Wild turkey
Hunting wild turkeys in Idaho (2026-27 seasons)
Idaho wild turkeys: 7 season rows for 2026-27, fall general on August 30, 2026 and fall general – outside National Forest System lands on August 30, 2026, with bag limits, licenses and rules.
Photo: Sam Beebe (CC BY 2.0)
Quick read on Idaho wild turkeys
Opening first is fall general (August 30, 2026); nothing for wild turkeys runs past May 25, 2027. The turkey rows split their bags: either sex (4) and male or bearded turkey (3). Unit lines matter for 54 hunting units on the turkey list.
From Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer 2026 & 2027 brochure (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Wild Turkey seasons as IDFG prints them
Sorted by opening day; unit numbers link to the unit pages.
| Season | Units or area | Type | Date range | Bag | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall general | – |
| Either sex | ||
| Fall general | – | Aug 30–Dec 31, 2026 | Either sex | ||
| Fall general | – | Aug 30–Oct 9, 2026 | Either sex | ||
| Fall general – outside National Forest System lands | – | Aug 30–Oct 9, 2026 | Either sex | ||
| Spring general – youth only | – | Apr 8–Apr 14, 2027 | Male or bearded turkey | ||
| Spring general – youth only | – | Apr 8–May 25, 2027 | Male or bearded turkey | ||
| Spring general | – | Apr 15–May 25, 2027 | Male or bearded turkey |
From Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer 2026 & 2027 brochure (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Wild Turkey by unit and county
Use the county list to find towns and IDFG offices, and the unit list to decide where wild turkeys may be taken.
| County | Rows | Units here | Region | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater | 5 | Clearwater | PT | |
| Idaho | 5 | Clearwater | PT/MT | |
| Shoshone | 5 | Panhandle | PT | |
| Adams | 4 | Southwest | MT | |
| Benewah | 4 | Panhandle | PT | |
| Latah | 4 | Clearwater | PT | |
| Ada | 3 | Southwest | MT | |
| Bannock | 3 | Southeast | MT | |
| Bear Lake | 3 | Southeast | MT | |
| Bingham | 3 | Southeast | MT | |
| Boise | 3 | Southwest | MT | |
| Bonner | 3 | Panhandle | PT | |
| Bonneville | 3 | Upper Snake | MT | |
| Boundary | 3 | Panhandle | PT | |
| Caribou | 3 | Southeast | MT | |
| Elmore | 3 | Southwest | MT | |
| Franklin | 3 | Southeast | MT | |
| Gem | 3 | Southwest | MT | |
| Kootenai | 3 | Panhandle | PT | |
| Lewis | 3 | Clearwater | PT | |
| Nez Perce | 3 | Clearwater | PT | |
| Oneida | 3 | Southeast | MT | |
| Payette | 3 | Southwest | MT | |
| Power | 3 | Southeast | MT | |
| Valley | 3 | Southwest | MT | |
| Washington | 3 | Southwest | MT | |
| Lemhi | 2 | Salmon | MT | |
| Owyhee | 2 | Southwest | MT | |
| Custer | 1 | Salmon | MT |
From IDFG Game Units layer, Hunt Planner unit pages and Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer 2026 & 2027 brochure (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
How Idaho turkey hunts went, 2021 to 2025
IDFG reports wild turkeys by hunting unit and controlled hunt, never by county; summed here, the 2025 spring turkey rows come to 7,953, led by Unit 10A, Unit 2, Unit 8A and Unit 39.
| Year | Harvest (sum of rows) | Rows |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,647 | 44 |
| 2022 | 6,786 | 39 |
| 2023 | 6,187 | 45 |
| 2024 | 6,798 | 44 |
| 2025 | 7,953 | 47 |
| Unit | Harvest | Hunters |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 10A | 967 | 1,496 |
| Unit 2 | 721 | 1,049 |
| Unit 8A | 600 | 1,005 |
| Unit 39 | 542 | 1,724 |
| Unit 11 | 476 | 593 |
| Unit 32 | 463 | 836 |
| Unit 1 | 414 | 656 |
| Unit 8 | 408 | 819 |
| Unit 11A | 386 | 563 |
| Unit 3 | 358 | 743 |
From spring turkey harvest 2021, spring turkey harvest 2022, spring turkey harvest 2023, spring turkey harvest 2024, spring turkey harvest 2025 and Hunt Planner harvest statistics (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
How many wild turkeys you may take in Idaho
Below are the bag lines for wild turkeys; where Idaho counts by tag instead of by day, the line says so.
| Applies to | Limit |
|---|---|
| In the rows | Either sex |
| In the rows | Male or bearded turkey |
From species row source (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Licenses and fees for wild turkeys
Nonresident fees carry the brochure's "as of December 1, 2024" label; resident fees show both annual and Price Lock prices.
