Turkey Hunting Regulations

Youth Hunts for Turkeys

A hunter must be 10 to 17 years of age to hunt in a general season youth hunt. If they turn 18 during the hunt they are no longer eligible to participate.

Hunting Passport holders who are 8 or 9 years of age may purchase turkey tags to participate in the following turkey hunts: general season, general youth-only, depredation, and landowner permission hunts with the appropriate landowner permission permit. Hunting Passport holders are not eligible to participate in controlled hunts. Hunting Passport holders must be accompanied by an adult with a valid Idaho hunting license.

Youth-only controlled hunt application eligibility is limited to persons 9 to 17 years of age, provided they will be 10 to 17 years of age during the hunt for which they apply. A 9 year old cannot participate in the hunt until turning age 10. A person who turns 18 years of age during the controlled hunt may continue to participate through the end of the youth-only controlled hunt.

Resident junior hunters under 12 must be accompanied by an adult, 18 years of age or older, with a valid Idaho hunting hunting license. The adult must be close enough to be within normal conversation or hearing range without shouting or the aid of electronic devices.

Nonresident junior mentored hunters under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, 18 years of age or older, with a valid Idaho hunting license and a current year tag which is valid for the same species. The adult must be close enough to be within normal conversation or hearing range without shouting or the aid of electronic devices.

Nonresident youth ages 12 to 17, who possess a full price hunting license are not required to follow the “accompanied by” rule in the field.

Harvest a turkey with a leg band or transmitter?

Please contact the nearest Regional Office if you harvest a turkey with a leg band or transmitter. By reporting, you help provide information used to monitor populations and set hunting seasons, and will learn when and where the turkey was banded.

Tag Requirements

No person may hunt wild turkey without having in his or her possession the appropriate hunting license and tag.

There are two types of turkey tags available: general hunt tags and controlled hunt tags.

General hunt tags are valid for spring and fall general seasons. If a general hunt tag is not used to harvest a turkey during the spring season, it may be used in a fall season. Controlled hunt tags are valid in the controlled hunt for which a hunter was drawn or in any open general season hunt during the same calendar year.

Some general hunt tags are discounted:

• For residents, second or subsequent tags purchased in a calendar year following the first full-price general or controlled hunt tag purchase are discounted. Fees are $12.25, including the vendor issuance fee. Three (3) general hunt tags can be purchased in a calendar year.
• Special Unit tags are general hunt tags for use in units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7, and 9 during fall general seasons, and in designated depredation hunts. Fees are $5, including the vendor issuance fee. Three (3) special unit tags can be purchased in a calendar year (not including special unit tags purchased for a depredation hunt).

  QUICK TAG OVERVIEW
  If You Want to Hunt...	Buy a License AND a...
  General Season, Spring Turkey*	General Hunt Turkey Tag
  General Season Fall Turkey*	General Hunt Turkey Tag (including special unit tags valid only in units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7, and 9)
  Controlled Hunt, Spring Season*	Apply for a Controlled Hunt Tag February 1 – March 1 and use a Controlled Hunt Tag. Any leftover tags go on sale March 25 at 10:00AM MDT
  Controlled Hunt, Fall Season*	Apply for a Controlled Hunt Tag May 1 – June 5 and use a Controlled Hunt Tag. Any leftover tags go on sale July 15 at 10:00AM MDT
  * Controlled hunt tags are valid in the controlled hunt for which a hunter was drawn or in any general season hunt during the same calendar year.

Controlled Hunt Tag Requirements

No person may hunt wild turkey in a controlled hunt without having in his or her possession the appropriate hunting license and controlled hunt tag. Controlled hunt tags are valid in the controlled hunt for which a hunter was drawn or in any open general season hunt during the same calendar year. See pages 24-25 (Wild Turkey Controlled Hunt Seasons) for the list of controlled hunts.

Landowner Permission Hunts

These are a form of depredation hunt. They are established in areas with chronic problems where depredation hunts are an annual occurrence. These hunts cannot be applied for during a controlled hunt application period. For additional information concerning Landowner Permission hunts contact a Fish and Game office, or visit online for the current Landowner Permission Hunt Brochure.

