The Ohio Wildlife Council received proposals Wednesday for the spring 2026 wild turkey hunting season and approved a new waterfowl hunting zone map for 2026-2030, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
Proposed spring turkey hunting dates include separate youth weekends for the south and northeast zones, marking the first time youth seasons would be divided by region.
If approved, the south zone youth season would run April 18-19, while the northeast zone youth season would run April 25-26.
The full south zone season is proposed for April 25 through May 24, with the northeast zone scheduled for May 2 through May 31.
Hunting hours for youth weekends would be 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset, while the first nine days of the regular season would run until noon, followed by full-day hours for the remainder of the season.
In addition, the Wildlife Council approved new waterfowl zones — Zones A, B, and C — for the 2026-27 through 2029-30 seasons.
Zone A covers northwest Ohio, Zone B includes northeast Ohio and portions of northwest Ohio, and Zone C encompasses southern counties and the remainder of the state.
Notably, Lake Erie waters are part of Zone B, while Zone A extends 100 yards offshore into the lake.
The new zones were created in response to hunter surveys and federal regulatory guidelines, but the current zones remain in effect for the 2025-26 waterfowl seasons.
The full list of proposed rules, including spring turkey dates, will be posted online at wildohio.gov on Monday, August 25.
Hunters may comment on proposals through September 24, with final votes scheduled for the Ohio Wildlife Council meeting on Wednesday, October 22.
