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Wild Turkey seasons and rules in Minnesota
Season rows, bag limits and rules for wild turkeys, checked October 28, 2026.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Here are the 2026-27 turkey rules as the DNR prints them, opening Oct 3, 2026, with harvest figures and WMAs wherever the data has them.
Wild Turkey in the DNR summary
- Take: Spring 1 bearded turkey; fall 1 either sex.
- How and when: Fall Oct. 3-Nov. 1, 2026; spring Apr. 14-May 31, 2027 (firearms periods A-F); shotgun 10 ga or smaller with No. 4 or smaller shot, bow, crossbow.
- Keep in mind: 12 permit areas (501-512) but hunting open statewide; spring 2026 harvest 15,258, fall 2025 1,020.
DNR source page (as of Sep 15, 2026), checked October 28, 2026.
GearHeading out for turkey season? Turkey gear checklist →
Every turkey season row
9 rows for wild turkeys, as the 2026-27 booklet lists them; the last column checks each against today.
| Season | Unit or zone | Bag | From | To | Days | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Statewide (all permit areas) | 1 turkey of either sex (season limit). | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 30 | |
| Spring period A | Statewide (declare most-hunted permit a… | 1 bearded turkey (spring season limit). | Apr 14, 2027 | Apr 20, 2027 | 7 | |
| Spring period B | Statewide (declare most-hunted permit a… | 1 bearded turkey (spring season limit). | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | 7 | |
| Spring period C | Statewide (declare most-hunted permit a… | 1 bearded turkey (spring season limit). | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | 7 | |
| Spring period D | Statewide (declare most-hunted permit a… | 1 bearded turkey (spring season limit). | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | 7 | |
| Spring period E | Statewide (declare most-hunted permit a… | 1 bearded turkey (spring season limit). | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | 7 | |
| Spring period F | Statewide (declare most-hunted permit a… | 1 bearded turkey (spring season limit). | May 19, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | 13 | |
| Spring archery-only | Statewide | 1 bearded turkey. | Apr 14, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | 48 | |
| Spring youth | Statewide | 1 bearded turkey. | Apr 14, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | 48 |
Wild Turkey row details
- No lottery; licenses on sale from Aug. 1. Register within 24 hours.
- Adults 18+ hunt only the period chosen at purchase; unsuccessful hunters may also hunt period F. Licenses on sale March 1.
- Adults 18+ hunt only the period chosen at purchase; unsuccessful hunters may also hunt period F. Licenses on sale March 1. Booklet also states F as May 20-31 in one bullet (flagged).
- Archery-only license; cannot also buy a firearms license.
- Youth 17 and younger hunt the entire season. Sand Prairie WMA (Sherburne Co.) open to youth only in spring.
From booklet p. 60, checked October 28, 2026.
Turkey permit areas 501 to 512
| Unit | Spring 2026 | Spring 2025 | Sq mi | Main counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | 2,341 | 2,565 | 3,592 | Fillmore · Olmsted · Houston · Winona · |
| 502 | 246 | 272 | 190 | Winona · Wabasha · |
| 503 | 1,397 | 1,635 | 4,388 | Freeborn · Mower · Rice · Steele · |
| 504 | 432 | 483 | 9,074 | Martin · Redwood · Nobles · |
| 505 | 746 | 993 | 3,741 | Nicollet · Renville · |
| 506 | 624 | 684 | 7,266 | Wilkin · Swift · |
| 507 | 4,287 | 4,692 | 11,980 | Stearns · Becker · Hubbard · |
| 508 | 3,067 | 3,248 | 27,068 | Itasca · |
| 509 | 781 | 726 | 14,328 | Beltrami · Polk · Marshall · Roseau · |
| 510 | 1,219 | 1,466 | 2,645 | Hennepin · Anoka · Dakota · |
| 511 | 83 | 98 | 38 | Anoka · |
| 512 | 35 | 41 | 61 |
12 permit areas (501-512). Hunting is open statewide in every area; hunters declare the area hunted most and report the harvest area at registration. In spring 2026 lotteries were held only for period A in areas 502 and 511 (2026 harvest report). Counties from the DNR turkey permit area GIS layer.
DNR 2026 turkey harvest report, DNR turkey page, checked October 28, 2026.
Turkey harvest in numbers
Spring harvest peaked at 16,903 in the years shown; 2026 came in at 15,258.
| Year | Spring harvest | Spring licenses | Fall harvest | Fall licenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,067 | 58,086 | 1,238 | 9,026 |
| 2022 | 12,297 | 54,491 | 1,285 | 8,999 |
| 2023 | 13,669 | 53,574 | 1,224 | 9,713 |
| 2024 | 16,714 | 59,565 | 1,475 | 9,906 |
| 2025 | 16,903 | 61,834 | 1,020 | 8,958 |
| 2026 | 15,258 | 61,140 |
DNR 2026 turkey harvest report, checked October 28, 2026.
Wild Turkey bag and license rules
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Wild turkey | Spring: 1 bearded turkey. Fall: 1 turkey of either sex. |
What turkey licenses cost
| License | Residency | Who | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey lottery application | resident | Adult | $4 |
| Spring turkey, youth under 13 | resident | Youth under 13 | Free |
| Fall turkey, youth under 13 | resident | Youth under 13 | Free |
| Spring turkey, youth 13-17 | resident | Youth 13-17 | $5 |
| Fall turkey, youth 13-17 | resident | Youth 13-17 | $5 |
| Spring turkey firearm | resident | Adult 18+ | $26 |
| Spring turkey archery | resident | Adult 18+ | $26 |
| Fall turkey archery or firearm | resident | Adult 18+ | $26 |
| Turkey lottery application | nonresident | Adult | $4 |
| Spring turkey, youth under 13 | nonresident | Youth under 13 | Free |
| Fall turkey, youth under 13 | nonresident | Youth under 13 | Free |
| Spring turkey, youth 13-17 | nonresident | Youth 13-17 | $5 |
Licenses sell online, by phone and at license agents; there are no paper tags, and the license (paper or app) is carried afield.
booklet p. 19, booklet p. 21, booklet p. 61, checked October 28, 2026.
Where to hunt wild turkeys on public ground
For wild turkeys, start with these 12 large WMAs; 477 WMAs list the species statewide.
| Place | Type | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mille Lacs | WMA | Kanabec · | 38,678 |
| Lac qui Parle | WMA | 33,623 | |
| Whitewater | WMA | Wabasha · | 27,451 |
| Carlos Avery | WMA | Chisago · | 24,598 |
| Moose Willow | WMA | 16,946 | |
| East Park | WMA | Marshall · | 10,427 |
| Skull Lake | WMA | 7,452 | |
| Gores Pool #3 | WMA | Dakota · | 7,103 |
| Pembina | WMA | Red Lake · | 6,677 |
| Meadow Brook | WMA | 5,750 | |
| Blackhoof River | WMA | 4,510 | |
| Rothsay | WMA | 4,089 |
Counts follow the species lists on DNR WMA pages and federal refuge rules. Federal refuges are closed unless opened; WPAs are open unless posted, with nontoxic shot required.
DNR WMA finder and WMA rules, checked October 28, 2026.
Rules afield for wild turkeys
Turkey hours in both seasons open half an hour ahead of sunrise and close right at sunset.
Turkey hunters may skip blaze outside the deer gun seasons; when a firearm or muzzleloader deer season is open, orange or pink goes on above the waist.
Bait is off the table for turkeys: hunting over food is illegal and the area counts as baited for 10 days afterward.
There are no tags to cut any more. Validate at the kill site first, then register online, by app or at a walk-in station; phone registration has ended. The turkey deadline is 24 hours, and registration asks for the permit area.
No day of the week is closed for wild turkeys.
booklet shooting hours, blaze rules, validation and registration, checked October 28, 2026.
