Fall & Spring Wild Turkey Hunting

Fall 2012 Turkey Hunting Regulations

The 2012 fall turkey season will consist of one seven-day hunting segment, N, (excluding Sunday) from Saturday, Oct. 27 through Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012. Fall hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. Turkey Hunting Areas 1–5, 8, 9, 11, 20–22 are open for fall hunting. Turkey Hunting Areas 6, 7, 10, 12 and 14–16 are closed to fall hunting.

• Bag Limit: One wild turkey of either sex per day during the fall season regardless of the number of permits the hunter holds.
• Dogs and artificial decoys may be used while turkey hunting in the fall season, except the use of electronically-operated decoys is prohibited. All hunters are required to possess a calling device while turkey hunting.
• The maximum group size while turkey hunting is five hunters. Hunters may not attempt to chase or drive turkeys for the purpose of putting them in range of other hunters. However, hunters may rush a flock of turkeys to cause the flock to scatter.
• No shot larger than #4 fine shot or smaller than #7½ fine shot may be used for turkey hunting.
• Hunters may not use shotguns larger than 10-gauge or smaller than 20-gauge for turkey hunting.
• Fluorescent hunter orange is not required to hunt turkey.
• Properly licensed hunters may use archery tackle to hunt turkeys.
• Turkeys may not be hunted within 300 feet of any baited area.

Immediately upon killing a turkey, hunters must complete the transportation tag on their fall hunting permit and affix it to the bird. The turkey must be taken to an official wild turkey check station by 7 p.m. on the day it is killed by the hunter who killed the bird.

Spring Turkey Season Changes

Southern New Jersey turkey hunters: be advised that there are new boundaries for Turkey Hunting Areas 16 and 22. The southern parts of Turkey Hunting Area 16 have been placed in Turkey Hunting Area 22. Refer to the Turkey Hunting Area map on Fish and Wildlife’s website or to the Turkey Permit Supplement (available in late January, 2013) for the new boundary.

Spring 2013 Gobbler Hunting Regulations

Spring gobbler hunting regulations are published in the 2013 Wild Turkey Hunting Season permit supplement available in January. See Turkey Hunting Permits, General.

Turkey Hunting Seminars

The latest turkey hunting techniques are presented at several turkey hunting seminars sponsored by Fish and Wildlife or wildlife conservation organizations. These seminars focus on how to set up, calling techniques and key safety information for turkey hunters. New turkey hunters are especially encouraged to join us at a seminar. Check your newspaper and the January 2013 Wild Turkey Hunting Season permit supplement for the seminars scheduled during March or April.

Youth Turkey Hunt Day

April 20, 2013

If no turkey is harvested on this youth hunt day, Period Y permits may be used by the youth hunter in the designated zone for the balance of the season until a bird is harvested (see Take a Kid Hunting).

Non-hunting adults accompanying youth turkey hunters need only have in possession a valid hunting license. Turkey hunting is by permit only.

Spring and fall turkey hunting is by permit only. See Turkey Hunting Permits, General in Permits. For farmers, see Farmer Turkey Permits.