Although not quite as big as the spring season, Ohio’s fall wild turkey hunt is getting larger. Eleven new counties have opened.
Ohio’s annual fall turkey hunting season begins Saturday and runs for six weeks, through Nov. 26.
This year the total number of counties participating in the fall turkey hunt is up to 67. That’s 11 more than last year. In southwest Ohio, the following counties are open for turkey hunting: Preble, Warren, Highland, Brown, Adams, Clermont, Hamilton, Butler, Champaign and Logan.
Only one turkey of either sex may be taken during the fall season. Hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. Shotguns using shot as well as crossbows and longbows are permitted.
Turkeys must be checked by 11:30 p.m. on the day the bird is killed. Hunters are required to make their own game tag to attach to a turkey. A tag can be made of any material, as long as it contains the hunter’s name, date, time, and county of the kill. Go to the Turkey Hunting Resources page at wildohio.gov for more information.
Learn about Trapping
Anyone interested in the basic skills of trapping should attend workshops provided by the Ohio State Trappers Association (OSTA).
The workshop will be held at multiple locations across the state. In southwest Ohio, workshops will be held at the following locations on October 28-29:
— Mercer Waterfowl Management Area, 6115 Ohio 703, south of Celina. Contact: Harry Kinnison (937) 548-7509.
— Indian Creek Wildlife Area, 4258 Snowhill Road, Fayettesville. Contact: Ken Pennington (513) 340-2468.
— Spring Valley Wildlife Area, 1863 Roxanna-New Burlington Road, Waynesville. Contact Richard ‘Butch’ Barhorst (937) 416-8963.
All first-time trappers must successfully complete a hunter and a trapper education course offered through the Division of Wildlife before purchasing a hunting license and Fur Taker Permit to trap furbearers. Many of the OSTA workshops will offer the Trapper Education Course. Ask the instructor if this is offered at the workshop you plan to attend.
The workshops are free of charge, but pre-registration is required. For class times and to register call the contact person. For information on trapping in Ohio, visit wildohio.gov.
Some Trapping Opportunities
Trappers are invited to participate in special drawings on Saturday for public land beaver trapping opportunities in southwest Ohio. In addition to the beaver trapping drawing, a separate drawing will be held for the opportunity to trap furbearers on the Wildlife District Five headquarters property located in Xenia.
A list of public land trapping opportunities available at the drawing is posted at wildohio.gov under “Controlled Hunting and Trapping Events.”
Interested trappers will be required to come to the Wildlife District Five office, 1076 Old Springfield Pike, Xenia. Registration begins at 11 a.m., with the drawing to begin at noon.
There is no fee to apply. Successful applicants must be present when drawn. Trappers must bring a valid 2017 hunting license and fur taker permit.
Questions can be directed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to District Five, (937) 372-9261.
Here Come Ohio’s Fall Colors
If you are interested in taking in fall scenes around Ohio, the place to begin your quest is fallcolor.ohiodnr.gov.
ODNR forester Casey Burdick says color should be peaking in the northern third of Ohio at the end of the second full week of October, the third full week of October for the central third and the southern third at the end of October.
“We are seeing a fair amount of early color, especially in town, on woodland edges and low lying areas,” said Burdick. “This is caused by the very wet spring and early summer we experienced around the state.”
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