Wild Turkey shooting times west to east
Times below apply the booklet rule for wild turkeys to the sun at the centre of each county, rounded to the minute.
| When | Point | Centre of | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | Day one | Clay | 7:26 a.m. | 7:04 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Day one | Ramsey | 7:11 a.m. | 6:51 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 6:51 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Day one | St. Louis | 7:10 a.m. | 6:48 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 6:48 p.m. |
| May 31, 2027 | Last day | Clay | 5:36 a.m. | 9:10 p.m. | 5:06 a.m. to 9:10 p.m. |
| May 31, 2027 | Last day | Ramsey | 5:30 a.m. | 8:50 p.m. | 5:00 a.m. to 8:50 p.m. |
| May 31, 2027 | Last day | St. Louis | 5:18 a.m. | 8:57 p.m. | 4:48 a.m. to 8:57 p.m. |
Rule from the booklet shooting hours page; sun times computed for the county centre (NOAA method, Central Time) and checked against U.S. Naval Observatory tables; checked October 28, 2026.
Wild Turkey: guns, bows and statutes
| Weapons | Legal | Not legal |
|---|---|---|
| Wild turkey | Shotguns/muzzleloading shotguns 10 ga or smaller with No. 4 shot or smaller; bows 30 lb+ with 7/8 in. barbless or blunt heads; crossbows; red dots and rangefinders. | Rifles, dogs, live decoys, bait, electronic devices other than red dots/rangefinders/hearing aids, any weapon not legal for turkey. |
Booklet rules on turkey hunts
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Trespass and agricultural land | Permission needed on posted or agricultural land; may not return for a year after being told to leave; no discharging a firearm within 500 ft of an occupied building or livestock on another's land without written permission. |
| Dogs | No dogs chasing big game; tracking dogs on a 30-ft leash to recover wounded deer/bear; no dog training on DNR land Apr. 16-July 14; no dogs while turkey hunting; raccoons and foxes may be run with dogs in closed season. |
| Hunting while intoxicated | No taking wild animals with a firearm or bow under the influence or with alcohol 0.08+; includes cannabis products. |
| Wanton waste | May not waste a protected wild animal by failing to use usable parts; migratory birds must be retrieved. |
booklet p. 35, booklet p. 38, booklet p. 61, Minnesota Statutes 97B.001, checked October 28, 2026.
Wild Turkey FAQ
What may a hunter keep of wild turkeys?
Spring 1 bearded turkey; fall 1 either sex (DNR summary).
Which permits apply to wild turkeys?
Costs: Turkey lottery application (resident, Adult): $4; Spring turkey, youth under 13 (resident, Youth under 13): Free; Fall turkey, youth under 13 (resident, Youth under 13): Free; Spring turkey, youth 13-17 (resident, Youth 13-17): $5; Fall turkey, youth 13-17 (resident, Youth 13-17): $5.
Is night hunting allowed for wild turkeys?
Turkey hours in both seasons open half an hour ahead of sunrise and close right at sunset.
Is pink allowed instead of orange for wild turkeys?
Turkey hunters may skip blaze outside the deer gun seasons; when a firearm or muzzleloader deer season is open, orange or pink goes on above the waist.
Do wild turkeys have to be registered?
There are no tags to cut any more. Validate at the kill site first, then register online, by app or at a walk-in station; phone registration has ended. The turkey deadline is 24 hours, and registration asks for the permit area.
Is baiting legal for wild turkeys?
Bait is off the table for turkeys: hunting over food is illegal and the area counts as baited for 10 days afterward.
Which wildlife areas name wild turkeys?
By acreage: Mille Lacs WMA, Lac qui Parle WMA, Whitewater WMA, out of 477 WMAs naming the species.
What is legal to shoot wild turkeys with?
The booklet allows shotguns/muzzleloading shotguns 10 ga or smaller with No. 4 shot or smaller; bows 30 lb+ with 7/8 in. barbless or blunt heads; crossbows; red dots and rangefinders.
How do turkey periods A to F work?
Adults pick one period from A to F; archery-only and youth hunters may hunt the whole season, Apr. 14-May 31, 2027.
Can I hunt wild turkeys on a Sunday?
There is no Sunday ban; turkey hunting runs seven days a week.
When is the turkey season in Minnesota?
9 season rows run Oct 3, 2026 to May 31, 2027. Fall Oct. 3-Nov. 1, 2026; spring Apr. 14-May 31, 2027 (firearms periods A-F); shotgun 10 ga or smaller with No. 4 or smaller shot, bow, crossbow.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); GerryT (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).