Turkey Hunting Seasons
Licensing and permit costs are listed in the Licenses & Permits section. Specific laws and regulations for each turkey season are below.
Spring Turkey Seasons
Season Dates
- April 25 – May 26 State Land
- April 25 – May 26 Private Land
- April 25 – May 26 Landowner
Bag Limits
- State Land Permits: 2 Bearded birds
- Private Land Permits: 3 Bearded birds
Hunting Hours ½ hour before sunrise to 12 noon.
License & Permits Firearms hunting license or Small Game and Deer Archery Permit and a spring turkey permit. You may obtain both a private land (either Private Land or Free Landowner) and a state land spring turkey permit.
Legal Firearms Shotguns, 20 gauge or larger, with #4, 5, 6, 7 or 7½ shot. Shotguns must not be capable of holding more than 3 shells.
Legal Bows See Hunting Laws & Regulations for a description of legal bows and arrows for turkey hunting. Mechanical string release devices are permitted.
Special Conditions
- State Land Hunting: See the Public Hunting Areas section for state lands open for spring turkey hunting.
- Tagging and Reporting: See the Tagging & Reporting section for information on tagging and reporting.
- Private Land Permission: Signed written consent of the landowner on official forms for current season must be carried while hunting (see Private Land Consent Form).
- Decoys: Decoys may be used, but live decoys are prohibited.
- Free Landowner Permits: Only available to persons owning 10 or more contiguous acres of land.
- Junior Hunter Training Day: Saturday, April 14, 2012 and Saturday, April 21, 2012. See the Junior Hunter Training Days section for details.
Fall Archery Turkey Seasons
Season Dates
- Jan. 2 – Jan. 31 Private Lands (Zones 11–12)
- Sept. 15 – Dec. 31 Private Lands (All Zones)
- Sept. 15 – Nov. 13 State Land
Dec. 19 – Dec. 31 - Sept. 15 – Dec. 31 State Land Bowhunting Only Areas
Bag Limit 2 Either Sex
Hunting Hours ½ hour before sunrise to sunset.
License & Permits Small Game & Deer Archery Permit and Fall Archery Turkey Permit. You may obtain only one type of fall archery turkey permit (either a state/private land permit or a free landowner permit).
Legal Bows See Hunting Laws & Regulations for a description of legal bows and arrows for turkey hunting. Mechanical string release devices are permitted.
Special Conditions
- Tagging and Reporting: See the Tagging & Reporting section for information on tagging and reporting.
- Private Land Permission: Signed written consent of the landowner on official forms for current season must be carried while hunting (see Private Land Consent Form).
- Decoys: Decoys may be used, but live decoys are prohibited.
- State Land Hunting: See the Public Hunting Areas section for a listing of lands open to fall bow hunting.
- Free Landowner Permits – only available to persons owning 10 or more contiguous acres of land.
Fall Firearms Turkey Seasons
Season Dates
- Oct. 6 – Oct. 31 State Land
- Oct. 6 – Oct. 31 Private Land
- Oct. 6 – Oct. 31 Landowner
Bag Limits
- State Land: 1 Either Sex
- Private Land: 2 Either Sex
Hunting Hours ½ hour before sunrise to sunset.
License & Permits Firearms hunting license and a Fall Firearms Turkey Permit. You may obtain both a private land (either Private Land or Free Landowner) and a state land fall firearms turkey permit.
Legal Firearms Shotguns, 20 gauge or larger, with #4, 5, 6, 7 or 7½ shot. Shotguns must not be capable of holding more than 3 shells.
Special Conditions
- State Land Hunting: See the Public Hunting Areas section for open state land hunting areas.
- Tagging and Reporting: See the Tagging & Reporting section for information on tagging and reporting.
- Private Land Permission: Signed written consent of the landowner on official forms for current season must be carried while hunting (see Private Land Consent Form).
- Decoys: Decoys may be used, but live decoys are prohibited.
- Free Landowner Permits – only available to persons owning 10 or more contiguous acres of land.
Turkey Hunting Prohibited Activities
- The use of bait, electronic calling devices, live decoys or animals (including dogs) to hunt wild turkeys is prohibited.
- You may not call turkeys for another hunter. Exceptions:
- If you have a current state land permit with or without unused tags remaining, you may call for another hunter hunting with a state land permit.
- If you have a current private land permit with or without unused tags remaining and a signed consent form for a private land parcel, you may call for another hunter hunting on that private land parcel.
- You may not attempt to take turkeys by participating in a cooperative drive.
- You may not shoot turkeys from a building or other permanent structure.
- You may not shoot turkeys roosting in trees.
Tagging & Reporting Turkey Kills
Immediately upon killing a turkey, complete and sign a Harvest Tag and keep it with the carcass at all times. The Harvest Tag must remain with the turkey until it is cut up for consumption. See the Tagging & Reporting section for more information on Harvest Tags and reporting.
Turkey Hunter Surveys
Anybody who obtains a turkey permit, may be asked to respond to a survey concerning their turkey hunting activities. Even if you did not hunt, you should complete the survey. Information gathered from the survey is important to the management of Connecticut’s wild turkey population. Surveys may be conducted by mail, telephone, or the internet.
Turkey Hunting Seminars
Turkey hunting seminars are held each spring. Watch your newspaper and www.ct.gov/deep/hunting for times and locations, or contact the Wildlife Division (860-642-7239) for further information.
