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Wild Turkey Hunting
Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Season Laws and Regulations Due to an increasing wild turkey population and distribution in Maine resulting from the Department's active management program, Spring Wild Turkey permits are now available over-the-counter rather than through an application/lottery process. Hunters may now purchase a Spring Wild Turkey permit wherever hunting licenses are sold. Season dates are determined by the hunters year of birth. See Season below. The following laws and regulations are specific to the Spring Wild Turkey hunting season. Hunters must also comply with all other applicable fish and wildlife laws of Title 12, Maine Revised Statutes. For more information, also see the Spring Wild Turkey Hunter's Guide. Spring Wild Turkey Hunting SeasonEach person who buys a Spring Turkey permit will be authorized to hunt in Season A or Season B. For the 2008 Spring Turkey hunt, hunters with “even” birth years (years ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8) will be authorized to hunt during Season A. Hunters with "odd” birth years (years ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) will be authorized to hunt during Season B. During "even" years (e.g., 2008, 2010, 2012, etc.) hunters with "even" birth years will be authorized to hunt during Season A; hunters with "odd" birth years will be authorized to hunt during Season B. During "odd" years (e.g., 2009, 2011, 2013, etc.) hunters with "odd" birth years will be authorized to hunt during Season A; hunters with "even" birth years will be authorized to hunt during Season B. Season A (includes weeks 1, 4, and 5):Week # 1: April 28, 2008 through May 3, 2008 Season B: (includes weeks 2, 3, and 5)Week # 2: May 5, 2008 through May 10, 2008 Who May Hunt:Any person 10 years of age or older, must purchase a Spring Wild Turkey permit and a valid Maine hunting license that allows hunting of big game in order to hunt Wild Turkey during the spring season. (A valid archery license in addition to a Spring Wild Turkey Permit also permits hunting of Wild Turkey with bow and arrow only.) The permittee must possess the Spring Wild Turkey permit as well as their hunting license or archery license at all times while hunting. A person may assist in a hunt without a license or permit for that activity as long as that person does not carry hunting equipment. Landowners, please see landowner provisions. Youth Hunting Day:Youth 10 years of age or older and under 16 years of age who possess a junior hunting license and a Spring Wild Turkey Permit may hunt under adult supervision on the first Saturday preceding the opening day of Season A - April 26, 2008. In addition, they may also hunt on any Saturday during either season A or season B, regardless of their year of birth. Junior hunters may hunt for one bearded turkey with firearms or bow and arrow, and must be accompanied by parent, guardian, or a qualified adult. The qualified adult must be a person 18 or older who has been approved by the youth's parent or guardian and must hold a valid Maine hunting license or have completed a hunter safety course. The accompanying adult cannot possess hunting equipment on the youth hunting day or on a Saturday during the season that they are not allowed to hunt. Permit Fees:Resident Spring Wild Turkey Permit - $20.00* Nonresident Spring Wild Turkey Permit - $47.00* *Plus agent fee. Legal Hunting Hours:One-half (1/2) hour before sunrise until 12:00 p.m. (noon) local time. Area Open to Hunting:There is one Spring Wild Turkey hunting zone as follows: Wildlife Management Districts 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. Please note that some of the WMD boundaries within the Spring Wild Turkey hunting zone changed in 2006, so please check the Wildlife Management Districts, e-mail or call the Information Center at (207) 287-8000 with any questions before hunting. Each person who purchases a permit may hunt in any part of the Spring Wild Turkey hunting zone during the appropriate season based on their year of birth. Bag Limit:One (1) bearded Wild Turkey per permit holder. Legal Method for Taking Wild Turkey:Only shotgun gauges 10 through 20 using shot sizes 4 through 6, or bow and arrow may be used to hunt Wild Turkeys during the Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Season. Electronic calling devices are legal. Illegal Hunting MethodsOther Prohibited ActsOther Laws and Restrictions Pertaining to Wild Turkey HuntingRegistration, Tagging, and TransportationWild Turkey Hunting Seminars and Turkey Patterning Days:
Fall Wild Turkey Hunting SeasonFall Wild Turkey Hunting Zones:
Who May Hunt:Any person 10 years of age or older, who possesses an archery license may purchase a Fall Wild Turkey Hunting Permit to hunt during the Fall Wild Turkey hunting season. Landowners, please see landowner provisions. Permit Fees:Resident Fall Wild Turkey Permit - $20.00* Nonresident Fall Wild Turkey Permit - $47.00* *Plus agent fee. Legal Hunting Hours:Legal hunting time is from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. Bag Limit:The bag limit for Wild Turkey during the fall season is one (1) Wild Turkey of either sex and any age per permit holder. Legal Method for Taking Wild Turkey During the Fall Season:
Illegal Hunting MethodsOther Prohibited ActsOther Laws and Restrictions Pertaining to Wild Turkey HuntingRegistration, Tagging, and TransportationIllegal Hunting Methods:
Other Prohibited Acts:
Other Laws and Restrictions Pertaining to Wild Turkey HuntingSummarized below are some general hunting laws you should be aware of while Wild Turkey hunting in Maine. This listing has no legal weight and is not intended as a substitute for reading the current Hunting Laws and Rules.
