Youth hunters checked 1,740 wild turkeys over the weekend
Youth hunters checked 1,740 wild turkeys during the 2025 youth-only hunting season.
Youth wild turkey hunters across Ohio checked 1,740 birds during the state’s youth-only hunting weekend held April 12-13, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The two-day season was open to hunters age 17 and younger, who were required to be accompanied by a nonhunting adult. The three-year average for wild turkeys taken during the youth weekend from 2022 to 2024 is 1,571. In 2024, youth hunters checked 1,785 birds during the same weekend.
As of Sunday, April 13, the Division of Wildlife had issued 6,731 youth turkey permits, valid for the entire 2025 wild turkey hunting season. The season limit is one bird, and only bearded turkeys may be harvested.
The top 10 counties for turkeys checked during the 2025 youth season were: Monroe (62)
Noble (60)
Guernsey (55)
Tuscarawas (55)
Muskingum (54)
Belmont (52)
Ashtabula (49)
Carroll (49)
Harrison (47)
Columbiana (43)
In the spring of 2024, the top five counties for total wild turkey harvest were Ashtabula (470), Belmont (454), Tuscarawas (449), Monroe (447), and Washington (410). Additional data is available in the 2024 Spring Wild Turkey Report.
Spring wild turkey hunting for all ages begins in Ohio’s south zone on Saturday, April 19, and runs through Sunday, May 18. In the northeast zone—which includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties—hunting begins Saturday, May 3, and ends Sunday, June 1. These dates align with later turkey nesting in that region.
All hunters must have a valid hunting license and a spring turkey permit, unless exempt. Harvested turkeys must be game-checked by 11:30 p.m. on the day of the kill. Game check, licenses, and permits are available through the HuntFish OH app, the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System, or at participating license agents. Game check is also available by phone at 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (877-824-4864).
For more information, visit wildohio.gov or check the 2024-25 Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet.