Spring turkey season – the call of the wild!
Photo courtesy of Jim Turlington
Hearing the springtime chorus of birds at daybreak is one of many things that makes turkey hunting so special. But there’s no sound that will make the heart race as fast and no conversation that’s listened to more intently than the gobble of the wild turkey.
Spring turkey season south of S.R. 70 runs March 3 through April 8. In the rest of the state, it runs March 17 through April 22. Planning to go? Get your license and permits.
Following are the tools and information you need to help plan your season.
Where the wild turkeys are
The Sunshine State is home to two wild turkey subspecies. The only place in the world the Osceola subspecies lives is the Florida peninsula while the eastern wild turkey subspecies is found in north Florida and throughout the eastern U.S. Both populations are flourishing in Florida, a testament to FWC’s science-based management efforts.
Wondering where wild turkeys occur in Florida? Check out this interactive wild turkey map for estimates on their distribution across the state.
Spring turkey hunting on public hunting areas (without a quota permit!)
Photo courtesy of FWC’s Chad Weber
The FWC offers 43 public hunting areas statewide where you can “walk on” to hunt spring turkeys. We provide that information as well as what license and permits are required and a map showing wild turkey population densities in Florida.
Safe and successful turkey hunting
Turkey hunters recognize that understanding wild turkey behavior, good…
