Turkey Hunter Carrying Dead Turkey While Turkey Hunting

2021 turkey season dates and bag limits by state

Apr 22, 2021

Turkey season is officially here, and it’s time to get out there and start bagging some beautiful birds. There’s no better way to do so than with Wasp’s collection of elite, lethal broadheads. Our range of fixed-blade and mechanical broadheads is designed to provide you with an unrivaled edge in the field so you can take home the most memorable kills of your life.

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Here’s a breakdown of the 2021 turkey season dates and bag limits for every state in the U.S.

Alabama

  • Season Dates: March 20-May 2 (varies by zone and county)
  • Bag Limit: One gobbler per day; five during combined fall and spring seasons

Alaska

  • No season

Arizona

  • Season Dates: Arizona Game and Fish issues all permits through a public draw. Applications are due every fall. April 23-May 20 for hunters drawing a Merriam’s or Rio Grande wild turkey tag; April 30-May 27 for hunters drawing a Gould’s wild turkey tag.
  • Archery-only season is May 7-May 20.
  • Bag Limit: One bearded turkey

Arkansas

  • Season Dates: Youth Hunt (age 6 -15): April 10-11 Statewide; Statewide Season Zone 1: April 19-27; Statewide Season Zone 2: April 19 to May 9
  • Bag Limit: Statewide two legal turkeys (zone limits apply); Turkey Zone 1: One legal turkey; Turkey Zone 2: Two legal turkeys

California

  • Season Dates:

General – March 27-May 2

Archery only May 3 to May 16

Additional Junior season March 20-21 and May 3-16

  • Bag Limit: One bearded bird per day; maximum of three per season.

Colorado

  • Season Dates: April 10 – May 31 statewide. Some game management units split this range of dates into two seasons; check regulations.
  • Bag Limit: One bearded bird via an over-the-counter permit. Hunters may take an additional bird if they also draw a limited spring turkey permit.

Connecticut

  • Season Dates: April 28- May 29
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded birds on state land and three bearded birds on private land

Delaware

  • Season Dates: April 3 (youth); April 10 to May 8 (regular). Check regulations for public land permits and season segment dates (eregulations.com/delaware/hunting/; pages 26–27). All first-time Delaware turkey hunters must successfully complete a division-approved Turkey Hunting Safety Course. This includes both public and private hunters. To register for a classroom Turkey Hunting Safety Course, call the Hunter Education Office at (302) 735-3600. Delaware also accepts an online Turkey Hunting Safety Course. You can find the online course at www.wildturkeyhuntingcourse.com. Upon completion of the online course, contact the Hunter Education Office.
  • Bag Limit: One gobbler

Florida

  • Season Dates: March 6 to April 11 south of SR 70; March 20 to April 25 north of SR 70
  • Bag Limit: Two birds (only one in Holmes County)

Georgia

  • Season Dates: March 20-May 15
  • Bag Limit: Three gobblers

Hawaii

  • Season Dates: Check regulations
  • Bag Limit: Varies by island; check regulations

Idaho

  • Season Dates: Youth season – April 8-14; General season – April 15-May 25
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded turkeys

Illinois

  • Season Dates: Youth – March 27-28 and April 3-4; General season – North Zone: April 12-May 13; South Zone: April 6-May 5
  • Bag Limit: One bearded turkey per permit; maximum of three per person. Permits are valid only for the county or special hunt area and season for which the Illinois Department of Natural Resources issues them. (dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/TurkeyHunting.aspx)

Indiana

  • Season Dates: April 21-May 9
  • Bag Limit: One bearded or male turkey
  • Public Land Progress: The NWTF and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources have worked to create woodland meadow/opening maintenance through mechanical means and prescribed fire on the Hoosier National Forest benefitting Eastern wild turkeys.

Iowa

  • Season Dates: April 4-May 16 (Four general seasons); Youth season is April 5-7
  • Bag Limit: One bearded or male turkey per tag, residents up to two tags, nonresidents one tag.

Kansas

  • Season Dates: Youth/Disabled – April 1-13; Archery – April 5-13; Regular – April 14-May 31
  • Bag Limit: Two in Units 1 and 2, one in Units 3-6.

Kentucky

  • Season Dates: Two-day youth season – April 3-4; General season – April 17-May 3
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded birds. A hunter may take a male turkey or a turkey with a visible beard. No more than one bird per day. No more than two birds per spring season. Any combination of male turkeys, or female turkeys with visible beards, may be included in this two-bird season limit. Turkeys taken by youth during the youth-only season count toward the spring turkey bag limit.

Louisiana

  • Season Dates: Area A April 2-May 2; Area B April 2-25; Area C April 2-18. Check regulations for area descriptions.
  • Bag Limit: Two – one gobbler per day; two gobblers per season. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries prohibits the taking of hens, including bearded hens. Hunters are required to report their kill within 72 hours using the kill validation website, www.la.wildlifelicense.com, or by calling (888) 765-2602.

Maine

  • Season Dates: Youth Season: May 1, General Season: May 3-June 5
  • Bag Limit: One bearded wild turkey in Wildlife Management Districts 1-6 and 8; Two bearded wild turkeys in Wildlife Management Districts 7 and 9-29

Maryland

  • Season Dates: Youth season – April 17-18; General season – April 19-May 24
  • Bag Limit: The spring season bag limit is one bearded turkey per day; two bearded turkeys for the season.

Massachusetts

  • Season Dates: Youth Day: Zones 1–13: April 24, 2021 (special restrictions apply, check regulations); General season: Zones 1–13: April 26 – May 22, 2021
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded birds; no more than one per day.

