What to know about turkey hunting season: Dates, WMAs, and more

Olivia Wilson
·4 min read

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Attention hunters: the spring turkey season is approaching. Do you know the rules?

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According to a press release from Outdoor Alabama Weekly, there seems to be some confusion around the dates of the Special Youth Hunt that precedes the opening day of the regular season.

Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division said the confusion stems from the fact that the opening day of the regular season falls on a Monday this year.

“The Special Youth Hunt will be on the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding the opening day,” according to the release.

However, it is not as simple as giving one day.

Here is a rundown of the key things to know about turkey season:

Although the date marking the beginning of youth hunting season is where most of the confusion stems from, officials said it is important to be familiar with the general rules around the season.

Hunting Zones:

According to Outdoor Alabama’s website, there are three zones for turkey season in Alabama.

Zone 1:

  • Spring Turkey Season: March 25 (Monday) through May 8. Decoys are allowed from April 4 through May 8.

  • Special Youth Hunt: March 23 and 24 (Saturday and Sunday).

  • Special Disabled Hunt: March 24 (Sunday).

Decoys are allowed during special youth and disabled hunts in the following counties:

Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Crenshaw, Cullman (except north of Lewis Smith Lake and north of Cullman County Road 437 and west of Interstate 65), Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, St. Clair, Shelby, Sumter, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington and Wilcox.

Zone 2:

  • Spring Turkey Season: April 1 (Monday) through May 8. Decoys are allowed from April 11 through May 8.

  • Special Youth Hunt: March 30 and 31 (Saturday and Sunday).

  • Special Disabled Hunt: March 31 (Sunday).

Decoys are allowed during special youth and disabled hunts in the following counties:

Colbert, Cullman (north of Lewis Smith Lake and north of Cullman County Road 437 and west of Interstate 65), Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan and Winston.

Zone 3:

  • Spring Turkey Season: March 25 (Monday) through May 8. Decoys are allowed from April 4 through May 8.

  • Special Youth Hunt: March 23 and 24 (Saturday and Sunday).

  • Special Disabled Hunt: March 24 (Sunday).

Decoys are allowed during special youth and disabled hunts in the following counties:

Clarke, Clay, Covington, Monroe, Randolph and Talladega.

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Wildlife Management Areas:

For hunters who want to hunt in wildlife management areas, officials recommend getting familiar with the regulations.

“It’s important for WMA users to understand there is a WMA regulation in addition to the rules listed on the maps of the individual WMAs,” Gauldin said. “The regulation extends to all WMAs, and all WMA users should read the regs on the map and also be familiar with the WMA regulation.”

There are both old and new regulations, according to officials. Gauldin said there is one older regulation and two newer ones. The regulations have to do with turkey callers during preseason scouting, the use of certain game cameras and the use of drones.

To read the full regulations, visit the WMA regulations page on Outdoor Alabama.

According to Outdoor Alabama’s website, WMA and U.S. Forest Service Ranger Districts include: Bankhead Ranger District; WMAs – Lauderdale, Freedom Hills, Black Warrior, Coon Gulf, Riverton CHA and Martin CHA: April 8 – May 8 (daylight – 1 p.m.)

National Forest Districts:

The following are listed as National Forest Districts on Outdoor Alabama.

(Talladega Ranger District, Shoal Creek Ranger District, Oakmulgee Ranger District, Tuskegee Ranger District and Conecuh Ranger District) and WMAs THAT ALLOW TURKEY HUNTING: April 1 – May 8 (daylight – 1 p.m.)

Bag Limits:

Officials said they want hunters to have a good time, but there are a few restrictions in place in terms of what you can catch.

According to Outdoor Alabama, hunters are allowed one gobbler or male turkey per day, and there is a four-gobbler bag limit during the combined fall and spring seasons. No more than two gobblers can be caught from any one WMA, CHA, or National Forest Ranger District. Lastly, No more than one gobbler during the first 10 days of each season from each WMA, CHA, and National Forest Ranger District.

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For more information, visit Outdoor Alabama’s website. To buy a hunting or fishing license, visit the registration page on Outdoor Alabama.

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