild Ohio Harvest Community page with information on how to get started, hunting-related workshops, special hunting opportunities for mentors and new hunters, and wild game recipes. New hunters can purchase an apprentice hunting license to gain experience alongside a licensed hunter without having completed a hunter education course.
Ohio’s Division of Wildlife is celebrating 150 years of professional fish and wildlife conservation since its founding as the Ohio Fish Commission in 1873. Wild turkeys were restored to the state by the Division of Wildlife, beginning in 1956, and Ohio’s first modern turkey hunting season opened in 1966 in nine counties. A statewide season began in 2000.