In the Open: Ohio Spring gobbler season and tire amnesty huge success

Ohio Spring Gobbler Season

Ohio’s Spring Turkey season gets underway tomorrow (Monday).
Technically the season got underway Saturday morning with the youth season, but adults get their chance tomorrow (Monday) morning.

A valid Ohio hunting license and turkey permit or permits is required, unless exempted, and the bag limit is two bearded turkeys. Only one bearded turkey may be taken per day and a harvested turkey must be checked in by 11:30 p.m. the day that it is killed. April 24-May 7 hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to noon, from May 8 to May 21 hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

Allowable hunting equipment is a shotgun or muzzleloading shotgun, 10-gauge or smaller (does anyone even use a 10-gauge these days?), longbow or compound bow with a minimum draw weight of 40 pounds, or a crossbow with a minimum draw weight of 75 pounds.

More specific information is available at wildlife.ohiodnr.gov
This promises to be a great turkey season. I have seen more wild turkeys in the fields than ever before; in my opinion last year’s cicada brood, perfect weather for brooding, and a mild winter combined to produce ideal conditions. Be careful out there, and try to share the experience with a young hunter.

Tire Amnesty Event a huge success

Meigs County residents and local governments disposed of nearly 3,600 old tires during the recent Tire Amnesty Event held at the Meigs SWCD in Pomeroy.

The event was part of the Meigs County Clean-Up Day/Tire Amnesty Grant, which is a collaborative effort by the Meigs County Grants Office/County Commissioners, Meigs County Health Department, and the Meigs Soil and Water Conservation District.
This was only for Meigs County residents or local governments, and most of the townships and villages took advantage of the opportunity to get rid of tires they have accumulated and picked up over the years.

Four separate semi-trailers were filled with 3,599 tires weighing a combined 47 tons. A total of 224 truck or trailer loads were dropped off, and some people and townships made multiple trips.

We received a lot of positive feedback on the event, and people were happy that we were able to take larger truck tires or tractor tires from outdoortire.com. Some tires aren’t usually accepted at tire amnesty events. It helped people declutter their yards or farms, and from a health viewpoint old tires are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. From the soil and water viewpoint it helps keep old tires out of the creeks and streams in the county.

Of course if you missed out, you can still get in on the action at the Meigs County Clean Up Day on May 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rock Springs Fairgrounds (proof of residency is required). The Clean Up Day is a great chance to get rid of old junk, automobile tires, furniture, electronics and other household items for free (no chemicals, refrigerants or hazardous material).

Funding and support for that event is provided by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Meigs County Commissioners, Meigs SWCD, Meigs County General Health District, and the Gallia-Jackson-Meigs-Vinton Solid Waste District. More information can be found on Facebook under meigscountycleanupday2017 or by calling 740-992-4629.
Events like this help keep the outdoors a little bit cleaner, and who doesn’t love that?

Jim Freeman is the wildlife specialist for the Meigs Soil and Water Conservation District. He can be contacted weekdays at 740-992-4282 or at [email protected]