COLUMBUS, OH -- Turkey hunters harvested 1,489 wild turkeys during the first five days of Ohio's sixth annual fall wild turkey hunting season that opened on October 13 and will run through October 28, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
This fall hunters are able to hunt turkeys in 32 counties. Ashtabula, Geauga, Licking, and Trumbull were added this year for the first time for the fall turkey hunt. The final tally for last fall's nine-day hunting turkey hunting season was 2,428. An additional week was added to this year's fall turkey hunting season, giving hunters 16 days of opportunity.
Fall wild turkey season hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. The bag limit is one turkey of either sex per hunter, per season. A fall turkey permit is required in addition to a current Ohio hunting license. All turkeys killed must be taken to an official turkey checking station by 8 p.m. of the day of harvest.
ODNR reminds hunters that because of the increased number of hunting days this fall for turkeys, the season will partially overlap the Special Area Primitive Season (October 22-27) deer hunt on three state-owned areas: Wildcat Hollow, Salt Fork Wildlife Area, and Shawnee State Forest. Turkey hunting will not be allowed on these areas during the primitive hunting season.
According to the ODNR Division of Wildlife says more than 260,000 wild turkeys now populate the state. More than 22,000 hunters pursued wild turkeys in Ohio last fall.
EDITORS NOTE: The following is a list of wilD TURKEYS CHECKED AND TAGGED THROUGH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17. A FINAL TALLY WILL BE PROVIDED AT THE CLOSE OF THE SEASON.
Adams - 30; Athens - 36; Ashtabula - 79; Belmont - 35; Brown - 32; Carroll - 32; Clermont - 24; Columbiana - 23; Coshocton - 100; Gallia - 45; Geauga - 64; Guernsey - 79; Harrison - 74; Hocking - 46; Holmes - 64; Jackson - 71; Jefferson - 23; Knox - 44; Lawrence - 16; Licking - 33; Meigs - 38; Monroe - 55; Morgan - 45; Muskingum - 51; Noble - 38; Perry - 54; Pike - 20; Ross - 25; Trumbull - 70; Tuscarawas - 68; Vinton - 38; and Washington - 37. Preliminary Total - 1,489