Hunting / Turkey Hunting
Wild Turkey Hunting
Season Dates and Bag Limits
Fall Turkey Season (limited counties)
Spring Turkey Season (open in all Ohio Counties)
Tagging Requirements
Turkey Permits Purchased Over the Internet
Spring Youth Wild Turkey Hunting
Special Youth Wild Turkey Hunts
Turkey Hunting Safety Tips
How to Tell a Gobbler From a Hen
Wild Turkey Hunting
- It is unlawful to take more than one turkey per day.
- It is unlawful to hunt turkeys with the aid of bait. An area is considered baited for ten (10) days after complete removal of any bait
- It is unlawful to use a live decoy while hunting turkeys.
- It is unlawful to use electronic calling devices while hunting turkeys.
- It is unlawful to take or attempt to take a wild turkey while it is in a tree.
- It is lawful to aid or assist another hunter who is hunting turkey if the temporary tag has been removed from their turkey permit as long as he or she does not carry any hunting device commonly used to kill wild animals and has a valid hunting license. Those persons exempted from having a hunting license and turkey permit for turkey hunting on their property are required to have a hunting license and turkey permit to aid another hunter or hunt turkey off their property.
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Fall Turkey Season
Season Dates >>
Only one turkey of either sex may be taken during
the entire fall season. A Fall Turkey Permit
is required. Hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise
to sunset from October 10 through November
29. Only shotguns using shot, crossbows, and
longbows permitted.
A wild turkey of either sex may be hunted in
Adams, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont,
Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton,
Cuyahoga, Defiance, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey,
Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson,
Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Lorain,
Mahoning, Medina, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan,
Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike,
Portage, Richland, Ross, Scioto, Stark, Summit,
Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Washington, Wayne, and Williams counties. See map below.
Fall turkey permits are available at all license outlets and online at the License and Permit Finder page.
Hunters may take a wild turkey with shotgun
or a longbow or crossbow from October 10
through November 29. Longbow: Minimum
draw weight 40 lbs. Crossbow: Draw weight
not less than 75 lbs.
It is legal to use dogs to assist in
taking turkeys during the fall turkey
season only.
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Spring Turkey Season (open in all Ohio Counties)
NEW HUNTING HOURS FOR SPRING 2010
April 19 - May 2, 2010: 1\2 hour before sunrise to noon.
May 3 - 16, 2010: 1\2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
Spring Turkey Permit required in addition to a
hunting license. Limit 2 bearded turkeys per
hunter per spring season. Only one bearded
turkey may be taken per day. Hours 1/2 hour
before sunrise to noon from April 19 - May 2, 2010. From May 3-16, 2010, hunting hours end at sunset. Only shotguns (including
muzzleloading shotguns) using shot, crossbows,
and longbows permitted.
Hunting licenses and turkey permits for the
spring season will be available at license outlets
and online at the License and Permit Finder page beginning
February 15, 2010.
Persons wishing to take a second wild turkey
during the spring season must purchase a second
permit.
It is legal to use a leashed dog to recover
wounded turkeys in the spring turkey season.
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Tagging Requirements
All hunters who bag a turkey must immediately fill out and immediately attach a temporary tag to the turkey and bring the tagged carcass, with feathers, head, and feet attached, to a check station. In the Spring Season, from April 19 through May 2 the bird must be checked in any county by 2 p.m. on the day killed. From May 3 through May 16 the bird must be checked in any county by 2 p.m. the day following harvest. In the Fall Season, the turkey must be checked in the county where the turkey was killed by 8 p.m. on the day the bird is shot. Hunters with turkey permits must use the temporary tag on the permit. Hunters not required to purchase a spring turkey permit must make their own tag with their name, address, and date and time the turkey was killed. This tag must be attached to the dead turkey immediately in the field at the place were it fell.
The material used to produce the licenses and permits has changed and will need to be protected from the elements. You may choose to purchase a reusable license/tag protective holder available at the license vendor or many office supply stores or make your own. Attach a piece of string, wire, etc. to your temporary tag and protective holder before you hunt.
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Turkey Permits Purchased Over the Internet
Hunters who purchase a turkey permit over the Internet must fill in the date, time, and county where the turkey was killed on the bottom portion of the permit they are carrying. This must be completed and kept by the hunter. DO NOT DETACH. The hunter then must make and attach their own temporary tag with their name, address, and date and time the turkey was killed and attach it to the turkey in the field at the place were it fell.
Take something with you to make a sturdy temporary tag and something to tie it on with when packing gear for your hunt.
A list of turkey check stations for the spring season is found in the Check Station Section of this Website.
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Spring Youth Wild Turkey Hunting
Lake La Su An Wildlife Area in Williams County is open to youth hunting only for the entire spring turkey season and the special youth only turkey season. A youth hunting permit is required. See the Youth Hunting Section for more information.
A statewide youth wild turkey season will be offered on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18, immediately prior to the regular wild turkey season in 2010. Hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
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Special Youth Wild Turkey Hunts
Special youth wild turkey hunts will be held on selected areas around the state. Check the Controlled Hunt page periodically for more information.
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Turkey Hunting Safety Tips
Turkey hunting is one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the country. With the increase in popularity, the need for safe practices in the field becomes even more important.
Carefully read the following tips and be a part of a safe and enjoyable hunting experience. A trip with an experienced turkey hunter can teach you a lot about both safety and turkey hunting tactics. And if YOU are an experienced hunter, consider taking a younger or less experienced hunter out so they can learn from you.
- Don't Stalk - Do not stalk a turkey or turkey sounds or try to drive turkeys to another hunter. The chances of bagging a turkey by this method are slim, but the chances of becoming involved in a shooting are great. Always call the turkey to you.
- Dress For Success - Eliminate the colors black, red, white, and blue from your hunting clothing. These colors are predominant in the male turkey’s plumage and can contribute to a mistaken-for-game incident. Wear complete camouflage.
- Remain Still - Never move, wave, or make turkey sounds to alert another hunter of your presence. Instead, yell or speak in a loud voice and remain still. Never assume you are the only hunter in an area.
- Calling - Be careful when using the gobble call. The sound and motion may attract other hunters and lead to a dangerous situation.
- Positioning - Select a calling position that places your back against a large tree and leaves the area in front of you open. Do not hide so well that you cannot see turkeys and other hunters. The tree you sit against will camouflage your outline and help protect your back.
- Identify Your Target - Never shoot at a sound or movement. Remember you can legally shoot only a bearded turkey during the spring season.
- Hunter Orange - Wear hunter orange when walking in the woods. If you kill a turkey, tag it immediately and then conceal it or wrap an orange covering on the bird before walking out of the woods.
- Know Your Range - Do not shoot at a turkey out of your shotgun’s effective range. Always shoot at the head and neck of the bird and remember that 30 yards or closer is ideal for a safe, clean kill. Remember to pattern your gun before the hunt and do not use large shot. A number 4, 5, 6, or 7 1/2 shot is ideal for turkey hunting in Ohio.
- See the Beard - Never let excitement, nerves, panic, or peer pressure guide your behavior. Make sure the object you are shooting is a bearded turkey. The most critical moment of any turkey hunt is when you decide to pull the trigger. See a beard before you shoot.
- Hunter Education - Attend a Division of Wildlife hunter education course. The NWTF and the Division of Wildlife sponsor turkey hunting seminars each year.
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How to Tell a Gobbler From a Hen
Hens sometimes have beards!
Large size, a long beard, and a reddish-white and/or bluish-white head are marks of the gobbler.
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