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Wild turkey hunting in Alabama
Dates, limits, licenses, legal hours and public land for wild turkeys.
Photo: The Redstone Rocket (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
What Alabama allows for wild turkeys
Dates for wild turkeys in 2026-27: first day Nov 14, 2026, last day May 3, 2027, across 17 season rows. Turkey limit: Gobblers only. 1 per day; 4 per season (fall + spring combined). Max 2 from any one WMA, CHA or National Forest Ranger District; max 1 during the first 10 days of each season from each such area.
ADCNR summary for wild turkeys
- Take: Gobblers only, 1/day, 4 per fall+spring; WMA/CHA/ranger district limits.
- In short: Spring Mar 20 (Zones 1, 3) or Mar 27 (Zone 2) to May 3, 2027; fall Zone 3 only Nov 14-22 and Dec 12-27, 2026 (no decoys).
- Extra: 2025 Game Check: 17,049 gobblers reported (survey estimate 41,869 by 70,330 hunters).
From ADCNR page, 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 30 and 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report p. 13 (as of Nov 1, 2026), checked November 1, 2026.
GearHeading out for turkey season? Turkey gear checklist →
Wild Turkey dates, 2026-27
The turkey calendar holds 17 lines; zone links open the pages where dates change by area.
| Window | Zone or area | Take | Begins | Through | Days | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring youth | Turkey Zone 1 | Limits below | Mar 13, 2027 | Mar 14, 2027 | 2 | |
| Spring, hunters with disabilities | Turkey Zone 1 | Limits below | Mar 19, 2027 | Mar 19, 2027 | 1 | |
| Spring | Turkey Zone 1 | Limits below | Mar 20, 2027 | May 3, 2027 | 45 | |
| Spring youth | Turkey Zone 2 | Limits below | Mar 20, 2027 | Mar 21, 2027 | 2 | |
| Spring, hunters with disabilities | Turkey Zone 2 | Limits below | Mar 26, 2027 | Mar 26, 2027 | 1 | |
| Spring | Turkey Zone 2 | Limits below | Mar 27, 2027 | May 3, 2027 | 38 | |
| Fall, first segment | Turkey Zone 3 | Limits below | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 9 | |
| Fall, second segment | Turkey Zone 3 | Limits below | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | 16 | |
| Spring youth | Turkey Zone 3 | Limits below | Mar 13, 2027 | Mar 14, 2027 | 2 | |
| Spring, hunters with disabilities | Turkey Zone 3 | Limits below | Mar 19, 2027 | Mar 19, 2027 | 1 | |
| Spring | Turkey Zone 3 | Limits below | Mar 20, 2027 | May 3, 2027 | 45 | |
| Spring youth | Bankhead district, north WMAs | Limits below | Mar 20, 2027 | Mar 20, 2027 | 1 | |
| Spring, hunters with disabilities | Bankhead district, north WMAs | Limits below | Mar 26, 2027 | Mar 26, 2027 | 1 | |
| Spring | Bankhead district, north WMAs | Limits below | Mar 27, 2027 | May 3, 2027 | 38 | |
| Spring youth | Other forests and WMAs | Limits below | Mar 13, 2027 | Mar 13, 2027 | 1 | |
| Spring, hunters with disabilities | Other forests and WMAs | Limits below | Mar 19, 2027 | Mar 19, 2027 | 1 | |
| Spring | Other forests and WMAs | Limits below | Mar 20, 2027 | May 3, 2027 | 45 |
Footnotes for wild turkeys
- Youth: under 16 with a non-hunting adult 21+ (220-2-.119); hunter orange not required for turkey.
- Participants must meet 220-2-.109(2)(d) medical requirements.
- Decoys allowed all season (2026-27 change).
- Listed for Zone 3 in the Digest map legend (p. 30); the ADCNR turkey page omits Zone 3 youth/disabled days.
- Daylight to 1 p.m.; decoys allowed.
- Gobblers from a WMA inside a National Forest Ranger District count toward that district's limit.
- Counties for these areas are not listed in the season sources.
From 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 30, checked November 1, 2026.
Wild Turkey bag and possession limits
The turkey limits below come from the Digest and the ADCNR season pages; possession rules are in the same table.
| Applies to | Rule |
|---|---|
| Wild turkey | Gobblers only. 1 per day; 4 per season (fall + spring combined). Max 2 from any one WMA, CHA or National Forest Ranger District; max 1 during the first 10 days of each season from each such area. |
From 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 30, checked November 1, 2026.
Turkey Zones 1, 2 and 3
| Turkey zone | Count | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 53 | Autauga County, Baldwin County, Barbour County, Bibb County, Blount County, Bullock County, Butler County, Calhoun County and 45 more |
| Zone 2 | 9 | Colbert County, Cullman County, Franklin County, Lauderdale County, Lawrence County, Limestone County, Madison County, Morgan County and 1 more |
| Zone 3 | 6 | Clarke County, Clay County, Covington County, Monroe County, Randolph County, Talladega County |
- Cullman split: Zone 2 north of Lewis Smith Lake and north of Cullman CR 437 and west of I-65; rest of Cullman Zone 1.
