Ohio’s spring turkey 2026 dates proposed to wildlife council

Columbus — The Ohio Wildlife Council received proposals for the spring 2026 wild turkey hunting dates in late August, according to the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The council also voted to approve a new waterfowl hunting zone map for the 2026-30 seasons.

A complete list of proposed rule changes, including the spring wild turkey hunting dates, are available at wildohio.gov. Anyone who would like to comment on Division of Wildlife proposals can do so online between Monday, Aug. 25 and Wednesday, Sept. 24. The proposed rules will be voted on during the Ohio Wildlife Council’s meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

The proposed wild turkey hunting seasons include separate youth dates for the south and northeast zones. If approved, 2026 would mark the first year that the youth hunting season dates are divided.

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The proposed spring 2026 wild turkey hunting season dates are:

South Zone Youth: Saturday, April 18 to Sunday, April 19, 2026

Northeast Zone Youth:

Saturday, April 25 to Sunday, April 26, 2026

South Zone: Saturday, April 25 to Sunday, May 24, 2026

Northeast Zone: Saturday, May 2 to Sunday, May 31, 2026

Ohio’s spring turkey hunting season is split into two zones to align with the timing of turkey nesting in those regions. The south zone covers the majority of Ohio, comprising 83 counties. The northeast zone includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties.

Hunting hours during the youth weekends in both zones were proposed from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. In the south zone and northeast zone, hunting hours for the first nine days of each season were proposed to be from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon.