WhenToBird

Meleagris gallopavo · Phasianidae

When Do Wild Turkeys Arrive in Ohio?

Adult male Wild Turkey
Photo: Dan Vickers, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Wild Turkeys reach Ohio in early December, are common by the second week of March, peak in mid April (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of October.

When to look

First arrivalsDec 1-7early December
Common byMar 8-14the second week of March
PeakApr 15-21mid April
Most gone byOct 8-14the second week of October

Best: mid April. First arrivals early December; most are gone by the second week of October. Peak: on about 4.2% of Ohio checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decuncommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 1.2% of 46637 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.2% of 31056 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.0% of 30129 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.2% of 38665 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.1% of 27203 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.1% of 30626 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.2% of 40705 checklistsFeb 22-28: 1.2% of 31391 checklistsMar 1-7: 1.4% of 32914 checklistsMar 8-14: 1.5% of 33973 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.5% of 33678 checklistsMar 22-31: 2.2% of 49889 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.0% of 41225 checklistsApr 8-14: 3.9% of 47174 checklistsApr 15-21: 4.3% of 47017 checklistsApr 22-30: 4.3% of 73055 checklistsMay 1-7: 3.4% of 80637 checklistsMay 8-14: 2.5% of 102552 checklistsMay 15-21: 2.8% of 64582 checklistsMay 22-31: 2.7% of 52766 checklistsJun 1-7: 2.4% of 29279 checklistsJun 8-14: 2.1% of 25773 checklistsJun 15-21: 2.1% of 23163 checklistsJun 22-30: 1.9% of 27794 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.0% of 23334 checklistsJul 8-14: 1.6% of 22147 checklistsJul 15-21: 1.7% of 20998 checklistsJul 22-31: 1.5% of 29749 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.4% of 22899 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.5% of 21972 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.4% of 22215 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.8% of 35087 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.9% of 29148 checklistsSep 8-14: 2.1% of 28042 checklistsSep 15-21: 2.2% of 26751 checklistsSep 22-30: 2.0% of 32398 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.6% of 26209 checklistsOct 8-14: 1.3% of 26809 checklistsOct 15-21: 1.2% of 23504 checklistsOct 22-31: 1.0% of 33269 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.9% of 25563 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.9% of 23810 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.9% of 22127 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.9% of 29449 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.0% of 22370 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.1% of 21581 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.2% of 24232 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.0% of 36084 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Ohio that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

Embed this map on your site

Where in Ohio

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Putnam CountyBest mid April · 27 checklists that week, 927 in all23%
  2. Meigs CountyBest mid January · 33 checklists that week, 1,139 in all23%
  3. Carroll CountyBest mid April · 68 checklists that week, 2,027 in all19%
  4. Harrison CountyBest mid April · 87 checklists that week, 3,150 in all19%
  5. Belmont CountyBest early April · 70 checklists that week, 2,675 in all19%
  6. Gallia CountyBest mid April · 26 checklists that week, 1,061 in all18%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Blendon Woods MetroparkFranklin County, best early May · 257 checklists that week, 4,660 in all81%
  2. Blendon Woods Metropark (east)Franklin County, best late April · 98 checklists that week, 1,302 in all72%
  3. Blendon Woods Metropark (Thoreau Pond)Franklin County, best the second week of May · 81 checklists that week, 2,462 in all70%
  4. Blendon Woods Metropark (southeast)Franklin County, best the second week of May · 21 checklists that week, 359 in all52%
  5. Alderfer/oenslager ParkMedina County, best late January · 20 checklists that week, 347 in all48%
  6. Swan Creek Preserve Metropark (northwest)Lucas County, best early May · 20 checklists that week, 517 in all47%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Ohio, the Wild Turkey is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (3.9% of those checklists).

0%2%4%6%12 am: too few checklists (574) to judge1 am: too few checklists (609) to judge2 am: too few checklists (466) to judge3 am: too few checklists (478) to judge4 am: too few checklists (662) to judge5 am: too few checklists (4366) to judge6 am: 5.2% of 43093 checklists7 am: 3.5% of 142017 checklists8 am: 2.5% of 205296 checklists9 am: 2.1% of 196322 checklists10 am: 1.9% of 170882 checklists11 am: 1.5% of 144567 checklists12 pm: 1.4% of 126551 checklists1 pm: 1.5% of 117855 checklists2 pm: 1.5% of 112869 checklists3 pm: 1.5% of 109786 checklists4 pm: 1.6% of 103116 checklists5 pm: 1.6% of 78409 checklists6 pm: 1.9% of 56785 checklists7 pm: 1.5% of 37923 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (14954) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (2710) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (854) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (486) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January1.2%1.2%1.0%1.2%
February1.1%1.1%1.2%1.2%
March1.4%1.5%1.5%2.2%
April3.0%3.9%4.3%4.3%
May3.4%2.5%2.8%2.7%
June2.4%2.1%2.1%1.9%
July2.0%1.6%1.7%1.5%
August1.4%1.5%1.4%1.8%
September1.9%2.1%2.2%2.0%
October1.6%1.3%1.2%1.0%
November0.9%0.9%0.9%0.9%
December1.0%1.1%1.2%1.0%

Neighboring states

  • West Virginia: arrives late March, 15 weeks later than Ohio
  • Indiana: arrives mid February, 10 weeks later than Ohio
  • Michigan: arrives early April, 16 weeks later than Ohio
  • Kentucky: arrives mid February, 10 weeks later than Ohio

Common questions

When do Wild Turkeys arrive in Ohio?
Wild Turkeys reach Ohio in early December, are common by the second week of March, peak in mid April (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of October.
When do Wild Turkeys leave Ohio?
Most Wild Turkeys have left Ohio by the second week of October, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late October.
When is the best time to see a Wild Turkey in Ohio?
The Wild Turkey is reported most often in mid April, on about 4.2% of Ohio checklists.
Where in Ohio are Wild Turkeys seen most often?
By county, Putnam County, Meigs County, and Carroll County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Wild Turkey (counties with at least 200 checklists).