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News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Opening Day 2006 2007
Adams 55 43
Allen 1 2
Ashland 50 33
Ashtabula 114 125
Athens 144 103 
Auglaize 6 3
Belmont 79 42
Brown 56 54
Butler 6 8
Carroll 44 34
Champaign 15 18
Clark 9 9
Clermont 50 64
Clinton 6 5
Columbiana 64 36
Coshocton 71 75
Crawford 10 13
Cuyahoga 0 0
Darke 5 2
Defiance 30 20
Delaware 5 11
Erie 3 5
Fairfield 21 21
Fayette 1 3
Franklin 1 2
Fulton 6 5
Gallia 57 39
Geauga 63 66
Greene 5 2
Guernsey 120 76
Hamilton 18 18
Hancock 1 3
Hardin 5 8
Harrison 83 85
Henry 3 4
Highland 32 58
Hocking 50 46
Holmes 63 39
Huron 21 12
Jackson 101 78
Jefferson 82 44
Knox 65 68
Lake 21 33
Lawrence 42 43
Licking 50 54
Logan 26 18
Lorain 18 25
Lucas 1 4
Madison 0 1
Mahoning 27 33
Marion 3 1
Medina 12 15
Meigs 116 86
Mercer 0 2
Miami 1 1
Monroe 70 52
Montgomery 0 2
Morgan 67 57
Morrow 42 22
Muskingum 67 57
Noble 69 20
Ottawa 0 0
Paulding 13 4
Perry 62 47
Pickaway 7 13
Pike 47 30
Portage 21 28
Preble 7 7
Putnam 5 8
Richland 50 60
Ross 61 61
Sandusky 1 1
Scioto 60 47
Seneca 21 11
Shelby 10 4
Stark 38 41
Summit 9 9
Trumbull 69 66
Tuscarawas 102 81
Union 2 0
Van Wert 1 2
Vinton 49 21
Warren 18 9
Washington 90 66
Wayne 21 11
Williams 35 28
Wood 1 3
Wyandot 5 3
Totals 3,058 2,569

April 23, 2007

OHIO'S SPRING TURKEY HUNTING SEASON UNDERWAY
Ashtabula County leads harvest on opening day

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio hunters harvested 2,569 bearded wild turkeys on the first day of the spring turkey-hunting season, which is open statewide through May 20. The preliminary figure was 16 percent below last year's opening day harvest number of 3,058 turkeys, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Top counties for wild turkeys killed were: Ashtabula-125, Athens-103, Meigs-86, Harrison-85, Tuscarawas-81, Jackson-78, Guernsey-76, Coshocton-75, Knox-68, and Geauga, Trumbull and Washington-66 each.

This is the eighth year that spring turkey hunting has been open in all of Ohio's 88 counties. The state's first modern-day spring turkey hunt was held in 1966.

The Division of Wildlife estimates that more than 85,000 people will hunt turkeys during the four-week season. Legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon daily. Ohio's wild turkey population was estimated at 200,000 prior to the start of the spring season.

A special youth-only hunt for hunters age 17 and younger was held statewide on Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22. Young hunters killed 1,630 birds statewide.  Top reporting counties were: Coshocton-66, Jackson and Tuscarawas-58 each, Brown and Trumbull-52 each, Athens- 49, Harrison- 48, Ashtabula and Columbiana- 47 each, and Washington- 46.  Last year, 1,872 birds were taken over the same two-day period.

The national 'Families Afield' initiative, spearheaded by the National Wild Turkey Federation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, encourages parents to take their youngsters hunting.

As part of this national initiative, Ohio has instituted an apprentice hunting license program. The program allows new hunters to sample the experience of hunting under the mentorship of a licensed adult, prior to completing a hunter education course. Ohio's Apprentice License Program began in May 2006. Since then, more than 10,000 new hunters, mostly youth, have taken advantage of the program.

"I am pleased that the apprentice license bill has been so successful," said Sen. Steve Buehrer, (R-Delta), sponsor of the 2006 Apprentice License Bill. "Sportsmen and women are the best advocates for the protection and proper management of our natural resources." 

Only bearded wild turkeys may be taken during the spring hunting season.  A hunter is required to take a harvested turkey to an official check station for permanent tagging by 2 p.m. on the day of harvest.  Hunters with the proper permits may take a limit of two bearded gobblers during the four-week season, but not more than one wild turkey per day.

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For additional news online, check out the ODNR Press Room at Ohiodnr.com

For Further Information Contact:
Dave Swanson, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(740) 589-9923
-or-
Vicki Ervin, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6325