The first week of wild turkey hunting in Ohio ended with 7,873 birds checked through April 26. Hunters harvested 8,908 wild turkeys during the same time frame in 2019. The top 10 counties for wild turkey harvest during the first week of the 2020 hunting season include Belmont (266), Guernsey (250), Meigs (243), Tuscarawas (227), Harrison (224), Monroe (221), Brown (217), Coshocton (215), Muskingum (213) and Highland (206). In addition to the first full week of hunting, youth hunters harvested 1,843 wild turkeys during Ohio’s youth season April 18-19.
The state has two zones for spring turkey hunting: the south zone and the northeast zone. The south zone opening day was April 20. The northeast zone, which includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Trumbull counties in Ohio’s snow belt, begins May 4.
Ohio offers more opportunities for hunters of all ages to pursue wild turkeys. For 2020, the south zone is open to May 17. The northeast zone dates are from May 4 to May 31.
Find complete details in the 2019-2020 Hunting and Trapping Regulations or at wildohio.gov. For summaries of past turkey seasons click here.