AKRON, OH -- Special opportunities for junior hunters seeking wild turkeys will again be offered this spring by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. In addition to the statewide youth turkey hunts on April 21-22 on public hunting areas, drawings will be held on Saturday, April 7, for special, controlled youth turkey hunts at the Killbuck Marsh and Mosquito Creek State Wildlife Areas in Wayne and Trumbull counties. The special controlled hunts will take place on selected dates in April and May.
Hunters age 17 and under must be present in order to participate in the drawings. Registration for the Killbuck Marsh drawing will take place from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. at the Killbuck Valley Sportsman Club, located at 8482 TR 559 in Holmesville. The drawing will take place at 2 p.m. Registration for the Mosquito Creek drawing will take place from 9 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. at the Mosquito Creek State Wildlife Area Headquarters, 8303 N. Park Ave. in North Bloomfield. That drawing will take place at noon.
A total of 24 youth hunting permits will be awarded at Killbuck Marsh - three per day for the hunts on Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22, and three per day for each of the three Saturdays and Sundays of the spring turkey hunting season (April 23-May 13). Forty permits will be awarded at Mosquito Creek - five per day for the April 21 and April 22 hunts, and five per day for each of the three Saturdays and Sundays of the spring turkey hunting season. All 40 permits must be used at the Mosquito Creek State Wildlife Area.
Prior to the drawing at Killdeer Marsh, there will be a National Wild Turkey Federation event with instruction on shotgun safety and shotgun patterning; a turkey calling clinic and a demonstration of turkey trapping and management. At Mosquito Creek, young hunters can participate in similar activities, as well as a trap shoot, BB gun shoot and game identification workshop.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife will provide paper targets for hunters to pattern their shotguns. Young hunters who are awarded permits will be able to inspect their hunting terrain immediately following each public drawing.
ODNR reminds youths participating in the drawings that they must be accompanied by a licensed, non-hunting adult during their hunt.