| License or tag | Who | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting license | Resident | $15.75 ($12.75 Price Lock) |
| Hunting license | Nonresident | $185.00 (as of Dec. 1, 2024) |
| Junior hunting license | Resident | $8.25 ($7.25 Price Lock) |
| Combination hunting & fishing | Resident | $38.75 ($33.50 Price Lock) |
| Combination hunting & fishing | Nonresident | $264.00 (as of Dec. 1, 2024) |
| Sportsman's Package | Resident | $144.60 ($124.25 Price Lock) |
| Turkey tag | Resident | $22.75 ($19.75 Price Lock) |
| Turkey tag | Nonresident | $88.00 (as of Dec. 1, 2024) |
| Archery or muzzleloader permit | Resident | $19.50 ($18.25 Price Lock) |
| Archery or muzzleloader permit | Nonresident | $81.75 (as of Dec. 1, 2024) |
The basic rule that covers wild turkeys: A hunting license is required to hunt (including predatory and unprotected wildlife); a trapping license to trap gray wolf; a tag for every big game species.
From license and tag fees, nonresident fees and license requirements (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Wild Turkey: reporting, methods and conduct
These are the Idaho rules most likely to matter to turkey hunters, each with its IDFG source.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Technology | Turkey hunters: new restrictions on technology for hunting or scouting big game and game birds August 30-December 31 (not wolves, lions or predators). |
| Youth | Turkey hunters: youth-only controlled deer, elk, pronghorn and bear hunts; pheasant youth season October 8-14, 2026; youth/veterans waterfowl weekend September 26-27, 2026; youth spring turkey April 8-14. |
| Highways | Turkey hunters: no discharge of a firearm from or across a public highway. |
| Hunter education | Turkey hunters: no hunting license may be issued to a person born after January 1, 1975, unless they previously held a hunting license in Idaho or another state or show a hunter education certificate (Idaho Code 36-411). |
From Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 7, Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 115, Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 108 and Idaho Code 36-411 (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Public land for Idaho wild turkeys
Start with these places for wild turkeys; Access Yes! properties keep their own dates and restrictions.
Wild turkey appear for Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area in the IDFG WMA page, inside Unit 11.
Wild turkey appear for Cecil D. Andrus Wildlife Management Area in the IDFG WMA page, inside Unit 22 and Unit 31.
Wild turkey appear for Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area in the IDFG WMA page, inside Unit 1 and Unit 2.
Wild turkey appear for Deer Parks Wildlife Mitigation Units in the IDFG WMA page, inside Unit 60A and Unit 63A.
Wild turkey appear for Montour Wildlife Management Area in the IDFG WMA page, inside Unit 32.
Lost River Ranger District lies within Unit 37, which the turkey rows name.
Sawtooth National Recreation Area, in Unit 36A, Unit 36B and Unit 39, overlaps the turkey units.
Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District: public ground in Unit 2, Unit 3 and Unit 4 (turkey rows).
From Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Cecil D. Andrus Wildlife Management Area and Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Four items for Idaho turkey
Picked for timber, sagebrush, canyon rim and marsh; nothing loads until you tap.
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Wild turkeys feeding in a grassy fieldPhoto: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Adult wild turkey gobblerPhoto: fishhawk (CC BY 2.0)
Wild turkey in the grassPhoto: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Wild Turkey FAQ
What is the daily limit on wild turkeys in Idaho?
Wild turkeys bags are set row by row; the most common are either sex (4 rows) and male or bearded turkey (3 rows).
When does turkey hunting open in Idaho?
Turkey dates start August 30, 2026 and finish May 25, 2027. Fall general: August 30, 2026; Fall general – outside National Forest System lands: August 30, 2026; Spring general – youth only: April 8, 2027. As of November 12, 2026, wild turkeys can be hunted under one or more rows.
Do residents need a draw for wild turkeys?
General turkey tags are sold over the counter to residents, with no application. General season deer, elk (A/B zone tags, some capped), black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and turkey tags are sold over the counter to residents.
What license do I need for wild turkeys in Idaho?
A hunting license covers wild turkeys ($15.75 resident, $12.75 with Price Lock; $185.00 nonresident as of December 1, 2024); the fee table also lists a nonresident small game license at $141.75. Wild turkeys also need the turkey tag ($22.75 resident, $88.00 nonresident).
How did Idaho turkey hunters do in 2025?
The 2025 spring turkey rows add up to 7,953 wild turkeys for 16,140 hunters (computed here from 47 rows).
Which Idaho hunting units open to wild turkeys?
Turkey rows tied to units name 54 hunting units reaching 29 counties; the most turkey rows fall in Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3.
Do I need hunter orange for wild turkeys in Idaho?
Not for wild turkeys in general: hunter orange is recommended, required only while hunting pheasants where the Upland Game Bird Permit is required (including IDFG properties and leases) and on sponsored hunts such as organized youth hunts; minimum 36 square inches above the waist.
When is the youth turkey season in Idaho?
Youth turkey rows: April 8 to April 14, 2027 in 45 units; April 8 to May 25, 2027 in 9 units.
Are there technology limits on turkey hunting?
For wild turkeys: new restrictions on technology for hunting or scouting big game and game birds August 30-December 31 (not wolves, lions or predators).