# Gobble! Gobble!



## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

From ODNR...

OHIOS SPRING TURKEY HUNTING SEASON OFF TO GOOD START

 COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio hunters harvested 3,058 bearded wild turkeys on the first day of the spring turkey hunting season, which is open statewide through May 21, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The preliminary opening day figure was just over 8 percent higher than last years opening day harvest number of 2,824 turkeys.

An increase in turkey abundance coupled with nice weather resulted in a higher number of turkeys harvested during both the youth season and opening day of the spring turkey season, compared to last year, said Dave Swanson, wild turkey project leader for the Division of Wildlife. 

Top counties for wild turkeys killed were Athens-144; Guernsey-120; Meigs-116; Ashtabula-114; Tuscarawas-102; Jackson-101; Washington-90; Harrison-83; Jefferson-82; Belmont-79. 

This is the seventh year that spring turkey hunting has been open in all of Ohios 88 counties. The states first modern-day spring turkey hunt was held in 1966. 

The ODNR Division of Wildlife estimates that more than 90,000 people will hunt turkeys during the four-week season. Legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon daily. Ohios wild turkey population was estimated at 180,000 prior to the start of the spring season.

A special youth-only hunt for hunters age 17 and younger was held last Saturday and Sunday on public hunting areas across the state. Young hunters killed 1,872 birds statewide. Last year, 1,612 birds were taken over the same two-day period.

Only bearded wild turkeys may be taken during the spring hunting season. A hunter is required to take a harvested turkey to an official check station for permanent tagging by 2 p.m. on the day of harvest. Hunters with the proper permits may take a limit of two bearded gobblers during the four-week season, but not more than one wild turkey per day. 

Preliminary Turkey Season Opening Day Results

2006 Totals Followed by (2005) Totals

Adams - 55 (51); Allen - 1 (1); Ashland - 50 (30); Ashtabula - 114 (98); Athens - 144 (66); Auglaize - 6 (3); Belmont - 79 (70); Brown - 56 (62); Butler - 6 (12); Carroll - 44 (39); Champaign - 15 (11); Clark - 9 (4); Clermont - 50 (92); Clinton - 6 (9); Columbiana - 64 (48); Coshocton - 71 (96); Crawford - 10 (6); Cuyahoga - 0 (0); Darke - 5 (4); Defiance - 30 (31); Delaware - 5 (9); Erie - 3 (5); Fairfield - 21 (32); Fayette - 1 (0); Franklin - 1 (0); Fulton - 6 (4); Gallia - 57 (64); Geauga - 63 (43); Greene - 5 (1); Guernsey - 120 (91); Hamilton - 18 (11); Hancock - 1 (0); Hardin - 5 (1); Harrison - 83 (78); Henry - 3 (3); Highland - 32 (57); Hocking - 50 (77); Holmes - 63 (45); Huron - 21 (22); Jackson - 101 (94); Jefferson - 82 (90); Knox - 65 (81); Lake - 21 (21); Lawrence - 42 (45); Licking - 50 (57); Logan - 26 (22); Lorain - 18 (10); Lucas - 1 (2); Madison - 0 (1); Mahoning - 27 (36); Marion - 3 (1); Medina - 12 (17); Meigs - 116 (111); Mercer - 0 (0); Miami - 1 (0); Monroe - 70 (71); Montgomery - 0 (1); Morgan - 67 (65); Morrow - 42 (32); Muskingum - 67 (75); Noble - 69 (54); Ottawa - 0 (1); Paulding - 13 (9); Perry - 62 (58); Pickaway - 7 (7); Pike - 47 (42); Portage - 21 (12); Preble - 7 (13); Putnam - 5 (4); Richland - 50 (46); Ross - 61(48); Sandusky - 1 (5); Scioto - 60 (57); Seneca - 21(23); Shelby - 10 (3); Stark - 38 (41); Summit - 9 (7); Trumbull - 69 (40); Tuscarawas - 102 (80); Union - 2 (3); Van Wert - 1 (0); Vinton - 49 (23); Warren - 18 (12); Washington - 90 (74); Wayne - 21 (14); Williams - 35 (31); Wood - 1 (3); Wyandot - 5 (6) Totals - 3,058 (2,824)


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

thanks for that big daddy! lot of birds still out there too!


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## flypilot33 (Feb 9, 2006)

Do any of you think the state will ever make the season earlier, a time more favorable for hunters? Ohios season a so much later than most other states, our birds are on the down hill side of the breeding by the time the season starts.


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