Mandatory Reporting
Hunters are Required to Report Hunting Activity by January 31st, 2026
Turkey hunters will owe hunting activity reports (spring and/or fall) for each turkey transport tag purchased. Turkey hunters must report their hunting activity for each tag even if they did not hunt or harvest a bird.
Hunters can submit their reports online through the WDFW Fish and Hunt portal or by telephone (toll free at 1-877-945-3492). Hunters who harvest an animal should submit a report within 10 days of harvest and all reports must be submitted by January 31. Hunters who fail to report by January 31 will be subject to a $10 administrative fee, which must be paid before they can purchase a license for the following year. Unsuccessful hunters must also report their hunting activity, including location and days hunted. WDFW will use this information to better monitor hunter effort, distribution, harvest, and trends.
Having a spring and fall season can make reporting confusing for turkey hunters. Any hunter who holds a turkey transport tag during the spring season must submit a spring report for that tag, even if they did not hunt or harvest in the spring. Any hunter who holds an unfilled turkey tag during the fall season must submit a fall report for that tag, even if they did not hunt or harvest in the fall.
For example, if a hunter holds a turkey transport tag during the spring season and is unsuccessful, they can use that tag in the fall, and therefore a report for both spring and fall will be required.
You will need the following information for each tag and season (spring or fall) to submit your turkey hunting activity reports.
- Whether or not you hunted turkeys.
- If you hunted:
- List the two Game Management Units (GMUs) where you hunted the most. You can find a map on the WDFW GMU locations page or in the Big Game Regulations.
- The number of days you hunted in each GMU.
- If you harvested:
- The GMU in which the turkey was harvested.
- Month, day, and year of harvest.
- Sex of the turkey.
Report Wild Turkey and Upland Bird Sightings
Help manage Washington’s game bird populations by reporting your observations of wild turkeys and upland birds. In July and August, brood surveys that count the number of chicks or poults with hens will help monitor productivity. The rest of the year, your observations will help monitor distribution: where birds are located, what habitats they’re using, and how they might move seasonally.
For the reporting form and more information, visit the WDFW game bird survey page.
Shoot Clean—Get The Lead Out
- Lead shot can kill wildlife that ingests it.
- It only takes a few lead pellets to be toxic to wildlife.
- Lead shot has resulted in extensive swan mortality in northwestern Washington.
- Target shooting can be a significant source of lead shot in the environment.
- Consider switching to nontoxic shot for all shotgun ammunition.
It is unlawful to possess shot (either in shot shells or as loose shot for muzzleloading) other than nontoxic shot for any purpose in the following areas:
- Well’s Wildlife Area (Bridgeport Bar Unit)
- Cowlitz Wildlife Area (all units)
- Whatcom Wildlife Area (all units)
- Shillapoo Wildlife Area (all units)
- Skagit Wildlife Area (all units)
- Snoqualmie Wildlife Area (all units)
- Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area (Headquarters, Byron and Windmill Ranch units)
- Sinlahekin Wildlife Area (Driscoll Island, Hegdahl, and Kline Parcel units)
- Johns River Wildlife Area (Chinook, Chehalis, and Elk River units)
- South Puget Sound Wildlife Area (Big Beef Creek, Lake Koeneman, Nisqually, Skokomish, and Union River units)
- Scatter Creek Wildlife Area (all units)
- North Olympic Wildlife Area (all units)
Please reference WAC 220-414-040 for more information on Nontoxic Shot Requirements.
2026 Spring Turkey Pamphlet Cover Photo Contest
The 2026 Spring Turkey Pamphlet Cover Photo Contest theme is “The Beauty of the Bird.” This theme celebrates the unique beauty of the wild turkey. Share your captivating photos showcasing the iridescent feathers, the colorful head, the full strut, or other features that make the turkey a sight to behold for a chance to be featured in next year’s regulations pamphlet.
Submit your photos by November 1, 2025, using the form on the WDFW Spring Turkey Contest page.
- Must show only legal activity (no baiting, no electronic decoys, appropriate hunter orange or pink in the fall, etc.).
- Must not have derogatory language or private advertising on clothing (e.g. private hunt clubs).
- Must not have hunting felony or any gross misdemeanor fish and wildlife convictions in the past three years.
- Must be print quality resolution (minimum 300 dpi).
- Photo must be appropriate (minimal blood, etc.).
Submit your photo using the form on the website and provide a background story for your photo (i.e., who, what, when, where, how).
Your Turkey Dollars at Work
WDFW continues to partner with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to improve wildlife habitat in Washington. Last year, this partnership supported a second season of work in the Middle Wind River drainage on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and supported a new project on the Bowman Creek Natural Area. Merriam’s turkeys populate both sites. These projects focused on thinning overstocked forest stands and restoring native understory vegetation.
The Bowman Creek property is owned by the Columbia Land Trust and enrolled in the WDFW Private Lands Access Program for spring turkey hunting. This property is partially adjacent to the Klickitat Wildlife Area and helps provide continuous habitat for turkey and other species like the endangered western gray squirrel. WDFW and NWTF recently selected two projects to support in the coming year: continuing work in the Middle Wind area and a project on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near Lake Chelan.
Thank you for purchasing turkey tags, which provide funding for this habitat enhancement work.