Controlled Hunts

Eligibility: Holders of valid Idaho hunting licenses are eligible to apply for controlled hunts subject to the following restrictions:

• Holders of a Nongame Hunting License, Hunting Passport, or a Three-Day Nonresident Small Game License may not apply for any controlled hunt.

Application Dates:

• Spring hunt application period: February 1 – March 1. Results available by March 20. Any leftover tags go on sale March 25 at 10:00am MDT.
• Fall hunt application period: May 1 – June 5. Results available by July 10. Any leftover tags go on sale July 15 at 10:00am MDT.

During the application periods, applicants may apply anytime online, over the phone between 7a.m. and 7p.m. MDT at 1-800-554-8685, or in-person during regular business hours at any Idaho Fish and Game office or license vendor location. Applications submitted online and over the phone can be paid for using a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card, and are subject to a credit card fee of 3% of the transaction plus $4.00 for online sales and $6.50 for phone sales.

• Each applicant for controlled hunts must submit a $6.25 ($18.00 for nonresidents) nonrefundable application fee with their application.

Group Applications: Two hunters applying for the same controlled hunt on the same application.

• Only one application per person or group will be accepted. Additional applications will result in all applications being declared ineligible. For example, if John Smith submits a controlled hunt application for turkey, and then Bob Smith submits a group application for himself and John Smith, both applications for John will be declared ineligible as well as Bob’s application.

Refunds Of Controlled Hunt Fee: Hunting license fees will not be refunded to unsuccessful applicants. Application fees for controlled hunts are not refundable.

Second Hunt Choices: Single or group applications which are not drawn for the first choice hunt will automatically be entered into a second choice drawing provided the second choice hunt applied has not been filled.

Drawing Results Notification: It is the responsibility of the hunter to find out whether he or she was successful in drawing a controlled hunt. All applicants will receive an email with their draw results if there’s a valid email in their license profile. Applicants can login to view their draw results. All customers who draw a controlled hunt must receive a physical tag before going into the field. No person may hunt in any controlled hunt without a valid controlled hunt tag in their possession. Results for spring seasons will be available by March 20, and results for fall seasons will be available by July 10.

Nonresident Tag Limitations: No more than 10 percent of controlled hunt tags may be issued to nonresidents.

Unfilled (Leftover) Controlled Hunt Tags: Any spring controlled hunt tags for turkey that remain unsold after controlled hunt drawings may be sold on a first-come, first-served basis on or after March 25 at 10:00am MDT. Unsold fall controlled hunt tags will go on sale July 15 at 10:00am MDT. Hunters 65 years of age or older or hunters with a senior combination hunting license or a disabled hunting license may apply for first-come, first-served leftover youth-only controlled hunt tags. The 10 percent nonresident limitation shall not apply to leftover tags.

Permit Designation to Child or Grandchild: A holder of a controlled hunt tag for turkey may designate that tag to the holder’s child or grandchild (under the age of 18) who is otherwise qualified to participate in the hunt. The child or grandchild may be designated only one controlled hunt tag for turkey per calendar year. The designation must be made before the opening date of the hunt. Resident adults can only designate tags to resident youth; nonresident adults can only designate tags to nonresident youth. For more information and a form to designate the tag, please contact your nearest Fish and Game office or visit the licensing section of Fish and Game’s website.

Tag Validation and Attachment

• Immediately after any wild turkey is killed, a turkey tag must be validated and securely attached to the bird.
• To validate the tag, the hunter must cut out and completely remove two triangles on the border of the tag, one for the month and one for the day of the kill.
• The tag must remain attached as long as the turkey is in transit or storage.

Hunters must completely remove two notches indicating month and day of kill.

Rules for Wild Turkey

Unlawful Methods of Take

No person may take turkey:

• Outside of legal shooting hours.
• With lead shot exceeding BB size or steel shot exceeding T size.
• By use of dogs, except during fall hunts.
• With a trap, snare, net, or firearm;
  • Except turkeys may be taken with a shotgun using shells not exceeding 3 ½ inches maximum length, or muzzleloading shotgun.
• From any watercraft.
• By the use or aid of any electronic call.
• By the aid of baiting. Bait is defined as any substance placed to attract game.
• With any airgun using pre-charged pneumatic power to propel a projectile (including shot and arrows) with unignited compressed air or gas and projectiles less than thirty (.30) caliber.