The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife strongly recommends that hunters ask permission of the landowner before going onto land to hunt or scout. Since the hunt will be conducted during the spring (a non-traditional hunting period) and in the most densely populated counties of Maine, it is very important to seek consent from the landowner. The hunter who does this will find that landowners who posted their property during the fall are often willing to allow spring turkey hunting. Usually, the landowner only wants to know who you are and when you are going to be on his/her land. If you fail to gain permission on a parcel, respect the landowner’s rights and seek hunting privileges elsewhere. The success of this and future hunts depends on you. LandownersAny private landowner is eligible to hunt Wild Turkeys on their own land without a Wild Turkey permit during the Spring Wild Turkey hunting season or the Fall Wild Turkey hunting season if:
Any family member permanently domiciled on that land is also eligible to hunt Wild Turkeys on that land without a Wild Turkey permit. A family member means any family member of legal hunting age, including spouse, children, grandchildren, etc. who resides on the property. A landowner must provide proof of eligibility if requested by an agent of the commissioner. Eligible persons may take one Wild Turkey per season, in accordance with all laws and rules of that open season including weapon restrictions, tagging, and reporting requirements. Landowners and eligible family members may hunt during any open week of the Wild Turkey hunting season regardless of their year of birth. Registration, Tagging, and TransportationTagging/Transportation:Any person killing a Wild Turkey shall immediately securely attach to its leg, a plainly visible transportation tag bearing his/her full name, address, and license number. You can now make your own transportation tags (include name, address, and license number) on any type of material you choose; you can print them from our web site - Transportation Tags PDF; or we can send you a set of tyvek tags if you would like to e-mail your request along with name and mailing address. Gift turkeys are to be labeled with the name and address of the person who registered it and the year the turkey was registered. Any Wild Turkey being moved or transported in any manner must have a plainly visible transportation tag bearing the name, address, and license number of the person who killed it securely attached to its leg, and it must be accompanied by the person who killed it. Unless the Wild Turkey has been legally registered, no person shall keep a Wild Turkey at his/her home or at any place of storage (except at the official registration station or at the office of a Maine game warden) for more than eighteen (18) hours without first notifying a game warden. Registration:List of Registration/Tagging Stations by County All Wild Turkeys taken by hunters shall be presented for registration within 18 hours at one of the registration stations established for that purpose. The entire turkey, except the viscera, shall be presented. The fee to register a Wild Turkey is $1. All radio transmitters, leg bands, and wing tags must be submitted at the time of registration. For information on banded Wild Turkeys, please contact the closest Regional Office. Gray (207) 657-2345, Sidney (207) 547-5305, Bangor (207) 941-4440, Greenville (207) 695-3756, and Ashland (207) 435-3231. Wild Turkey Harvest InformationWild Turkey Harvest Information Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Effort and Harvests, 1986 - 2007As the Wild Turkey population has grown and spread in to new habitat, both the number of permits and the area open to hunting have been increased in a conservative manner to assure a safe and high quality hunting opportunity.
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