Can You Hunt Deer With a Shotgun on Dorset Wildlife Area

October 05, 2010

Buckeye Land turkey hunters are poised for another near-record harvest in 2010. Head to these public lands for some great jump hunting. (March 2010)

No thing how you wait at it, wild turkey hunters have much to look forrad to in the Buckeye State. The statewide turkey population terminal spring was estimated at more than 200,000 birds, a huge increase over the estimated 22,000 birds that existed in the state in 1987.

Ohio's showtime spring gobbler season took place in 1966, and in 1999, some 57 counties were open to hunting, but 2009 marked the 10th spring when turkey hunting was allowed in all 88 counties.

Spring flavour hunters took 18,936 gobblers terminal season, a 2 percent increase over 2008 and the second consecutive yr the harvest was over 18,000. Youth hunters contributed an additional 1,814 gobblers during their 2-day season. Between 75,000 and eighty,000 turkey enthusiasts hit the fields and woods each year in Ohio, making turkey hunting second only to deer hunting as our most pop hunting activity.

This year the spring gobbler season volition open April nineteen and run through May 16. Historically, bound hunting activity had to cease at apex, but starting this twelvemonth, hunting will be allowed all day from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour subsequently sunset during the final ii weeks of the season (May iii through May sixteen). This twelvemonth's youth chase will be open May 17 and 18.

Despite the fact that only well-nigh one-3rd of Ohio is forested, turkeys are at present plant statewide, fifty-fifty in areas with seemingly less desirable habitat. While the largest number of birds and best habitat will be found in the eastern, southwest and southern regions, Buckeye Country hunters should take no problem finding bearded birds to hunt this jump.

With that in listen, hither are some public-hunting grounds that should provide plenty of opportunities when the season opens side by side calendar month:

NORTHEAST REGION

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In 2008 and 2009, Ashtabula County was the leading county in the state for producing bound gobblers, and the county will undoubtedly exist at or near the pinnacle of the listing again this yr. Although Ashtabula County has fewer public hunting areas than some other counties around Ohio, and given the fact that nearly of those areas are also smaller in size, they hold plenty of birds and offer some prime hunting.

New Lyme Wild animals Area

1 example is the New Lyme Wildlife Expanse nearly two miles due east of South New Lyme in New Lyme Township. The property covers 720 acres, is relatively flat and doesn't await like much in terms of classic turkey habitat, but seventy per centum of the area is wooded with maple, ash, white oak and other species offering cover or food. The wildlife surface area also has some brush land where birds can seek sanctuary.

Brownville Road off state Route 46 in South New Lyme offers access to a parking area in the western part of the property, while access to the northern portion is two miles east of country Route 46 off Dodgeville Road.

Conant Wildlife Expanse

An even smaller slice of public footing in Ashtabula County, and i that receives footling hunting pressure, is the Conant Wild fauna Surface area, covering 74 acres on Windsor-Mechansville Road in Hartsgrove Township one mile south of U.S. Route 6 and two miles due east of state Route 535.

Some 85 percentage of the property is in hardwoods, and so resident birds not only have plenty of cover and nutrient, but the Rome State Nature Preserve shares the area'due south eastern and northeastern border. Birds from that belongings often cantankerous into the hunting surface area.

Dorset Wildlife Area

Hunters looking for a larger piece of ground should consider the Dorset Wildlife Surface area most one mile east-northeast of Dorset, which covers 1,080 acres. Nearly 636 acres of the area is hardwoods, 214 acres in brush state and 200 acres are managed for agricultural crops. There is also about xl acres of wetland habitat. The surface area offers plenty of room to hunt plus the varied habitat and ingather fields are a magnet for spring turkeys.

The property is off Road 193 and is bordered by Kyle Road on the north and Footville-Richmond Road on the due south. Tower Road cuts through the middle of the property. Designated parking areas will be found on all iii roads.

For more data on these public-hunting areas, contact the Area Manager by telephoning (440) 685-4776.

K River Wildlife Area

To the south, Trumbull Canton has been a superlative producer of spring gobblers in recent years. One of the county'southward best public-hunting areas is Grand River Wildlife Expanse east of West Farmington. State Road 88 runs due east to west through the holding, and state Route 534 forms its western boundary. County routes 217, 213 and 233 parallel state Route 534, offer enough of access into the expanse. Hunters volition find nigh twenty designated parking areas on these admission roads and may need to utilize all of them to explore this seven,453-acre property!

