The 15 States With the Absolute Best Turkey Hunting

Gobble, gobble! When you think of turkeys, your mind may automatically go to Thanksgiving. However, turkey hunting doesn’t happen in November. In reality, it happens way before during the spring season. The ideal time to go turkey hunting is between late March and mid-May in most states throughout the country. But where should go for the absolute best turkey hunting? Because the US is so vast, there isn’t one region in particular that is amazing. Various states are good for turkey hunting. Just make sure you have the proper licenses. Let’s take a look at the 15 states with the absolute best turkey hunting.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has a history of turkey hunting. About 30,000 to 40,000 turkeys are killed annually by hundreds of thousands of turkey hunters. There are many public lands where you can hunt these birds, but keep in mind that those out-of-state have to pay $100-$150 for licenses.

Tennessee

The Turkey population in Tennessee is a whopping 300,000 and about 53,000 are harvested every year. The license costs about $66, but for non-residents, it increases to over $200. you can hunt turkeys from early April to mid-May.

Wisconsin

They’re about 350,000 turkeys in the state of Wisconsin with about 40,000 harvested per year. You can only hunt the birds between mid-April and late May. Because there are so many acres where you can hunt these birds, the scenery during your hunt is amazing and diverse.

Missouri

The best time to hunt turkey in Missouri is between mid-April and early May. There are around 400,000 turkeys throughout the state and about 40,000 are harvested every single year. You can only hunt two male turkeys per season and not on the same day.

Kentucky

There are around 400,000 turkeys in Kentucky and about 30,000 are harvested each year. Turkey hunting in Kentucky is one of the best in the country and there is a huge chance of being successful.

Alabama

Alabama has around 365,000 turkeys. The great part about the state is that it has the highest bag limit. You can hunt one turkey per day with a maximum of four. Alabama also has one of the earliest start dates for turkey hunting.

Texas

The Lone Star State has more than 500,000 turkeys located throughout. The turkey that roams around in the state is the Rio Grande turkey. The earliest start date, which is in the Rio Grande South zone is mid-March, but all zones are usually over around late April to mid-May.

California

There are around 400,000 turkeys in the state, which means that for turkey hunters, the Golden State is your best bet to be successful. You are bound to run into most of the species of turkey here, as well. The season lasts from late March to late April.

South Dakota

The state has more than 2.3 million acres of land for you to hunt turkeys. The majority of turkeys are located in the Black Hills area of the state. The season for turkey hunting in South Dakota lasts almost two months (from early April to late May), which is one of the longest in the country.

Nebraska

There are three species of turkeys in Nebraska — the Merriam’s, Rio Grande, and Eastern. Unfortunately, if you are not a resident of the state the license to hunt will cost you about $300.

Kansas

You have a lot of opportunities for turkey hunting in the state of Kansas. About 50,000 hunters gather each year to get turkeys — the Rio Grande species in the western part of the state and the Eastern species in the eastern regions.

Florida

Florida is the only state in the nation where you can hunt Osceola turkeys. The landscapes of the state also make it a popular destination to hunt these stubborn birds. There are about six million acres of public lands to hunt.

Mississippi

There are about 250,000 turkeys in Mississippi. They love roaming around in river or creek bottoms, or even forests, so it’s a fun hunt. There are about 2 million acres of public land in Mississippi.

Oklahoma

Turkey hunting is diverse and ideal in the state, with lots of forests and fields to hunt in. Approximately 70,000 turkeys are living in Oklahoma.

Georgia

There are nearly 300,000 turkeys in the Peach State and every year hunters can bag about 40,000 of them. The turkeys love roaming around in plantations, forests, or even swamplands. The state has about 1.8 million acres of public lands.

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