Buckeye Reporter

The Ohio Wildlife Council has received proposals for the 2026 spring wild turkey hunting season and approved a new waterfowl hunting zone map for 2026-2030. The announcement was made by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife following an August 20 meeting.

A full list of proposed rule changes, including dates for spring wild turkey hunting, will be posted on wildohio.gov starting Monday, August 25. The public can comment on these proposals online between August 25 and September 24 at the same website. Final decisions on the rules are scheduled to take place during the council’s October 22 meeting.

For spring 2026, the Division of Wildlife is proposing separate youth wild turkey hunting weekends for southern and northeast zones. This would be the first time youth seasons are split in this way if approved. The suggested dates are April 18-19 for youth in the south zone and April 25-26 for those in the northeast zone. Regular season dates would run from April 25 to May 24 in the south zone and May 2 to May 31 in the northeast.

According to ODNR, Ohio’s spring turkey season is divided into two zones based on regional differences in turkey nesting patterns. The south zone covers most of Ohio with 83 counties; Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties make up the northeast zone.

Proposed hunting hours during youth weekends would be from half an hour before sunrise until sunset. For both zones, during the first nine days of each regular season, hours would be from half an hour before sunrise until noon; after that period they extend until sunset.

Regarding waterfowl regulations, Ohio is currently split into three fall and winter waterfowl zones. On August 20, council members approved new boundaries for Zones A, B, and C effective with the 2026-27 season. These changes were shaped by hunter surveys as well as federal guidelines set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Current zones remain unchanged through at least next year’s duck and goose seasons.

Under new rules, Zone A will include northwest Ohio; Zone B will encompass northeast Ohio along with some northwest areas; Zone C will cover southern counties plus remaining parts of the state. Notably, Lake Erie waters will fall under Zone B while Zone A extends offshore up to one hundred yards into Lake Erie.

“The recently approved Zones A, B, and C will take effect for the 2026-27 hunting season and have slightly different hunting dates,” according to ODNR’s release.

The council is responsible for approving all proposed wildlife rules and regulations in Ohio. Meetings are open to public participation; anyone wishing to comment must register by calling ahead at least two days prior to a meeting with remarks limited to three minutes or less.