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Ohio Division of Wildlife to Hold Lottery for Fishing and Hunting

The Ohio Division of Wildlife will be holding a lottery for special hunting and fishing opportunities. There are multiple lotteries. There are certain restrictions and criteria for these fishing and hunting lotteries. And, of course, applications are only open for a short time.

At a Glance

  • Lottery applications must be turned in by March 31, along with a $3 nonrefundable fee.
  • There are different lotteries for youth and adults.
  • Youth cannot be older than 17, and must have an adult with them.
  • Everyone entered in the lotteries must have the appropriate licenses and permits.

Ohio Division of Wildlife Hunting Lottery

The Ohio Division of Wildlife hunting lottery will award hunters with spring turkey hunts. These hunts will be scheduled at several sites. For example, Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area in Wyandot County and Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area in Wayne County will both host the hunts. Of course, they’ll offer different hunts based on the lotteries available. A youth hunt will be offered at Killbuck. There are three hunt slots available at Killdeer Plains – a youth, a mentor, and a general hunt.

For the youth hunts, applicants can’t be older than 17. In addition, the winners must have a non-hunting adult with them.

The mentor hunts have no age restrictions. However, learners must not have checked a wild turkey within the last five years. Both mentors and learners will be able to take a turkey. The learner has to take the first bird, though. Both the learner and the mentor are able to put in an application for this hunt.

Of course, all hunters must hold applicable licenses and permits.

The Fishing Lottery

The fishing lottery will award slots along a half-mile stretch of Cold Creek in Erie County. The Ohio Wildlife Division operates a trout hatchery along that stretch. Thus, the creek is filled to the brim with mature trout.

Lottery winners will be assigned a block of time at the creek. There, they and up to five guests will be able to catch rainbow trout.

The fishing dates for the lottery run from May 24 to November 26.

Just like the hunting lottery, there are separate ones for youths and adults. However, the criteria are a little bit different. Anyone that is 16 or older must hold an Ohio fishing license.

More details about the lotteries are available online at the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s website. That’s also where hunters and anglers will need to put in their applications. For those that don’t want to submit online, there’s another way to get entered into the lotteries. However, The Columbus Dispatch reports that it’s more expensive. Applications will also be accepted by phone at (866) 703-1928. There’s an added service fee of $5.50, though, on top of the $3 you’ll already have to pay.