Turkey Hunting Regulations
Licenses/Stamps/Harvest Authorizations
What You Need to Hunt Turkey:
- Spring turkey hunting license, if hunting in spring
- Fall turkey hunting license, if hunting infall
- Wild turkey stamp (valid for spring and fall)
- An unfilled turkey harvest authorization valid for the season, period and zone you are hunting
Note: A person is considered to be hunting turkey if they possess a firearm, crossbow or bow and arrow and turkey decoys or a turkey call during an open turkey hunting season.
TURKEY REGISTRATION IS MANDATORY
All harvested turkeys must be registered either online gamereg.wi.govor by phone at 844-426-3734 (844-GAME-REG) by 5 p.m. on the day after recovery.
- Hunters will need to use their authorization number to registe ra turkey.
- No in-person registration stations areavailable.
- Hunters will be given a harvest registration confirmation number for their records when registration is complete.
General Turkey Hunting Regulations It is illegal to:
- Hunt wild turkeys by any means other than a shotgun or muzzle-loading shotgun, a crossbow, or a bow and arrow.
- Use recorded or electrically amplified bird calls or sounds or possess any type of device that produces recorded or electronic amplifications of bird calls or sounds while hunting wild turkeys. Note: This does not apply to hunters possessing a Class A or B disabled hunting permit which authorizes hunting from a stationary vehicle and which is issued for more than one year or to hunters who are deaf or severely hard of hearing as verified by a medical professional.
- Hunt wild turkeys with the aid of dogs, except during the fall turkey season.
- Use live or electronic decoys for the purposes of enticing wild turkeys.
- Possess a firearm, bow or crossbow during the spring turkey season without also possessing a turkey hunting license, stamp and valid, unused harvest authorization if you or a member of your hunting party posses a turkey decoy or calling device while afield.
Spring Harvest Authorization Drawing System
Turkey harvest authorizations are distributed by a drawing using a cumulative preference system that determines when applications go into the drawing. For more information on the turkey drawing, visit dnr.wi.gov, and search “turkey questions.”
Bonus Fall or Spring Turkey Harvest Authorizations
Spring harvest authorizations that are not awarded through the drawing, as well as bonus fall harvest authorizations, will be sold at license sales locations and at gowild.wi.gov. For more information, visit dnr.wi.gov, and search “turkey.”
Assisting Other Hunters
No license is required to call turkeys for another hunter if the caller does not possess a firearm, bow or crossbow. However, a guide license is required if a fee is charged.
Youth Turkey Hunt Rules and Regulations
- Open to residents and non-residents who are 15 years of age and younger and possess a spring turkey license, stamp and valid harvest authorization for spring 2022. Youth ages 11 and under and youth without hunter education must hunt under the Hunting Mentorship Program. See page 8.
- Harvest authorizations issued for any spring 2022 turkey hunting time period may be used during the youth hunt. A youth may fill a harvest authorization valid for the zone in which they are hunting during the youth hunt, regardless of which time period the authorization is also valid for.
- A youth who does not harvest a turkey during the youth hunt may use his/her unfilled harvest authorization during the time period and in the zone for which it was issued.
- Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older during the two-day youth hunt
Special Turkey Hunts for Disabled Hunters
Hunters with a Class A or C permit, or a Class B permit issued for more than one year and which authorizes hunting from a stationary vehicle, are eligible to participate in a special disabled spring turkey hunt on private land. Interested hunters are required to obtain permission from a landowner willing to sponsor a hunt and meet all application requirements. Note: A hunter who applies for a disabled turkey hunt on private lands may not apply for a harvest authorization through the regular spring turkey drawing. For information or special hunt applications (Forms 2300-271 and 2300-271A), please visit dnr.wi.gov, and search “disabled turkey hunter” or contact the DNR Call Center at 888-936-7463 or the assistant upland wildlife ecologist at 608-261-8458.
Learn to Hunt Turkey
Hunters interested in learning more about turkey hunting are encouraged to participate in one of the “Learn to Hunt Turkey” events, held statewide just prior to the opening of the spring turkey season. To learn more, visit dnr.wi.gov, and search “LTH.”
Baiting Turkeys
It is illegal to use bait to hunt turkeys. However, hunting over agricultural crops and wildlife food plots planted and left standing is legal.
