COLUMBUS, OH – Hunters experienced their best opening day ever as Ohio’s first statewide spring turkey season began Monday, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Last year, hunters killed 2,794 wild turkeys on opening day of the spring season which was open in 57 counties. On Monday, the preliminary statewide total on the first day of the season showed hunters killed a record 3,743, or an increase of 34 percent.

Counties where the most wild turkeys were checked on Monday included Ashtabula – 229; Harrison – 177; Coshocton – 170; Guernsey – 158; and Tuscarawas - 126

The Division of Wildlife estimated that more than 52,000 people would hunt wild turkeys during the season that ends May 14. Legal hunting hours statewide are one half-hour before sunrise to noon daily, including Sundays.

Only bearded gobblers may be taken during the spring hunting season. Hunters are required to take their turkey to an official check station for permanent tagging by 2 p.m. on the same day the turkey was killed. Hunters with the proper permits may take a limit of two bearded gobblers during the three-week season, but not more than one wild turkey each day. More than 160,000 wild turkeys now inhabit Ohio.

Young hunters age 15 years and under killed 140 wild turkeys during special youth hunts held statewide April 21-22 on various public wildlife areas.

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For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6539
- or -
Dave Swanson, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(740) 664-2745

Adams – 71 (66); Allen – 0 (Closed); Ashland – 71 (72); Ashtabula – 229 (169); Athens – 110 (69); Auglaize – 1 (Closed); Belmont – 99 (45); Brown – 63 (45); Butler – 4 (Closed); Carroll – 82 (58); Champaign – 7 (0); Clark – 1 (Closed); Clermont – 60 (61); Clinton – 7 (5); Columbiana – 59 (77); Coshocton – 170 (126); Crawford – 8 (9); Cuyahoga – 0 (0); Darke – 0 (Closed); Defiance – 20 (Closed); Delaware – 5 (2); Erie – 2 (Closed); Fairfield – 61 (34); Fayette – 1 (Closed); Franklin – 0 (Closed); Fulton – 9 (Closed); Gallia – 75 (68); Geauga – 69 (57); Greene – 3 (3); Guernsey – 158 (149); Hamilton – 7 (4); Hancock – 0 (Closed); Hardin – 6 (Closed); Harrison – 177 (101); Henry – 10 (Closed); Highland – 29 (28); Hocking – 85 (78); Holmes – 84 (56); Huron – 16 (24); Jackson – 103 (92); Jefferson – 87 (61); Knox – 116 (62); Lake – 25 (25); Lawrence – 43 (46); Licking – 46 (65); Logan – 12 (11); Lorain – 11 (4); Lucas – 2 (Closed); Madison – 0 (Closed); Mahoning – 37 (32); Marion – 2 (Closed); Medina – 17 (8); Meigs – 82 (63); Mercer – 0 (Closed); Miami – 0 (Closed); Monroe – 96 (77); Montgomery – 0 (Closed); Morgan – 93 (55); Morrow – 25 (0); Muskingum – 81 (96); Noble – 89 (66); Ottawa – 0 (Closed); Paulding – 9 (Closed); Perry – 73 (56); Pickaway – 6 (Closed); Pike – 36 (34); Portage – 20 (15); Preble – 11 (Closed); Putnam – 3 (Closed); Richland – 101 (36); Ross – 75 (75); Sandusky – 4 (Closed); Scioto – 31 (37); Seneca – 22 (Closed); Shelby – 7 (8); Stark – 39 (10); Summit – 2 (2); Trumbull – 117 (80); Tuscarawas – 126 (102); Union – 2 (Closed); Van Wert – 0 (Closed); Vinton – 77 (70); Warren – 9 (4); Washington – 69 (64); Wayne – 26 (30); Williams – 43 (2); Wood – 0 (Closed); Wyandot – 9 (Closed) Totals: 3,743 (2,794)