Spring will be here soon. The wildflowers will be blooming, the whipporwhills will be singing, and big tom turkey’s will be erupting with thunderous gobbles all over the country as they puff out their feathers and fan their tales just trying to impress the ladies. Few things in nature get a hunters heart pounding more than the raucous sound of a hearty gobble rolling through the misty fog of a spring sunrise. That glorious of sound of those gobbles being intercepted by the booming clap of a 12-gauge is the official soundtrack of spring for turkey hunting adventures across the country.
Turkey hunters everywhere are descending upon Nashville, Tennessee this week for the annual National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Convetion. It’s the biggest event in the gobbler hunting world and something every turkey hunter should add to their bucket list. To start helping hunters get prepped for the 2023, NWTF also recently released their 2023 Spring Turkey Hunting Guide.
If you need any additional help getting hyped up for turkey season, then check out these epic turkey hunts with country music superstars Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton. Turkey hunting season will be opening up all across America in the very near future. So mark your calendars and start the countdown. Gobble! Gobble! Bang!
State By State 2023 Spring Turkey Hunting Calendar
Take a look at the list of dates below and start planning your next adventure. Additional details regarding harvest limits and other information can be found in the NWTF 2023 Spring Turkey Hunting Guide. And be sure you check in with the state wildlife agency in whatever state you’re turkey hunting in to make sure you purchase a hunting license and whatever additional tags and permits are required. Links to each state’s respective agency are embedded in the state names below. Also check the maps provided at the links below to determine what zone, area, or unit you’re hunting in, as season dates may vary. Many states also have special youth only hunting weekends prior to the full seasons kicking off.
Alabama:
- Zone 1: March 25th – May 8th
- Zone 2: April 1 – May 8th
Alaska:
- NO HUNTABLE POPULATION OF WILD TURKEYS
Arizona:
- Contact state agency for more details.
Arkansas:
- Zone 1: April 17th – April 25th
- Zone 2: April 17th – May 7th
California:
- March 25th – April 30th
Colorado:
- April 10th – May 31st
Connecticut:
- April 26th – May 27th
- Zone A: April 8th – April 14th
- Zone B: April 15th – April 21st
- Zone C: April 22nd – April 28th
- Zone D: April 29th – May 6th
Florida:
- South of State Road 70: March 4th – April 9th
- North of State Road 70: March 18th – April 23rd
Georgia:
- Private Land: April 1st – May 15th
- Public Land: April 8th – May 15th
Hawaii:
- Unit A: March 1st – April 15th
- Unit G: March 1st – April 15th
- Unit F: March 1st – April 15th
- Unit E: March 1st – March 31st
- Private Lands: March 1st – April 15th
Idaho:
- April 15th – May 25th
Illinois:
- South Zone: April 3rd to May 4th
- North Zone: April 10th to May 11th
Indiana:
- April 26th – May 14th
Iowa:
- April 10th – May 14th
Kansas:
- April 12th – May 31st
Kentucky:
- April 15th – May 7th
Louisiana:
- Area A: April 1st – April 30th
- Area B: April 1st – April 23rd
- Area C: April 1st – April 16th
Maine:
- May 1st – June 3rd
Maryland:
- April 18th – May 23rd
Massachusetts:
- April 24th – May 20th
Michigan:
- April 22nd – June 7th
Minnesota:
- April 12th – May 31st
Mississippi:
- March 15th – May 1st
Missouri:
- April 17th – May 7th
Montana:
- April 15th – May 31st
Nebraska:
- April 15th – May 31st
New Hampshire:
- May 1st – May 31st
Nevada:
- March 25th – May 7th.
New Jersey:
- Period A: April 24th – April 28th
- Period B: May 1st – May 5th
- Period C: May 8th – May 12th
- Period D: May 11th – May 15th & May 22nd – May 26th
- Period E: All Saturdays between April 24th – May 26th
New Mexico:
- April 15th – May 10th
North Carolina:
- April 8th – May 6th
New York:
- May 1st – May 31st
North Dakota:
- April 8th – May 14th
Ohio:
- South Zone: April 22nd – May 21st
- Northeast Zone: April 29th – May 28th
Oklahoma:
- April 16th – May 16th
Oregon:
- April 15th – May 31st
Pennsylvania:
- April 29th – May 13th & May 15th – May 30th
Rhode Island:
- April 27th – May 21st
South Carolina:
- Zones 1 & 2: April 1st – May 10th
- Zones 3 & 4: March 22nd – April 30th
South Dakota:
- April 8th – May 31st
Tennessee:
- April 15th – May 28th
Texas:
- Rio Grande Turkeys
- North Zone: April 1st – May 14th
- South Zone: March 18th – April 30th
- Eastern Turkeys
- April 22 – May 14th
Utah:
- Limited Entry: April 8th – April 27th
- General Season: May 1st – May 31st
Vermont:
- May 1st – May 31st
Virginia:
- April 8th – April 23rd (ends at noon each day)
- April 24th – May 13th
Washington:
- April 15th – May 31st
West Virginia:
- April 17th – May 21st
Wisconsin:
- April 19th – May 30th
Wyoming:
- Hunt Areas 1,2, 4, and 5: April 20th – May 31st
- Hunt Area 3: April 1st to May 31st
