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Washington

Game Bird Hunting

Game Bird Hunting

Wild Turkey Seasons

General Wild Turkey Seasons

License Required: A small game license and a valid turkey transport tag.

You will owe hunting activity reports (Spring and/or Fall) for each turkey transport tag purchased.

Season

Season Dates

GMUs

Bag Limit/Legal Bird

Fall General Seasons (statewide seasonal bag limit is four (4) turkeys with the following area restrictions)

Fall General Season

Sept. 1 - Dec. 31

101 through 154 and 162 through 186

Two (2) beardless and two (2) either sex turkeys

382, 388, 568 through 578

One (1) either sex turkey

203-290

One (1) either sex turkey

Spring Seasons (statewide seasonal bag limit is Three (3) turkeys with the following area restrictions)

Youth Only

April 1-7, 2024

Statewide*

The combined spring/youth season limit is three (3) turkeys.

Only two (2) turkeys may be killed in eastern Washington, except a third turkey may be taken in eastern Washington only in Spokane County.

Only one (1) turkey may be killed in Kittitas County. Only one turkey may be killed in Yakima County.

Only one (1) turkey may be killed in Western Washington outside of Klickitat County. Two (2)turkeys may be killed in Klickitat County.

Male turkeys and turkeys with visible beards only.

Spring General Season

April 15 - May 31

Bag Limit

Hunters who harvested their full bag limit during the spring CAN still participate in fall turkey seasons. Each season has a separate bag limit.

Evidence of Sex

It is unlawful to possess or transport wild turkey without the fully feathered head and beard (if present at harvest) attached, until the carcass is processed and/or stored for consumption.

Weapons

It is illegal to hunt turkeys with a weapon other than the following:

  • Crossbow or bow and arrow;
  • Shotgun or muzzleloading shotgun shooting #4 or smaller shot (0.13 inch diameter or smaller);
  • Legal modern handgun designed for hunting, shooting #4 or smaller shot, and not capable of holding more than three shells. Handgun barrel length must be a minimum of 10 inches, inclusive of choke tube. Modern handguns must shoot a minimum three inch shotshell of .410 caliber or larger;
  • Legal muzzleloading handgun designed for hunting and shooting #4 or smaller shot. Handgun barrel length must be a minimum of 10 inches. Muzzleloading handguns must be .45 caliber or larger;
  • See shot size diagram for shot size diagram.

It is illegal to hunt turkeys with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells.

Restrictions

It is unlawful to use dogs, electronic calls, or electronic decoys to hunt turkey or baiting methods for game birds.

Reporting

Turkey hunters will owe hunting activity reports (Spring and/or Fall) for each turkey transport tag purchased (see License Fees & Information).

If you purchase a turkey tag before the end of the spring season you must submit a spring hunting report. If you have an unfilled spring tag, or if you purchase a turkey tag after the end of the spring season, then you must submit a fall hunting report.

For Game Management Unit (GMU) descriptions and boundaries, see the Big Game Regulations or wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/locations/gmu.