- Bankhead group: Bankhead Ranger District; Lauderdale, Freedom Hills, Black Warrior, Coon Gulf WMAs; Riverton and Martin CHAs
- Remaining WMAs: Talladega, Shoal Creek, Oakmulgee, Tuskegee and Conecuh Ranger Districts and other WMAs open to turkey
Decoys are legal all spring for 2026-27, a change from the old 10-day delay; mechanical and fanning decoys stay illegal.
From 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 30, checked November 1, 2026.
Weapons and field rules for wild turkeys
| Row | May use | May not use |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | For wild turkeys: Shotguns (incl. muzzleloading) 10 ga or smaller with standard No. 2 shot or smaller; bows/crossbows. | For wild turkeys, not: rifles, buckshot or slugs on turkey (may be carried when stalk hunting deer and turkey together, not used on turkey); firearms from an elevated stand (9-11-245); dogs (9-11-238). |
- Decoys (turkey): No live decoys (except banded pen-raised quail as call birds in recovery pens). Turkey decoys only in spring turkey season (allowed all spring in 2026-27); no mechanical or electronic turkey decoys, including handheld or gun-mounted fanning/reaping decoys.
- Electronic calls (turkey): Electrically amplified turkey, dove or waterfowl calls are illegal (possession in the field too); electronic crow and predator calls allowed.
- Baiting (turkey): No hunting over bait or a fed area until feed is gone 10 days, except deer and feral swine on private/leased land with a Bait Privilege License; bait over 100 yards and out of sight presumed not a lure on private land; no baiting on public land or in the CMZ.
- Scaffolds and stands (turkey): Scaffolds legal for gun hunting all game except turkey and for bow hunting all game.
- Vehicles and boats (turkey): No hunting, driving or rallying wildlife from automobiles, aircraft, trains, motorboats or other mechanically propelled devices; hunting from a floating craft or a vehicle allowed only once the motor is off and motion has stopped; never from a vehicle on a public road.
Conservation Enforcement Officers may inspect game bags, vehicles and gear of turkey hunters.
From 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest p. 34, ADCNR Regulation Book p. 45 and Code of Alabama 9-11-244, checked November 1, 2026.
Wild Turkey on WMAs, forests and refuges
The largest of 59 public areas that name wild turkeys.
| Public land | Kind | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talladega NF | National Forest | Cleburne, Clay +7 | 394,869 |
| Bankhead NF | National Forest | Lawrence, Winston | 182,014 |
| Bankhead district | National Forest district | Lawrence, Winston | 182,014 |
| Oakmulgee district | National Forest district | Bibb, Perry +4 | 159,204 |
| Shoal Creek district | National Forest district | Cleburne, Calhoun +2 | 119,572 |
| Talladega district | National Forest district | Clay, Talladega +1 | 116,093 |
| Black Warrior WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lawrence, Winston | 91,263 |
| Conecuh NF | National Forest | Covington, Escambia | 85,366 |
| Conecuh district | National Forest district | Covington, Escambia | 85,366 |
| James D. Martin-Skyline WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Jackson | 60,732 |
| Choccolocco WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Cleburne | 56,838 |
| Mobile-Tensaw Delta and W.L. Holland WMAs | Wildlife Management Area | Baldwin, Mobile | 51,040 |
| Oakmulgee WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Bibb, Hale +2 | 44,500 |
| Upper Delta WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Baldwin, Mobile | 42,451 |
| William R. Ireland, Sr.-Cahaba River WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Bibb, Shelby | 35,559 |
Wild Turkey on SOAs
| Area | County | Hunt | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles F. Sykes – Cedar Creek SOA | Dallas | Turkey | April 2-4, April 9-11, April 16-18, April 23-25, April 30 – May 2 |
| Portland Landing SOA | Dallas | Turkey | April 2-4, April 9-11, April 16-18, April 23-25, April 30 – May 2 |
| Uchee Creek SOA | Russell | Turkey | April 2-4, April 9-11, April 16-18, April 23-25, April 30-May 2 |
| Little River SF SOA | Escambia | Turkey | April 2-4, April 9-11, April 16-18, April 23-25, April 30 – May 2 |
| Fred T. Stimpson SOA | Clarke | Turkey | April 2-4, April 9-11, April 16-18, April 23-25 |
| Upper State SOA | Clarke | Turkey | April 2-4, April 16-18 |
| Chalk Hill SOA | Tallapoosa | Turkey | April 2-4, April 9-11, April 16-18, April 23-25, April 30-May 2 |
The SOA deer applications closed September 14; small game and turkey draws run December 1-14.
From lands.json (ADCNR WMA AREA Permits, SOA page, federal rules) and the ADCNR SOA page, checked November 1, 2026.
