COLUMBUS — Ohio’s youth hunters checked 1,843 wild turkeys during the 2020 two-day spring youth season Saturday and Sunday, according to information provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
This year’s total was an impressive increase from the 1,331 turkeys harvested during last year’s youth hunt.
Youth hunters were required to be accompanied by a non-hunting adult during the two-day season.
Monroe County hunters led the state with 71 turkeys. Tuscarawas was second with 68 and rounding out the top five were Muskingum (63), Meigs (57) and Washington (55).
Locally, youth hunters in Logan County harvested 12 turkeys after seven were taken in the county last year.
Hunters of all ages will have upcoming opportunities to pursue wild turkeys in Ohio. The state has two zones for spring turkey hunting: the south zone and the northeast zone.
For 2020, the south zone hunting period opened Monday and runs through May 17. The northeast zone dates are May 4-31.
Complete details are in the 2019-2020 hunting and trapping regulations booklet and are also available at wildohio.gov.
The spring turkey season bag limit is two bearded wild turkeys. Hunters may harvest one bearded turkey per day, and a second spring turkey permit may be purchased at any time throughout the spring turkey season. Turkeys are required to be checked no later than 11:30 p.m. the day of harvest. All hunters are required to report their turkey harvest using the automated game-check system, which is available online, by phone or at a participating license agent.
Hunters may hunt wild turkeys with shotguns or archery equipment. It is unlawful to hunt turkeys using bait, live decoys or electronic calling devices, or to shoot a wild turkey while it is in a tree. The Division of Wildlife advises turkey hunters to wear hunter orange clothing when entering, leaving or moving through hunting areas in order to remain visible to others.