By Tom Cross
The final numbers are in from the Division of Wildlife for the conclusion of the just past turkey season which was open from April 16 through May 15. Ohio turkey hunters checked 16,049 birds during the four week season. Adding in the youth season, Ohio’s total turkey take for the spring season stands at 17,793 gobblers.
Locally Adams County hunters bagged 398 birds during the season, add the 34 turkeys young hunters took during the youth season, for a total harvest of 432 gobblers bagged in Adams County this spring. That is up from 413 toms checked during last spring’s turkey season.
Neighboring Brown County had 347 birds checked; Pike County hunters bagged 278 gobblers; Scioto with 270 birds tagged, Highland had 387 birds taken; and Clermont hunters took 396 toms.
it’s hard to believe but leading the state in the number of wild turkeys harvested was Ashtabula County in northeast Ohio with 569 birds checked.
My own personal hunt went well resulting in a nice gobbler with a 10 ½ inch beard that I worked for over an hour before he finally came to the gun. The ol’ tom will make a fine Thanksgiving dinner this fall.