License costs for wild turkeys
Residents 65 and older and everyone under 16 need no hunting license for wild turkeys, but the bait and nighttime licenses have no exemptions.
| License | Who buys | Group | Fee | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Game | Resident | Age 16-64 | $35.30 | License year |
| All Game, annual | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $411.45 | License year |
| All Game, 10-day | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $253.95 | 240 consecutive hours |
| All Game, 3-day | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $179.05 | 72 consecutive hours |
| WMA | Resident | Age 16-64 | $23.40 | License year |
| WMA | Nonresident | Age 16+ | $23.40 | License year |
| H.E.L.P. number | Resident | License-exempt residents | No charge | License year |
| H.E.L.P. number | Nonresident | Nonresidents 15 and under | No charge | License year |
From the ADCNR license pages and the Digest license section, checked November 1, 2026.
Wild Turkey: the harvest record
| 2025 harvest class | Counties |
|---|---|
| 76-136 | 8 |
| 137-208 | 11 |
| 209-296 | 28 |
| 297-444 | 19 |
| 445-612 | 1 |
Classes were read from the colours of the ADCNR turkey report map, so they are ranges, not counts.
From 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report p. 13 and 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report p. 15, checked November 1, 2026.
Wild Turkey: sunrise, sunset and legal time
Times for wild turkeys are worked out for the centre of four counties with the NOAA solar formula; the Digest prints only a Birmingham table and warns that other places differ.
ADCNR hour rule for wild turkeys: Same as game animals (30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset) on private/open-permit land; WMAs and National Forest ranger districts daylight to 1 p.m. in spring.
| Date | Season point | County | First sun | Last sun | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 | Opening | Madison County | 6:19 a.m. | 4:43 p.m. | 5:49 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Opening | Jefferson County | 6:18 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 5:48 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Opening | Montgomery County | 6:13 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. | 5:43 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Opening | Mobile County | 6:18 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 5:48 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. |
| May 3, 2027 | Final day | Madison County | 5:54 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 5:24 a.m. to 8:01 p.m. |
| May 3, 2027 | Final day | Jefferson County | 5:58 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 5:28 a.m. to 8:01 p.m. |
| May 3, 2027 | Final day | Montgomery County | 5:57 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 5:27 a.m. to 7:56 p.m. |
| May 3, 2027 | Final day | Mobile County | 6:08 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 5:38 a.m. to 8:01 p.m. |
Rules from the Digest shooting hours section; sunrise and sunset computed (NOAA solar formula, Central Time); checked November 1, 2026. Legal hours for all 67 counties.
Questions about wild turkeys in Alabama
Does Game Check apply to wild turkeys?
Yes, licensed or exempt, a turkey hunter must use a harvest record and finish Game Check within 48 hours; the confirmation number goes on a paper record.
Must I wear orange or pink when hunting wild turkeys?
Not on private land: the rule lists turkey and migratory bird hunters as exempt. On WMAs the exemption shrinks to migratory bird hunters only.
When are turkey decoys allowed?
No live decoys (except banded pen-raised quail as call birds in recovery pens). Turkey decoys only in spring turkey season (allowed all spring in 2026-27); no mechanical or electronic turkey decoys, including handheld or gun-mounted fanning/reaping decoys.
Does Alabama allow turkey hunting on Sunday?
Sundays are open for wild turkeys; the old Code 13A-12-1 was repealed effective April 21, 2015.
Is turkey harvest data published by county?
Game Check recorded 17,049 gobblers in 2025 and 18,263 in 2024; county figures are published only as harvest classes, and Jackson County is the only county in the top class (445-612).
Can I hunt turkeys in the fall?
Only in the six Zone 3 counties (Clarke, Clay, Covington, Monroe, Randolph and Talladega), November 14-22 and December 12-27, 2026, with no decoys.
How many wild turkeys can I take in Alabama?
For wild turkeys the rule is gobblers only. 1 per day; 4 per season (fall + spring combined). Max 2 from any one WMA, CHA or National Forest Ranger District; max 1 during the first 10 days of each season from each such area.
When can I hunt wild turkeys in Alabama?
Opening Nov 14, 2026, closing May 3, 2027.
What are the legal methods for wild turkeys?
For wild turkeys, ADCNR permits shotguns (incl. muzzleloading) 10 ga or smaller with standard No. 2 shot or smaller; bows/crossbows.
Which license covers turkey hunting in Alabama?
For wild turkeys: All Game (resident, $35.30); All Game, annual (nonresident, $411.45); All Game, 10-day (nonresident, $253.95); All Game, 3-day (nonresident, $179.05).
Where can I hunt wild turkeys on public land in Alabama?
The biggest of the 59 listed areas are Talladega National Forest, Bankhead National Forest and Bankhead Ranger District.
When does legal shooting time start for wild turkeys?
Hours for wild turkeys work like this: Same as game animals (30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset) on private/open-permit land; WMAs and National Forest ranger districts daylight to 1 p.m. in spring.