Wild Turkey

License Requirements

To hunt wild turkey, a valid turkey hunting license and Gamebird Habitat Stamp are required.

Those who have a lifetime comprehensive hunting, lifetime comprehensive hunting and fishing, or resident or nonresident youth hunt/trap license can hunt turkey and do not need to purchase the Gamebird Habitat Stamp because it is included with those license types.

A separate turkey hunting license is required when hunting during the spring and fall seasons.

Gamebird Habitat Stamps are good for both spring and fall seasons in the same calendar year.

Regardless of whether you have harvested a turkey yourself, you can only assist another hunter by calling if you are licensed to turkey hunt.

Season and Bag Limits

Fall 2024 - The bag and possession limit for the fall seasons is one bird of either sex, regardless of hunting equipment used or what portion of the season. Fall archery season (including crossbows) is statewide from Oct. 1-27, 2024 and Dec. 7, 2024 - Jan. 5, 2025. Fall firearms season is from Oct. 16-27, 2024 in specific counties. See the map.

Spring 2024 - The spring season runs from April 23 - May 11, 2025. The bag limit is one bearded or male turkey for the spring season. Spring turkey hunting is allowed statewide.

Reserved Hunts

Reserved turkey hunts are scheduled at select DNR Fish & Wildlife areas.

Reserved turkey hunts also take place at Big Oaks and Muscatatuck national wildlife refuges. Applications and draws are managed through the DNR reserved hunt system. For details and to apply during open applications, go to hunting.IN.gov.

Turkeys harvested at a reserved hunt count toward the hunter’s season bag limit.

Youth Season

Information about the youth season is on Youth Hunting.

Legal Equipment

Turkeys can be hunted only with:

• A .410 caliber and 10-, 12-, 16-, 20-, or 28-gauge shotgun loaded with pellets of size No. 4, 5, 6, 7, or 7½, or with Tungsten Super Shot 8,9 and 10. Shot sizes smaller than size 7½ must be made of Tungsten Super Shot or equivalent pellet density only, such as Tungsten Super Shot 8, 9 and 10. Nontoxic shot is required while hunting turkey on some DNR properties. Call the property you are interested in hunting on for additional information.
• A muzzleloading shotgun not smaller than 20-gauge and not larger than 10-gauge, loaded with pellets of size 4, 5, 6, 7, 7½, and Tungsten Super Shot 8, 9 and 10. Combination loads using shot sizes other than these are illegal.
• Bow and arrow
• A crossbow

Hunting Hours

Wild turkeys may be hunted only from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. All DNR properties managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife have spring season hunting hours one-half hour before sunrise until noon for properties on CT and until 1 p.m. for properties on ET. Mushroom hunters are required to stay out of the field until after this time during the spring season.

Tagging Requirements

Immediately upon killing a turkey, the hunter must complete a temporary transportation tag on paper stating the hunter’s full name, address, sex of the turkey, license number (if applicable), and the date the turkey was taken before transporting the turkey from the field. For a printable version of a temporary transportation tag, visit CheckINGame.dnr.IN.gov.

Reporting Requirements

Hunters are required to register their harvested turkey within 48 hours of the kill. This can be done one of three ways:

• Self reporting online through the DNR’s CheckIN Game system
  (CheckINGame.dnr.IN.gov)
• Calling 800-419-1326 (a $3 fee applies)
• Finding a check station, license vendor, or retailer who will file the information for you through CheckIN Game at CheckINGame.dnr.IN.gov or calling the DNR Customer Service Center at 317-232-4200 or 877-463-6367 (toll-free).

Once the turkey is registered with the CheckIN Game system, a confirmation number will be generated. The number must be recorded on a temporary transportation tag and kept with the turkey until processing begins.

Hunter Orange

Turkey hunters must meet hunter orange requirements while hunting turkeys Dec. 7-22, 2024. See hunter orange requirements.

Fair Chase

While hunting wild turkey, it is illegal to use or possess a dog, another domesticated animal, a live decoy, a recorded call, an electronically powered or controlled decoy, or bait. An area is considered baited for 10 days after the removal of the bait and affected soil, but an area is not considered to be baited that is attractive to wild turkeys resulting from normal agricultural practices.

2024 Fall Turkey Firearms & Archery Seasons Map

Fall Wild Turkey Sex and Age Determination

If no obvious leg spur:

• use breast feathers to determine sex and wing tips to determine age (amount of barring and shape of 9th and 10th primary tips)

If obvious leg spur, then bird is a male:

• adult male: 1/2 inch or longer
• juvenile male: less than 1/2 inch