Spring Turkey Season Begins on April 17

Spring Turkey Season Begins on April 17

Contact(s): Mark Witecha, DNR upland wildlife ecologist, 608-267-7861

MADISON – The 2019 spring turkey hunt opens April 17, and hunters are reminded to check the regulations and other helpful information on the Department of Natural Resources website to make sure they are ready for another year in the woods.

Spring turkey hunting regulations can be found within the 2018 Small Game Hunting Regulations, 2018 Fall Turkey Regulations, and 2019 Spring Turkey Regulations [PDF]. For more general information regarding turkey hunting in Wisconsin, visit the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, and search keyword “turkey.”

Spring turkey periods run for seven days each

The 2019 spring turkey season will run from April 17 through May 28, with six, seven-day periods running Wednesday through the following Tuesday.

Harvest registration

Harvest registration remains a critical component of wildlife population management and turkey registration is mandatory. Hunters must register their turkey by 5 p.m. the day after recovery at gamereg.wi.gov, or by phone at 1-844-426-3734. Hunters will need their harvest authorization number to register their turkey, located on a paper or digital copy of their harvest authorization.

The spring turkey season has a bag limit of one bearded or male turkey per harvest authorization.Photo credit: DNR

Wisconsin’s public lands are the perfect place to pursue birds this spring

Each year, thousands of outdoor enthusiasts use Wisconsin’s public lands for a variety of activities, ranging from birdwatching to hunting. For those interested in exploring all Wisconsin has to offer, the department has a number of tools available to help users find a new favorite spot in the wild.

Hunters who would like to pursue turkeys in a state park must hold a harvest authorization for the turkey management zone in which the park is located. Spring turkey hunting is allowed in select state parks during the two-day youth hunt and the first two time periods of the regular season. For more information regarding hunting in state parks, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “hunting state parks .”

Starting March 2019, Fort McCoy hunting and fishing permits will no longer be available through Go Wild and must be obtained through Fort McCoy’s license system, iSportsman. For the 2019 turkey season, hunters must purchase their Wisconsin Spring Turkey License and 2019 Turkey Stamp though Go Wild and their Fort McCoy turkey permit through iSportsman. For more information, visit the Fort McCoy website (exit DNR).