Turkey Hunting Regulations

General Information

A turkey permit and a hunting license are required while hunting wild turkey.

• You may buy only one turkey permit per year.
• If you have filled your bag limit, you may call turkeys for another hunter, but you may not carry a bow or firearm.
• If you have taken a turkey which is unfit for consumption, authorized DEC staff may issue a special permit to take another. You will have to surrender the carcass. Call your local wildlife or law enforcement office.

Manner of Taking

• You must carry your hunting license and turkey permit while you hunt.
• You may hunt with a bow or crossbow.
  • You may not hunt turkey with a crossbow in the fall in the Northern Zone if you are using dogs.
• You may hunt with a shotgun or handgun only when using shot no larger than #2 and no smaller than #9.
• You may use a muzzleloading shotgun.
• You may not take a turkey with a rifle, or with a handgun firing a bullet.
• You may not hunt with a dog during the spring season. You may hunt with a dog during the fall season.
• You may not use bait to hunt turkey.
• You may not use an electronic calling or amplifying device to locate or hunt turkeys during the open season.
• You may use decoys.
• A scope of any type is allowed.

Spring Turkey Season

• In the spring you may take two bearded birds but no more than one bearded bird may be taken in WMU 1C. You may only take one bird per day.
• Shooting hours are from 1/2-hour before sunrise to noon.
• Immediately after taking a turkey, fill out the carcass tag and attach it to the bird.
• You do not need to save and send in turkey legs in the spring. You do need to take careful spur, beard, and weight measurements for reporting.
• Spur measurements: spurs should be measured from the tip of the spur to the base of the spur, where it emerges from the scaly part of the leg. Measure to the nearest 1/4 inch. Do not measure to the forward edge of the leg, only to the base of the spur.
• Beard Measurements: beards should be measured from the tip of the beard to the base, where it emerges from the skin. Butt the end of your ruler against the base of the beard and extend the beard along the body of the ruler. Measure to the nearest 1/4 inch.
• Record the weight to the nearest pound.

Fall Turkey Season

• The statewide season bag limit is one bird of either sex.
• See the turkey season map for season dates.
• Shooting hours are from sunrise to sunset.
• Immediately after taking a turkey, you must fill out the carcass tag in ink and attach it to the bird.
• If you take a turkey, save one of its legs. Return it in the leg envelope you will receive. The legs are used for age and sex information.
• You may not hunt turkey with a crossbow in the fall in the Northern Zone if you are using dogs.

Tagging, Possession, and Reporting

E-Tag Users: Take It, Report It, Tag It If You Leave It

E-tags are electronic records of a hunter’s unreported and reported carcass tags for deer, bear, and turkey in the HuntFishNY mobile app.  

• Hunters using e-tags who harvest a turkey must immediately electronically “tag” the turkey by reporting the harvest via the HuntFishNY mobile app.  
• Once reported, e-tag users do not need to attach anything to the carcass while in possession of it, including in their vehicle and at home. If the carcass is not in their possession (e.g., brought to a meat processor or taxidermist), the hunter must attach a tag that includes name, hunter ID number, and reporting confirmation number (available in the mobile app).  
• E-tag users who need to leave the carcass somewhere other than their home or vehicle can also print and use a paper carcass tag with confirmation number from their DECALS account.

Paper Tag Users: Take It, Tag It, Report It

• Immediately after taking a wild turkey, you must fill out the appropriate carcass tag in ink, cut out or mark in ink the date of the kill, and secure it to the carcass. During the Youth Hunt you will need to write "April" on the back of the tag and mark that.
• The carcass tag must stay attached to the turkey carcass until it is prepared for eating.
• Paper Tag users must report within 48 hours of the harvest using one of these methods:
  1. Report Online;
  2. Call the toll-free automated reporting system at 1-866-GAME-RPT (1-866-426-3778);
  3. Use the HuntFishNY Mobile App.
• You may give your turkey to another person. You must attach a tag with the following information to the turkey carcass:
  1. Your name
  2. Your address
  3. Your hunting license number
  4. Your turkey permit number
  5. Their name
  6. Their address
• This tag must stay attached to the turkey carcass until it is prepared for eating.

Reporting Spring Turkey

To record your spring turkey take, you will need the spur and beard measurements recorded on the carcass tag.

Reporting Fall Turkey: Save a Leg and Submit  

DEC is requesting successful fall turkey hunters save a turkey leg. DEC will send materials to collect the leg.  Also, DEC requests successful hunters submit wing, spur, beard, and tail photographs of harvested turkeys. After reporting your harvest, you will be prompted to follow a link where you can submit photographs. This information, in combination with fall turkey leg collection data, will be used to help determine the statewide age and sex structure of the turkey population.  

Turkey Hunting Safety Tips

Most turkey hunting injuries happen when one hunter stalks another.

• Don't Stalk Turkeys. It doesn't work and it is dangerous.
• Never wear turkey colors-red, white, or blue.
• Assume anything that sounds like a turkey is another turkey hunter.
• Call with a large tree at your back.
• If you see another hunter....DON'T MOVE.
  • Never wave, whistle or make any turkey call or animal sound.
  • Speak Up in a loud, clear voice to identify yourself.
• Wrap an orange vest around a tree near your calling location to let other hunters know you are there.
• Be sure of your target...and beyond!