Ohio wild turkey hunters checked 4,367 birds during the opening weekend of the spring hunting season, April 20-21, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

In 2023, hunters harvested 4,078 turkeys during the opening weekend. The three-year average during the first two days of the spring season from 2021 to 2023 is 3,758 birds. Not included in this year’s opening weekend results are the 1,785 wild turkeys taken during the youth-only weekend, April 13-14.

The top 10 counties for wild turkeys checked during the opening weekend: Belmont (146), Tuscarawas (139), Carroll (128), Meigs (128), Washington (128), Adams (127), Guernsey (126), Monroe (126), Gallia (125), and Jefferson (119).

Turkey season kicks off in the northeast zone (Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull) on Saturday, April 27. Hunting hours during the first nine days of each zone are from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon. Hours in the south zone (83 of Ohio’s 88 counties) are from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset beginning Monday, April 29 and continuing until the season closes on May 19. The northeast zone’s hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset from May 6-26.

The season bag limit is one bird statewide. Check the Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations for more information.

Hunters are required to have a valid hunting license in addition to a spring turkey permit, unless exempted. Successful hunters are required to game-check their turkey no later than 11:30 p.m. on the day of harvest. Game check, licenses, and permits are available on the HuntFish OH app, via the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System, or at a participating license agent. Game check can also be done by phone at 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (877-824-4864). As of Sunday, April 21, the Division of Wildlife has issued 40,405 turkey permits that are valid throughout the spring hunting season.

Each summer, the Division of Wildlife collects information on young wild turkeys, called poults. Brood surveys in 2021, 2022, and 2023 showed above average results that will benefit Ohio’s wild turkey population numbers this spring. The average poults per hen observed was 2.8 in 2023, 3.0 in 2022, and 3.1 in 2021, with a long-term average of 2.7. Ohio’s turkey biologists have found that spring turkey hunting success is closely tied to the hatch productivity two years prior.

Wild turkeys were extirpated from Ohio by 1904 and were reintroduced in the 1950s by the Division of Wildlife. Ohio’s first modern-day turkey season opened in 1966 in nine counties, and hunters took 12 birds. The turkey harvest topped 1,000 for the first time in 1984. Spring turkey hunting opened statewide in 2000, and Ohio hunters checked more than 20,000 turkeys for the first time that year. More information about previous turkey seasons can be found in the Spring Turkey Harvest Summary.

The mission of the Division of Wildlife is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to find out more.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.