COLUMBUS — Youth wild turkey hunters in Ohio checked 1,785 birds during the special youth-only hunting weekend on April 13-14, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The three-year average for wild turkeys taken during the two-day youth season (2021-2023) is 1,466 birds. In 2023, youth hunters harvested 1,823 turkeys on the corresponding weekend.
The season was open to hunters 17-years-old and younger, and participants were required to be accompanied by a nonhunting adult. As of April 14, the ODNR Division of Wildlife has issued 6,539 youth turkey permits, which can be used throughout the 2024 wild turkey hunting season. The season limit is one bird, and only bearded turkeys may be harvested.
The top 10 counties for wild turkey harvest during the 2024 youth season were: Tuscarawas (62), Noble (60), Washington (59), Monroe (58), Jefferson (55), Belmont (53), Gallia (52), Muskingum (52), Coshocton (47) and Meigs (45).
