Ohio’s Wild Turkey Hunting Season Results Through Sunday, April 27

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s wild turkey hunters have bagged 10,078 birds so far during the 2025 spring season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Wild turkey hunting opened on Saturday, April 19 in the 83 counties that comprise the south zone. This year’s results include all birds taken through Sunday, April 27, as well as the 1,740 turkeys checked during the youth-only season, April 12-13.

Ohio hunters have checked 10,078 wild turkeys so far during the 2025 spring hunting season.

In 2024, hunters checked 10,082 wild turkeys during the same time period, with a three-year average (2022 to 2024) of 9,094.

The spring season opens in the northeast zone (Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties) on Saturday, May 3.

The 10 counties with the most wild turkeys checked so far in 2025 are Belmont (324), Monroe (316), Guernsey (309), Muskingum (286), Meigs (274), Tuscarawas (274), Harrison (273), Coshocton (269), Carroll (264), and Columbiana (264).

The Division of Wildlife has issued 46,845 spring wild turkey permits that are valid throughout the 2025 season. Hunting is open in the south zone until Sunday, May 18. Hunting hours in the south zone are from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset. When the northeast zone opens on Saturday, May 3, hunting hours will be from 30 minutes before sunrise to noon for the first nine days. The northeast zone’s hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset from May 12 to June 1.

The season bag limit is one bearded turkey. Complete details can be found in the 2024-25 hunting and trapping regulations.

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 completed by phone at 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (877-824-4864).

Each summer, the Division of Wildlife collects information on young wild turkeys, called poults. Brood surveys in 2022, 2023, and 2024 showed positive results that will benefit Ohio’s wild turkey population numbers this spring. The average poults per hen observed was 2.9 in 2024, 2.8 in 2023, and 3.0 in 2022, with a long-term average of 2.8. Ohio’s turkey biologists have found that spring turkey hunting success is closely tied to the hatch productivity two years prior.?

Wild turkeys disappeared (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. 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.?
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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.