Photo by Ralph Hensley

Although autumn is usually associated with the opening of the archery deer season, the abundance of wild turkeys across the Buckeye State has increased hunter participation in the fall turkey season.

According to Dave Swanson, Ohio Division of Wildlife biologist, fall turkey opportunities hinge upon the reproductive success of the current year. Weather conditions figure heavily into successful hatch rates, and with warm, dry conditions, turkey numbers often more than meet expectations for fall hunters.

During the 2004 fall season, over 2,000 turkeys were harvested in Ohio. Of these, 1,555 were taken by gun hunters (down 16 percent from 2003) and 464 were taken by archery hunters (an increase of 86 percent over 2003). Of course, archers have a full month of additional hunting at a time when the bow season for deer opens. This creates opportunities galore for bowhunters.

Opportunities abound statewide, but the following top 10 public hunting areas come highly recommended for fall turkey hunters:

SALT FORK WILDLIFE AREA
Guernsey County is a traditional hotspot for wild turkeys, and 12,000-acre Salt Fork Wildlife Area provides hunters with some prime habitat for a good hunt close to Salt Fork Lake.

The lay of the land is roughly one-third woodlands, one-third shrubs and small trees and one-third cropland. The terrain is often rugged, with elevations varying more than 200 feet in some parts of this wildlife area. Numerous streams flow into the lake.

Salt Fork WA features a lodge, cabins and camping areas in the state park section. Several miles of well-marked trails, including a portion of the Buckeye Trail, are available to hikers.

The main entrance road to this public hunting area is seven miles east of Cambridge, Ohio, on U. S. Route 22. Distances from major urban areas are 72 miles from Canton, 88 miles from Columbus and 69 miles from Marietta.

Information on lodging and camping may be obtained by contacting the Park Manager, Salt Fork State Park, Box 672, Cambridge, Ohio 43725; (740) 439-3521.

Maps and additional information on Salt Fork WA, as well as all the following public hunting areas, may be obtained by writing the Wildlife District Four office, 360 East State Street, Athens, Ohio 45701, or call (740) 589-9930.

POWELSON WILDLIFE AREA
Another top turkey-hunting county is Muskingum County in southeastern Ohio. This region harbors some of the best wild turkey habitat in the state. Powelson Wildlife Area ranks high for public land turkey hunting in the county. The 2,775-acre area is four miles north of Zanesville between state Route 60 and the Muskingum River.

Back in the late 1930s and early 1940s this was largely strip-mining country. The ODOW took control of many abandoned mines in the late 1950s, and wildlife management work has been ongoing since that time.

Turkey management strategies by the ODOW have created some prime turkey habitat that includes reverting fields and woodlots. Just over three-quarters of the wildlife area is covered by woodlands, of which 40 percent comprises mature stands of timber. Most of the remaining land is covered in brush and offers very little open land.

Several small parking lots are available at Powelson WA. The best access is provided by county Road 49, which runs east from state Route 60. This public hunting area is 27 miles from Coshocton, 60 miles from Columbus and 124 miles from Cleveland.