Turkey Hunting Legal Question??
 

I've read some members commenting about being able to use rifles for turkey hunting and am curious about the game laws in each state. So for the sake of curiosity, what are your state's laws regarding the below questions?

State--
Methods of Take--
Bag limit per season--


I'll start it off with my state.

State--California

Methods of Take--Shotgun (no shot larger then # 2), airgun .177 or larger, archery and falconry are all allowed. Rifles are not allowed.

Bag limit per season--
Spring--1 bearded turkey per day, 3 per Spring season
Fall--1 either sex turkey, 2 per Fall season

State- South Carolina

Method of take- Legal weapons - shotguns, muzzleloading shotguns, bows and crossbows. All other weapons or methods are prohibited including rifles, pistols, slugs, and buckshot.

Bag limit- 3 Gobblers per season no more than 2 per day. Taking a Bearded hen is illegal.

South Carolina only has a spring turkey season

PA, Spring turkey- shotguns limited to a three shell capacity, modern or muzzle loading, shot size lead no larger than #4, steel no larger than #2, other approved non tax no larger than #4. Bows and cross bows, minimum draw weight 35 lbs. Stone or metal broadheads with the same restrictions as in the Fall season. Bearded birds only, maximum of 2 with purchased second tag.

Fall turkey, Manually operated and semi auto shot guns limited to a three shell capacity. Muzzle loading rifles shotguns and handguns including rim fire. Bows and crossbows with a minimum draw weight of 35 lbs using a broadhead made of metal or stone with sharpened edges and no less than 7/8 inch and cutting edges no longer than 3.5 inches. Lead fine shot no larger than #4 and steel shot no larger than #2 and any other approved non tox no larger than #4.
In WMUs 2B and the Allegheny Co portion of 2A limited to shotgund, bows and cross bows with the same shot sixe and broadhead restriction as above. Limit 1 bird of either sex.

State - Hawaii


Season Dates - Big Island: Units A, F, G and private land Mar 1-Apr 15
Unit Kipuka Ainahou* Mar 1-31



Methods 0f Take - shotgun, shot size #4-6 (incl. muzzle loading shotgun), archery. Kipuka Ainahou archery only.


Bag Limit per Season - 3 bearded turkeys per season, no more that 2 per day. Bearded hens are legal. Tag required for each harvested turkey.

State---Michigan

Method of Take---Shotgun or ML shotgun with no larger than #4 shot, bow or xbow

Bag Limits---1 bearded turkey in the Spring on that license and 1 of either sex in the Fall on that separate license

PS: I know in Texas you can shoot a Rio Grande with a rifle, but not an eastern, and in Wyoming a rifle is also legal

Alabama - Gobblers only. 5/season limit. 1/day bag limit. Spring season runs Mar. 15 through April 30. Some northern counties have a fall season ... usually relatively short. Decoys are allowed in spring season but not fall seasons. Firearms allowed are shotgun and pistol I(smokeless or black powder).

Shotguns limited to 10 ga. or smaller with shot no smaller than #2. Scopes are allowed on shotguns.

Pistols must be 40 cal.or larger, mushrooming ammunition and no scopes allowed on pistols.

No "laser" sights that project a dot forward. No electronic calls. No loose bait in sight line and must be 100 yards from hunting position.

Hours 30 min. before and 30 min. after sunrise and sunset times.

Hunting turkey with dogs not is not allowed.

I may have missed something, but I think that's it as far as regulations.

More than you asked for ..... Everyone that I hunt turkeys with uses a shotgun with either a full or an ultra full "turkey" choke , and a magnum shot-shells of various lengths, makes and shot loads. By far the 12 ga. is the bore of choice among my buds and pretty much split 50/50 between pump action and auto loaders. Most chokes being used by me and my buds are .660 and .670. Most popular shot shell among the group I hunt with is the 3" "turkey load" with either #6 or #4 lead shot. Some folks I hunt with use heavily loaded 3 1/2" shells, including the shoulder busting , $8.00/each "Rhino" shot shells that I personally think was developed by a masochist. I have tried these at the range and they do reach out there, group great out of my set up, but are simply too punishing and expensive to make sense to me.

In my native CO you have to use a shotgun in the spring season and can only take gobblers. But they have a fall season that you can take either sex and you can use a rifle. In some places the fall season overlaps with the big game season. I used to carry a couple of rounds loaded with solids for my 7mm Mag when I was hunting that type of area so I could take a bird if I wanted. Never did though, when I'm elk or deer hunting I don't want to be doing any shooting to spook game. But I was ready if I had wanted a bird.

State: Maine

Method of Take: Shotgun from 10 to 20 ga. shot size limited from 4 to 6 unless mixed and then from 4 threw 7 .. Archery and crossbow..

Bag Limits: 2 bearded birds in the spring and 1 bird of either sex in the fall. ( That is for the zones I hunt as each zone can very)

Season dates: May 1st to June 3rd.for the spring hunt.. The fall hunting dates are not up yet so those bag limits for the fall are subject to change at this time as well.

Good to see you posting Phil. :wave:

Thanks Cal...

Also I failed to mention both birds can be taken on the same day..