Wild Turkey Hunting

Maine Hunting Laws

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Wild Turkey Registration

2025-2026 Turkey Hunting Quick Reference Guide (PDF)

 

Wild Turkey Hunting Permit

To hunt wild turkey in the spring or fall seasons a valid hunting license and a spring/fall wild turkey permit is required. Valid hunting licenses include a small or big game firearms license or an archery license.

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Landowner Priviledges

The following laws and regulations are specific to spring and fall wild turkey hunting seasons. Hunters must also comply with all other applicable fish and wildlife laws.

Any private landowner is eligible to hunt wild turkeys on their own land without a turkey hunting permit if:

  1. That person legally possesses a particular piece of land that is 25 or more contiguous acres in size and is located within the turkey hunting zone designated for the season that they wish to hunt;
  2. That person is permanently domiciled on that land;
  3. The land is managed for the raising and selling of dairy cattle, dairy products, or beef cattle; and
  4. The land is open to hunting including hunting by permission only.

Any family member permanently domiciled on that land is also eligible to hunt wild turkeys on that land without a permit. (Family member means any family member, including spouse, grandchildren, etc. who resides on the property). A landowner must provide proof of eligibility if requested by an agent of the commissioner.

All other standard reporting and tagging procedures are required. Turkey may be harvested during any open week of the season. Landowners are allowed a bag limit of up to 2 bearded wild turkeys in the spring season and up to 5 wild turkeys of either-sex in the fall season. Please check the WMD in which you are hunting as some are closed, and others have bag limits varying anywhere from 1, up to 5 turkeys.

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Turkey Registration

Wild turkeys can either be registered in-person at a registration station or self-registered online.

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Legal Hunting Equipment

  • Shotgun: A person can use shotgungauges 10 through 20, using shot sizes 4 through 6 or mixed loads that include shot sizes 4 through 7. In addition, shotgun gauges 10 through 28, including .410, may be used with shot sizes 7 through 9 in Tungsten Super Shot (TSS).
  • Archery Equipment: A person must possess a valid archery license and a turkey permit.
  • Electronic Calling Devices: The use of electronic calling devices is legal.

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Wild Turkey Hunting Prohibitions

No Person May:

  1. Employ the use of a dog or dogs in any manner while hunting turkey except during the fall season;
  2. Engage in an organized drive of any manner;
  3. Use bait;
  4. Use a trap or other device intended or designed to capture or ensnare wild turkeys;
  5. Shoot a turkey while it is in a tree;
  6. Hunt wild turkeys within a WMD that is closed to hunting wild turkeys.
  7. Possess any part or parts of a wild turkey unless each part is plainly labeled with the name and address of the person who registered the turkey, and the year it was registered;
  8. Buy, sell, offer for sale or barter, or aid someone in buying, selling, or offering for sale or barter, any wild turkey (except the plumage of legally harvested turkeys).
  9. Hunt or register a wild turkey during the spring season after having killed or registered two turkeys.
  10. Hunt or register a wild turkey during the fall season after having killed five turkeys.

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Wild Turkey Legel Hunting Hours

Legal hunting time is from ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.

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2025-2026 Wild Turkey Seasons and Bag Limits

All dates are inclusive except that hunting is prohibited on Sunday.

Season Dates Seasonal Bag Limit Daily Bag Limit
Fall Wild Turkey
(archery equipment or shotgun)
Wildlife Management Districts 15-17, 20-25
September 15, 2025 - November 7, 2025		 5 Wild Turkeys, either-sex, any age* No more than two wild turkeys may be harvested per permit holder per day, but cannot exceed the WMD bag limit.
Wildlife Management District 26
September 15, 2025 - November 7, 2025		 3 Wild Turkeys, either-sex, any age*
Wildlife Management District 28
September 15, 2025 - November 7, 2025		 2 Wild Turkeys, either-sex, any age*
Wildlife Management Districts 3, 6-8, 10-14, 18, 19, 27, and 29
September 15, 2025 - November 7, 2025		 1 Wild Turkey, either-sex, any age*
Wildlife Management Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 9 Closed to taking of Wild Turkeys
Youth Fall Wild Turkey Day
September 13, 2025		 May take up to 2 Wild Turkeys of any sex or age, without exceeding a WMD bag limit that has a 1-bird limit.
*May harvest up to 5 turkeys for the fall season, but an individual WMD bag limit cannot be exceeded. The order in which they are harvested from a WMD does not matter.
Spring Wild Turkey
(archery equipment or shotgun)		 Wildlife Management Districts 7, 9-29
All hunters: May 4, 2026 - June 6, 2026		 2 bearded Wild Turkeys**
Wildlife Management Districts 1-6 and 8
All hunters: May 4, 2026 - June 6, 2026		 1 bearded Wild Turkey**
Youth Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Day
May 2, 2026		 May take up to 2 bearded Wild Turkeys from WMDs that have a 2-bird limit.
** May harvest up to 2 turkeys for the spring season, but an individual WMD bag limit cannot be exceeded. The order in which they are harvested from a WMD does not matter.

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