Along with its size, what makes Thou River special and such a skillful spot for leap gobblers is its diverseness and the fact it is one of the largest remaining semi-wilderness areas in northeast Ohio. The topography is flat to gently rolling and there are big areas of swampy forest, numerous ponds and beaver flowages, equally well as the Grand River and v tributaries that menstruation through the area. All are decumbent to flooding during wet springs, so be prepared.

More 45 percent of the area is covered with hardwoods, and nigh 50 percent of the property is open up or covered with croplands or castor, providing enough of prime habitat and food for turkeys.

For more information, hunters may contact the area manager at (330) 889-3280.

Highlandtown Wildlife Area

Virtually eight miles south of Lisbon and three miles northeast of Salineville in Columbiana Canton, the Highlandtown Wild animals Area offers 2,265 acres of steep, rolling hills and bottoms. Elevations vary from one,060 anxiety above bounding main level to ane,340 feet. The property is heavily forested with a mixture of hardwoods and pine, but brushy coverts, former croplands and areas of meadow and grain crops are found scattered throughout the property. Crop rotation and contour strip cropping practices are used in these areas to improve both food and cover for wild animals, including turkeys.

Access to the property is possible using state Route 164 from Lisbon or Land Route 39 from Salineville and Wellsville.

For more information, contact the area managing director by calling (330) 679-2201.

Yellow Creek State Forest

Turkeys will also be found on Yellow Creek Land Wood. The forest is in 3 blocks, ane on the w sid

east of the wild fauna area and another on the north side. Access to these parcels is only through the wildlife surface area. The southernmost block tin be accessed off Temme Road in Salineville. Combined, the 3 blocks offer an boosted 756 acres of good turkey hunting.

For more than information on Yellow Creek State Forest, contact the Fernwood State Forest administrator's office at (740) 266-6021.

SOUTHEASTERN REGION

Arab republic of egypt Valley Wildlife Area

The southeastern region of Ohio offers some of the best turkey habitat and hunting opportunities in the state. In northeast Belmont County, the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area offers 14,000 acres of various habitat with plenty of room to roam. A small portion of the property is in northeast Guernsey County.

The public area consists of two large blocks. The beginning is east of Piedmont Lake south of Holloway off state Route 331. The 2d block is south of the lake due north of Hendrysburg. Interstate Route seventy forms part of the southern boundary of this cake, while country Route 800 forms part of the western border or travels through it. Several township roads too travel through both blocks offering relatively piece of cake access.

Egypt Valley WA offers a mixed bag of habitat from upland hardwoods to wetlands to grasslands and castor land.

Common salt Fork Wild fauna Area

To the west in Guernsey County, near seven miles northeast of Cambridge, another large hunting area known for its turkey habitat and prime hunting is Salt Fork Wildlife Area and Table salt Fork State Park.

The area is easily reached from Route 22. Combined, the two areas cover over 20,540 acres. Specifically, the wildlife surface area covers about 12,000 acres with over 8,000 acres under management for wildlife, including the protection and management of the hardwood areas and maintenance of the grasslands and other open up areas.

Virtually 35 percent of the property is forested in oak, hickory, beech, maple, elm, and ash among others, and some pine planting has too taken place. Active ingather fields, onetime crop fields and quondam pasture cover about ane-third of the property with the remainder consisting of shrubs and diverse smaller trees.

The topography is hilly with some steep ravines. Elevations vary between 790 feet above sea level to more than i,000 feet.

Hunting is also allowed on portions of Salt Creek State Park, but hunters should check with the park or local wildlife officials to acquire which areas are open to hunting.

The park offers a campground, club and cabins. More information on the park may be obtained by calling (740) 439-3521.

For hunting conditions on the wildlife area, contact the Common salt Fork Wild fauna Management Work Unit at (740) 489-5021.

Waterloo Wildlife Area

In the hills of Athens County 10 miles west of Athens at the junction of country routes 56 and 356, the Waterloo Wildlife Area covers two,667 acres.

Rugged topography and express gravel road access means much of this property tin be a challenge to access, but hunters willing to walk in to the best spots will discover plenty of opportunities. Many of the area's 35 walking trails meander through prime hunting locations.

About of the wild animals area is wooded, with oaks and hickories about the ridgetops and along the slopes. Beech and maple dominate the lower elevations.

A number of pocket-sized openings may be found well-nigh the ridgetops with large, reverting fields along Hewett Fork at the area's eastern edge. As well on the property are 664 walk-in acres that are part of a 5,146-acre turkey direction area.

