Turkey Hunting Regulations

General Regulations

Resident and Nonresident Turkey Hunting License Privileges

Three wild turkey may be taken by hunters who possess one of the following valid base licenses or license combinations: resident license (Class X, Class X3, Class XP, Class XP3, Class XJ, Class
AHJ, Class XS, Class AB-L, Class A-L, Classes A+CS+BG , Classes AH+CS+BG); or a free license (Military, Disabled Veteran, former POW, Class DT or Senior Citizen); or nonresident license (Classes E+CS/LE+WW, Classes AAH+CS/LE+WW, Classes XXJ+CS/LE, Classes AAHJ+CS/LE, Class DT or Class E-L + WW-L or WW). Class DT license holders must be accompanied by a properly licensed parent, guardian or other designated competent adult 21 years of age or older. Underage residents and resident landowners hunting on their own land (see page 10) may take three turkeys without a license. Two bearded turkeys may be taken in the spring and one either-sex turkey in the fall. No more than one turkey may be taken per day.

Additional licenses must be purchased:

• to hunt on national forest lands: Class I or Class I-L (required for Class E, Class E-L or Class AAH).
• to hunt with a handgun: Class A-1 or Class A-1-L (must be age 18 or older, required for all hunters except resident landowners hunting on their own land).

Resident Landowner Privileges:

West Virginia resident landowners may hunt on their own land without obtaining a license.

Resident landowners hunting on their own property without a license can take the same number of turkeys as a licensed hunter. A hunter (licensee or landowner) cannot take more than the number of turkeys allowed in the respective seasons.

Firearms, crossbows and bows legal for hunting wild turkey:

Wild turkey may be hunted with rifles, air rifles .22 caliber or larger, handguns, muzzleloaders, shotguns, bows or crossbows with arrows or bolts equipped with a point having at least two sharp-cutting edges measuring in excess of 3/4 inch wide.

Common violations

Following are the most common violations observed by Natural Resource Police officers during the turkey hunting seasons:

• Hunting over bait
• Hunting without license
• Improper license
• Making false application for license
• Exceeding the limits
• Failure to field tag turkey
• Illegal possession of wildlife
• Hunting without permission

Reward

Reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of person found guilty of:

• illegally killing a turkey – $200

Field Tagging, Checking and Transporting

Each person killing a turkey must either attach a completed field tag to the turkey or remain with the turkey and have upon their person a completedfield tag before removing the carcass from where it was killed. A person who does not possess a field tag must make one. This tag must bear the hunter’s name, address, hunting license number (if required) and the date, time and county of kill. Immediately upon arriving at a residence, camp, hunting lodge, vehicle or vessel, the field tag shall beattached to the turkey and must remain on the carcass until it is electronically registered and a WVDNR-issued 13-digit game check confirmation number, the hunter’s name and address are attached.

The carcass of each turkey shall be electronically registered and legally tagged before it is skinned and within 72 hours from when it was killed or 24hours from the close of the respective season, whichever comes first. The WVDNR-issued 13-digit game check confirmation number and the hunter’s name and address shall remain on the bird until it is dressed for consumption.

No person may transport or possess wildlife killed by another hunter, unless the wildlife or parts thereof are accompanied by a paper tag filled outlegibly bearing the signature, address, date of kill, hunting license number (if required) and the WVDNR-issued 13-digit game check confirmation number (if required) of the hunter who killed the wildlife. The tag shall also specify the species and quantity of wildlife.

2024 Fall Season

Shooting hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.

Only one either-sex turkey may be taken during the fall hunting season with either bow, crossbow or gun.

The use of dogs is legal during the fall turkey season.

IT IS ILLEGAL TO:

• hunt with an air rifle less than .22 caliber
• use electronic calls
• hunt with the use of bait

ATTENTION: If you harvest a wild turkey henwith a leg band, please call Mike Peters at the WVDNR Farmington office at (304) 825-6787 to report the band number.

2025 Spring Gobbler Season

Shooting hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1 p.m.

IT IS ILLEGAL TO:

• Have an uncased firearm, bow or crossbow in your possession in the woods after 1 p.m.
• Hunt with dogs.
• use electronic calls
• hunt with the use of bait
• take more than one bearded turkey per day
• hunt with an air rifle less than .22 caliber

Spring Gobbler Survey

The Division of Natural Resources conducts an annual Spring Gobbler Survey. Spring turkey hunters interested in participating in the survey should contact WVDNR at:

The Game Management Services Office

Elkins Operations Center

P.O. Box 67 • Elkins, WV 26241

(304) 637-0245

Youth Spring Gobbler Season

A special two-day youth spring gobbler season will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20, 2025. Class Q and Class XS license holders are not eligible.

The daily bag limit for the youth spring wild turkey season is one bearded turkey and the possession limit for the youth spring wild turkey season is two bearded turkeys, which does count as part of the annual turkey bag limit. Only shotguns, bows or crossbows with arrows or bolts equipped with a point having at least two sharp-cutting edges measuring in excess of 3/4 inch wide are legal.

Youth hunters:

• must be at least 8 and less than 18 years old; youth hunters age 15-17 must comply with all licensing requirements.
• between the ages 8-14 must be accompanied by a licensed adult who cannot carry a gun, crossbow or a bow and must remain close enough to render advice and assistance.

and, if a nonresident,

• possess a Class XXJ license + CS/LE stamp, Class AAHJ+CS/LE stamp or Class E-L + WW-L or WW.

Nonresident adults accompanying youth hunters must possess Class E+WW+CS/LE licenses or Class E-L + WW-L or WW and if hunting on National Forest lands, a Class I or Class I-L stamp.

REMINDER: Youth hunters, even if exempt from purchasing a license, are required to report game checks on their own account.

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