Michigan

  • Season Dates: April 17-June 7
  • Bag Limit: One bearded turkey per licensed hunter

Minnesota

  • Season Dates: Six time periods: Season A April 14-20; Season B April 21-27; Season C April 28 to May 4; Season D May 5-11; Season E May 12-18; Season F May 19-31
  • Archery and youth permits are valid during all time periods and all permit areas.
  • Bag Limit: One permit per person, one bearded bird per permit

Mississippi

  • Season Dates: Youth Season – March 8-14; General season – March 15-May 1
  • Bag Limit: One adult gobbler with a 6-inch beard or longer per day; three per spring season. Hunters aged 15 years of age or younger may harvest one gobbler of choice (any age) per day; three per spring season.

Missouri

  • Season Dates: Youth Season – April 10-11; Regular season – April 19-May 9
  • Bag Limit: Two male turkeys or turkeys with a visible beard, only one of which hunters can harvest the first week. Only one bird during the youth season.

Montana

  • Season Dates: April 10-May 16
  • Bag Limit: Up to 12 per year, five in spring plus super tag

Nebraska

  • Season Dates: Archery – March 25 to May 31; Youth – April 10 to May 31; Shotgun – April 17 to May 31
  • Bag Limit: Nebraska Game and Parks allows hunters to purchase up to three permits in the spring, and each allow for the harvest of one male or female bearded turkey.

Nevada

  • Season Dates: Varies (check regulations)
  • Bag Limit: One bearded turkey

New Hampshire

  • Season Dates: Youth Hunt – April 24-25; General season – May 1-31
  • Bag Limit: One bearded bird; May 2021 season will allow a second gobbler in one of the state’s wildlife management units H1, H2, J2, K, L or M.

New Jersey

  • Season Dates: Youth Day – April 24. Regular Season – April 26-May 28, segmented season
  • Bag Limit: The bag limit is one male turkey per permit, but the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife allows hunters to take only one bird in a given day, regardless of the number of permits a hunter holds.

New Mexico

  • Season Dates: April 15-May 10
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded turkeys

New York

  • Season Dates: Youth season – April 24-25; General season – May 1-31
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded turkeys, only one per day. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation allows youth only one bearded turkey during youth season.

North Carolina

  • Season Dates: Youth season – April 3-9; General season – April 10-May 8
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded turkeys. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission allows youth to kill only one during youth season.

North Dakota

  • Season Dates: April 10-May 16
  • Bag Limit: One bearded wild turkey

Ohio

  • Season Dates: Youth season – April 17-18; General season, South Zone – April 24-May 23; General season, Northeast Zone – May 1-May 30
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded turkeys per season; no more than one per day

Oklahoma

Oregon

  • Season Dates: April 15-May 31
  • Bag Limit: One male turkey or turkeys with visible beards

Pennsylvania

  • Season Dates: Youth season – April 24; General season – May 1-May 31
  • Bag Limit: One with a general license, two with the purchase of a special turkey license that hunters must purchase prior to April 27. Limit one per day. No Sunday hunting.

Rhode Island

  • Season Dates: Youth ages 12-15 and paraplegic hunters – April 24-25; Regular season – April 29-May 23
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded birds; hunters may only take one on state land

South Carolina

  • Season Dates: Private Land – Game Zones 1 and 2, April 1 to May 10; Private Land – Game Zones 3 and 4, March 22-April 30; Public (WMA) Land – statewide April 1-30; Youth – Game Zones 1 and 2, March 27-28 (private land only), Game Zones 3 and 4, March 20-21 (private land only)
  • Bag Limit: Three gobblers; no more than two per day. Some WMAs are more restrictive, so check regulations.

South Dakota

  • Season Dates: Archery – April 3-May 31; Shotgun – April 10-May 31
  • Bag Limit: One bird; varies by unit, check regulations

Tennessee

  • Season Dates: Youth – March 27-28; Regular season – April 3-May 16; may vary by unit, check regulations
  • Bag Limit: One bearded turkey per day, not to exceed three per season

Texas

  • Season Dates: Season dates vary by county. Check local regulations for the county you plan to hunt at https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/animal_listing.
  • South Zone: March 20-May 2
  • North Zone: April 3-May 16
  • Rio Grande 1 – Gobbler Zone: April 1-30
  • Eastern 1 – Gobbler Zone: April 22 to May 14
  • Bag Limit: Four turkeys, but no more than one Eastern wild turkey

Utah

  • Season Dates: Limited entry April 10-29; Youth April 30 to May 2; Over-the-counter May 3-31
  • Bag Limit: One bearded turkey

Vermont

  • Season Dates: General Spring Season: May 1-31; Youth: April 24-25
  • Bag Limit: Regular Season two, Youth Season one

Virginia

  • Season Dates: Youth April 3-4, General: April 10-May 15
  • Bag Limit: Three bearded turkeys per license year, (includes fall and spring seasons combined)

Washington

  • Season Dates: Youth season – April 3-4; General season – April 15-May 31. Spring seasons are for gobblers (males) and turkeys with visible beards only.
  • Bag Limit: The combined spring/youth season limit is three birds. Hunters may kill only two turkeys in eastern Washington. However, they may kill only one in Chelan, Kittitas or Yakima counties. Hunters may kill one turkey per year in western Washington outside of Klickitat County. Hunters may kill two turkeys in Klickitat County.

West Virginia

  • Season Dates: April 19-May 23
  • Bag Limit: Two bearded birds

Wisconsin

  • Season Dates: Youth: April 17-18; Period A: April 21-27; Period B: April 28 to May 4; Period C: May 5-11; Period D: May 12-18; Period E: May 19-25; Period F: May 26 to June 1
  • Bag Limit: One bearded or male turkey per harvest authorization.

Wyoming

  • Season Dates: Varies by hunt area, consult regulations – April 20-May 31 (April 1-May 31 in Hunt Area 3)
  • Bag Limit: One male or bearded wild turkey per license

 

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