By Tom Cross-
Ohio’s turkey season opened on April 22 and run through May 19 in Ohio’s south zone which includes Adams County and a week later in the five counties that make up the northeast zone. Youth hunters, age 17 and under, get a crack at the turkeys a lot earlier than the old timers during the weekend of April 13-14.
Adams County’s wild turkey take has been on a slide lately, a downward slide. Whether that is the case this upcoming season remains to be seen.
In 2017 Adams County hunters bagged 503 birds. During the 2018 spring season that number dropped well into the negative category by 21 percent with only 399 birds tagged. Will the 2019 turkey season see a rebound?
Statewide there has been a 7.5 percent decrease in the number of turkey permits sold over the last four years. However across the state the wild turkey harvest remains stronger than ever with the second largest harvest to date in 2018 when hunters bagged a total of 22,612 birds. The top turkey-bagging counties in the state are Coshocton, Guernsey, Monroe and Muskingum, each with over 800 birds harvested during past the spring season.
Ohio’s first turkey season opened 53 years ago in 1966 with a four-day season in early May. Permits were free and the lucky hunter had to be drawn. Only nine counties were open, including Adams during those early years.
In 1970 that number expanded to 14 counties opened to turkey hunting. Permits were free up until 1972 when the ODNR begin charging $5.35 for a single turkey permit. In 1993 Ohio went to a two-bird limit. Currently turkey permits cost $24 and have been at that price since 2004. Expect that to increase by next season when permits could go as high as $30.
There’s an interesting chart put out by the biologist at the Division of Wildlife showing hunter success is by a wide margin the best during opening day. Your chances of bagging a turkey in Ohio are three times better on opening day than on any other day, and nearly twice a productive during the first week of season then the rest of the season. That begs the question, “Do turkeys get smarter after the first day?”
Circle April 27 as the day that the Kincaid State Fish Hatchery in Latham is having an Open House. Kincaid is where the trout for Adams Lake originate from, however its primary function is to raise muskies for stocking into Ohio lakes. Ohio’s highly successful muskie program actually began at Kincaid when back in the day a couple of egg laden female muskies were captured behind the hatchery in Sunfish Creek,and the rest is history. If you haven’t visited Kincaid Hatchery I would highly recommend the tour and take the kids. Kincaid is at 7487 State Rte. 124 in Latham and their phone (740) 493-2717. The open house is from noon- 3 p.m.
The Shawnee Trout Derby, Ohio’s oldest Trout Derby, is Saturday April 27 at Turkey Creek Lake, Shawnee State Park.