Ohios spring turkey season is about to get underway and state wildlife biologists say hunters should expect many opportunities to bring home a gobbler. The four-week turkey season runs April 28 through May 25.
An estimated 220,000 wild turkeys currently inhabit Ohios 88 counties. Its often hard to believe that Ohios first turkey hunting season in 1966 covered only nine counties with an estimated population of a few thousand turkeys across the state. Through wise wildlife management, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife has successfully restored the eastern wild turkey to Ohios woodlands and continues in this effort today. In fact, Ohio is gaining a national reputation as one of the best turkey hunting states in the Midwest.
In 1956, the division began a trap and transfer program in an effort to reintroduce the wild turkey to our state. Turkeys were caught and released in forested areas of eastern and southeastern Ohio. Wild turkeys were also released in areas identified as having marginal habitat, which also proved to be highly successful because of the birds highly adaptable nature.
Turkey hunting continues to increase in popularity each year. Last spring, 22,173 gobblers were harvested.
Hunters are required to have a turkey hunting permit and may take a limit of two bearded gobblers this season if they also possess a special bonus turkey permit. Legal hunting hours are one-half before sunrise until noon.
A special youth-only turkey hunt, for hunters 17-years-old and younger, will be held April 26 and 27, prior to the regular spring gobbler season. Young hunters must have their hunting license and spring wild turkey permit to participate, and must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, 18 years of age or older. The young hunter's turkey season is open only on pubic hunting areas with the exception of Lake LaSuAn Wildlife Area in Williams County.
Wild turkeys must be properly tagged and taken to an official check station by 2 p.m. on the day the bird is harvested. Shotguns, longbows and crossbows may be used to hunt wild turkeys. It is unlawful to hunt turkeys over bait, to use a live decoy or electronic calling device, and to shoot a wild turkey while it is in a tree.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife advises hunters to wear hunter orange clothing when entering, leaving, or moving through hunting areas so they can remain visible to other hunters in the area. A pamphlet, "What Every Spring Gobbler Hunter Should Know," (.pdf format) is distributed by hunting license vendors. It contains safety tips and a list of turkey check stations.