The parcel is specifically managed for turkeys with a minimum of 60 pct mature, mast-bearing trees.

For more data, contact the Waterloo Wild fauna Inquiry Station at (740) 589-9930.

The largest portion of this wild turkey direction expanse, more than 4,480 acres, is inside Zaleski Land Wood, which borders the wildlife area to the north, w and south.

Zaleski is the 2d largest country woods in Ohio, covering 28,000 acres and offers much of the aforementioned hilly, forested habitat equally the Waterloo Wildlife Area simply on a much larger scale.

Access is from Route 50 on the south and Road 356 on the east. Route 278 cuts through the heart of the forest in a south-n direction starting near Prattsville on Route 50. Several township roads besides travel through or into various sections of the forest.

Zaleski State Wood is open to visitors from half-dozen a.yard. to 11:thirty p.m. daily, but hunters and campers may be present during other hours. Camping is allowed only in designated areas, such as the Atkinson Hunter'due south Camp on township Road 5. The surface area offers latrines, picnic tables and fire rings with sites available on a first-come, first-served ground. The camp opens xiv days before the opening of the spring turkey flavour and closes the day after the season ends.

For more information, contact the Zaleski SF ranger station at (740) 596-5781.

SOUTHWESTERN REGION

Tranquility Wild fauna Expanse

Spring turkey hunting is improving in the southwest corner of the Buckeye State, and 1 of the best places to wait for action is Tranquility Wild fauna Area in Adams County, sixteen miles south of Hillsboro on state Road 770. County Road 100 (Old State Route 32) runs forth the area'due south southern border.

Several township roads including T-100, T-123 and C-14 run through the surface area as well, offering relatively piece of cake access to several designated parking areas.

Numerous trails and several old logging roads lead into the interior, which is seldom hunted but contains some prime bird habitat.

The topography and composition of Tranquility WA is typical of southwest Ohio, which is basically hilly with some steep ridges and slopes. Nearly 40 pct of the belongings is covered with oak and hickory, especially on the upper ridges, while maple, beech, elm and ash dominate at the lower elevations.

Some other twoscore pct of the area is brushy habitat, with the remaining 20 percent in brush and cultivated fields. In all, Tranquility WA covers 4,250 acres, so there is enough of room to explore and chase, and turkeys are apt to be found anywhere.

For more data on Serenity Wild animals Area, contact the expanse manager at the Fallsville Wildlife Area by telephoning (937) 987-2508.

Brush Creek State Forest

In northeast Adams County, Brush Creek State Woods is another skillful spot for spring turkeys. The forest offers more than 12,000 acres of oak, hickory, maple, ash and hardwoods equally well as pine in several tracts covering steep hillsides, deep hollows and narrow ridgetops.

The hunting tin can

be physically challenging, but Castor Creek has a expert population of birds for those willing to go subsequently them. Some of the tracts are big, but swell turkey hunting will be found on the smaller parcels, and then hunters should study a map of the forest and programme some pre-season scouting.

Some pop hunting prospects include the area off Coffee Hollow Road off Road 73, the areas off Douglas Road and Straight Fork Route, and forth Route 772 s of Duke.

Camping is allowed in designated areas.

For maps and more than information, contact the Commune six forester'southward office by calling (877) 24STREE (247-8733).

Information on lodging and other services in Adams County can be obtained past contacting the Adams County Travel and Visitors Bureau at (877) 232-6764.

Cardinal REGION

Mohican River Wildlife Expanse

Coshocton Canton is a top producer of spring gobblers and neighboring Knox County isn't far behind.

The Mohican River Wild fauna Area covers 408 acres in two separate parcels. The upstream portion covers 121 acres at the village of Brinkhaven and is attainable from state Route 62.

The larger lower parcel covers 287 acres and is approximately i mile s of Cavallo on township Road 368. Both parcels offer a mixture of croplands, woodlands consisting of various oaks, hickory and reverting sometime crop fields, some with crabapple and other turkey foods on the hillsides, while elm, ash, maple and brush dominate along the river.

Quondam oak and hickory stands on the hillsides provide roosting sites for turkeys, equally do many of the larger hardwoods along the river lesser.

For more than information, contact the Wildlife Commune One role at (614) 644-3925.

For more than information on turkey hunting opportunities, contact the Ohio Segmentation of Wild fauna at (800) 945-3543; or visit the division's Spider web site at world wide web.dnr.country.oh.us.

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Source: https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/hunting_turkey-hunting_oh_0310_02/241274