Ohio wild turkey hunting for 2026-27: dates, limits and public land

Where wild turkeys may be hunted in Ohio

• Spring zone NE (wild turkeys): Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Trumbull.
• Spring zone South (wild turkeys): the other 83 counties.
• Fall: open (wild turkeys, 70): Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Fulton, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Medina, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Paulding, Perry, Pike, Portage, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Scioto, Seneca, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wyandot.
• Fall: closed (wild turkeys, 18): Auglaize, Clark, Clinton, Darke, Fayette, Greene, Madison, Marion, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Ottawa, Pickaway, Sandusky, Shelby, Union, Van Wert, Wood.

Fall turkey hunting is shotgun-only for 2026-27; archery is no longer permitted in the fall season.

Sources: OAC 1501:31-15-10; checked November 6, 2026.

Ohio turkey harvest statistics

Since the first 1966 season (12 birds), Ohio spring turkey harvest has grown to 15,887 in 2026.

Sources: ODNR spring turkey results, ODNR fall turkey results, ODNR fall turkey results and ODNR fall turkey results; checked November 6, 2026.

Ohio turkey license and permit prices

Turkey hunters need a hunting license and a turkey permit; fall and spring permits are separate. These turkey prices are the 2026-27 digest figures, slightly above the base fees in ORC 1533.10 because they include the writing fee.

Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 26, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 29, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 30 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 28; checked November 6, 2026.

Wild Turkey rules in the field

• Visibility (wild turkeys): Wild turkeys hunters wear it only when they hunt during the deer gun weeks: hunting any wild animal (except waterfowl) from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset during the youth deer gun, deer gun (including bonus gun and DSA early gun) and deer muzzleloader seasons requires a visible vest, coat, jacket or coveralls in solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange, statewide on public and private land.
• Hunting hours (wild turkeys): 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset; Spring 2026: 30 minutes before sunrise to noon for the first 9 days of each zone's season, then 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset; youth season to sunset; Spring 2027 hours to be announced.
• Feed and bait (wild turkeys): Bait is off limits for wild turkeys: hunting turkeys with bait or over a baited area is unlawful; an area is baited for 10 days after complete removal.
• Check and tag (wild turkeys): Mandatory game check: deer by noon the day after harvest (11:30 pm on the last day of any season), turkey by 11:30 pm the same day; before skinning or removing a deer's head, or a turkey's feet, beard, meat or feathers (field dressing allowed); Methods: HuntFish OH app, HuntFishOH.gov, 1-877-TAG-IT-OH (1-877-824-4864), license agents; landowners 1-866-703-1928 (operator-assisted, fee).
• Written permission (wild turkeys): No hunting or trapping on another's land without written permission of the owner or agent; carry it and show on request (also for deer recovery and shed hunting).
• Electronic calls (wild turkeys): Legal except for migratory game birds and wild turkeys; legal for crows.
• Tree stands on public land (wild turkeys): Portable stands only, no nails/spikes, September 1-last day of February.
• Sunday rule (wild turkeys): No statewide Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 digest or the OAC 1501:31 and ORC 1533 sections read.
• Safety course (wild turkeys): All first-time hunting license buyers except apprentice license buyers must complete a hunter education course (or show a previously held license, or attest they are 21+ and previously held a license in any state).

Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 5, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 6, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 9, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 14, ORC 1533.17, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 33, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 35, 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 4 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 29; checked November 6, 2026.

Ohio public land that lists wild turkeys

The land data ties wild turkeys to 73 public places (turkey); by district: District 1 4, District 2 6, District 3 19, District 4 32, District 5 11. Big state forests and the Wayne hold the most ground, but small wildlife areas can sit closer to home.

Sources: 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 6 and 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, page 13 and the ODNR property pages linked from each land page; checked November 6, 2026.

Wild Turkey, answered