EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website.
COLUMBUS – Youth wild turkey hunters across Ohio checked 1,740 birds during the state’s special youth-only weekend of turkey hunting on April 12-13, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
The two-day season was open to hunters aged 17 and younger, and participants were required to be accompanied by a nonhunting adult.
Knox County outdoor enthusiasts took home 19 turkeys, that’s down from the three-year average of 21.
Richland County gunners took 12 turkeys, less than half of the three-year average of 27.
Ashland County hunters bagged 20 birds, that’s down from the three-year average of 24.
As of Sunday, April 13, the Division of Wildlife has issued 6,731 youth turkey permits, which can be used throughout the 2025 wild turkey hunting season. The season limit is one bird, and only bearded turkeys may be taken.
The top 10 counties for wild 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), and Columbiana (43).
In the spring of 2024, the top five counties for wild turkey harvest by the end of the season were Ashtabula (470), Belmont (454), Tuscarawas (449), Monroe (447), and Washington (410).
More information about previous seasons can be found in the 2024 spring wild turkey report.
Spring wild turkey hunting for all ages opens in the 83 counties that comprise the south zone on Saturday, April 19 and concludes Sunday May 18.
In the northeast zone (Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties), hunting begins on Saturday, May 3 and concludes Sunday, June 1.
Season dates in the northeast zone correspond with later turkey incubation in that region.
Hunters are required to have a valid hunting license in addition to a spring turkey permit, unless exempted. Successful hunters are required to game-check their turkey no later than 11:30 p.m. on the day of harvest.
Game check, licenses, and permits are available on the HuntFish OH app, on the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System, or at a participating license agent.
Game check can also be done by phone at 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (877-824-4864). Find complete details in the 2024-25 Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet.
Ohio’s county by county results
A county list of all wild turkeys checked by youth hunters during the 2025 youth turkey season is shown below.
The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2025, and the three-year average from 2022 to 2024 is in parentheses.
A three-year average provides a better overall comparison to this year’s numbers, eliminating year-to-year variation because of weather, misaligned season dates, and other unavoidable factors. Numbers below are raw data and are subject to change.
Adams: 30 (32); Allen: 8 (9); Ashland: 20 (24); Ashtabula: 49 (31); Athens: 20 (25); Auglaize: 5 (4); Belmont: 52 (44); Brown: 37 (35); Butler: 15 (20); Carroll: 49 (27); Champaign: 8 (7); Clark: 1 (1); Clermont: 18 (20); Clinton: 7 (8); Columbiana: 43 (38); Coshocton: 40 (45); Crawford: 9 (3); Cuyahoga: 0 (1); Darke: 17 (16); Defiance: 23 (23); Delaware: 6 (7); Erie: 5 (4); Fairfield: 10 (8); Fayette: 1 (1); Franklin: 0 (1); Fulton: 18 (17); Gallia: 40 (43); Geauga: 28 (20); Greene: 1 (4); Guernsey: 55 (36); Hamilton: 9 (9); Hancock: 6 (5); Hardin: 9 (8); Harrison: 47 (37); Henry: 7 (6); Highland: 41 (31); Hocking: 12 (22); Holmes: 25 (30); Huron: 14 (9); Jackson: 31 (24); Jefferson: 42 (48); Knox: 19 (21); Lake: 4 (3); Lawrence: 26 (26); Licking: 30 (28); Logan: 9 (11); Lorain: 12 (8); Lucas: 13 (6); Madison: 0 (0); Mahoning: 20 (13); Marion: 7 (2); Medina: 5 (7); Meigs: 37 (38); Mercer: 6 (4); Miami: 4 (4); Monroe: 62 (54); Montgomery: 1 (3); Morgan: 27 (28); Morrow: 21 (15); Muskingum: 54 (48); Noble: 60 (52); Ottawa: 1 (0); Paulding: 11 (9); Perry: 29 (29); Pickaway: 3 (2); Pike: 20 (15); Portage: 33 (21); Preble: 7 (13); Putnam: 9 (5); Richland: 12 (27); Ross: 24 (20); Sandusky: 3 (2); Scioto: 33 (17); Seneca: 19 (15); Shelby: 2 (3); Stark: 27 (25); Summit: 5 (3); Trumbull: 34 (30); Tuscarawas: 55 (49); Union: 9 (6); Van Wert: 3 (3); Vinton: 23 (20); Warren: 3 (7); Washington: 33 (47); Wayne: 8 (10); Williams: 41 (23); Wood: 2 (1); Wyandot: 16 (15).
2025 total: 1,740
3-year average total: 1,571