Areas Closed to Hunting of Turkeys

Hunting, killing or molesting of any game bird is prohibited in the following areas:

• Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area (refuge) from September 15 through the end of waterfowl hunting season in the following area: Beginning at the bridge across Sand Hollow Creek on Old Fort Boise Road about 100 yards west of the WMA headquarters, then north along the east bank of Sand Hollow Creek to its confluence with the Snake River, then north and northeast downstream along the east bank of the Snake River to the WMA boundary fence, then south and southeast along the WMA boundary fence to Old Fort Boise Road, then west on Old Fort Boise Road to the point of beginning.
• Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. All lands contained within Craters of the Moon National Monument prior to the expansion of the park in November 2000 are closed to hunting. Contact the National Park Service (208-527-1300 or www.nps.gov/crmo) for a map indicating these boundaries. All other public lands within Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve are open to hunting.
• Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in Twin Falls County, except that portion within an area 50 feet in elevation above the high water level of the Snake River. The upslope area is marked by yellow fiberglass markers, and hunting is permitted down slope to the river.
• Harriman State Park Wildlife Refuge in Fremont County.
• Nez Perce National Historical Park in Clearwater, Idaho, and Nez Perce counties.
• That portion of Ada County within Veterans Memorial Park and the area between State Highway 21, Warm Springs Avenue, and the Boise City limits.
• Yellowstone National Park in Fremont County.
• Roswell Marsh Wildlife Habitat Area in Canyon County on Sundays through Wednesdays from September 15 through the end of the waterfowl hunting season in the area south of Highway 18 and west of Pebble Lane (Roswell Marsh Segment).
• On any of those portions of federal refuges, State game preserves, State Wildlife Management Areas, bird preserves, bird refuges, and bird sanctuaries for which hunting closures have been declared by legislative or Commission action.
• Lewiston Nature Preserve in Nez Perce County.
• Springfield Bird Preserve in Bingham County.
• Mann’s Lake in Nez Perce County and extending 300 yards beyond the Bureau of Reclamation property line that encompasses the lake.

Shooting Hours

Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Species Identification

The beard or leg of a wild turkey must be left naturally attached to the carcass while being transported.

Daily Bag and Season Limits

Daily Bag Limit: The maximum number of turkeys that may be legally taken by any one (1) person during a calendar day:

• During spring seasons the daily bag limit is two (2) male turkeys. A legal turkey is a male turkey or a turkey with a visible beard.
• During fall seasons the daily bag limit is equal to the number of valid tags possessed. Either sex turkeys may be taken during fall seasons.

Season Limit: The maximum number of turkeys that may be legally taken by any one (1) person during a season:

• During spring seasons only two (2) male turkeys may be taken using a general or controlled hunt tag before May 26. A legal turkey is a male turkey or a turkey with a visible beard.
• During fall seasons a hunter may harvest as many turkeys for which they have legal tags in that calendar year.

Note: Any tags purchased and filled during the January 1–31 season will count against the tags available for subsequent spring and fall seasons within the same calendar year.

Wild Turkey Distribution

Shaded areas indicate general wild turkey distribution in Idaho.

Wild turkeys are not native to Idaho, but were first transplanted here in 1961. Since then, more than 150 translocation efforts have been conducted statewide.

Three turkey subspecies have been introduced to Idaho. More than 90 percent are the Merriam’s wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami). Others are the Rio Grande wild turkey (M.g. intermedia), and the Eastern wild turkey (M.g silvestris).

The Merriam’s wild turkey was the first subspecies introduced to Idaho, and it has been by far the most successful. This bird is widely distributed in the mountains of the Panhandle, Clearwater, and Southwest regions.

The Rio Grande wild turkey was first introduced to Idaho in 1982. This subspecies is present in small numbers in riparian areas adjacent to the Snake, Boise, Payette, and Weiser rivers.

The Eastern wild turkey has been introduced to a few sites near Dworshak Reservoir, and some birds may still be found there. Hybrids occur in many areas of the state.