Contact: Alaina Gerrits, DNR Assistant Upland Wildlife Ecologist
Alaina.Gerrits@wisconsin.gov or 608-513-6739
MADISON, Wis. – Youth hunters can experience the excitement of Wisconsin turkey hunting with family before the regular season begins. The 2021 youth turkey hunt runs April 17-18, before the statewide turkey opener for period A on April 21.
The youth turkey hunt gives hunters under the age of 16 the opportunity to gain valuable experience. Youth hunters must either have completed hunter education or participate under the mentored hunting program to be eligible for the youth turkey hunt. To participate, a qualified adult must accompany the youth and not accompany more than two youth hunters at one time. The adult mentor must hold any valid 2021 hunting license.
Hunters under the age of 12 and youth without a hunter education safety certificate can participate in the youth turkey hunt under the mentored hunting program. A qualified adult must accompany the youth and follow the youth turkey hunting and mentored hunting program rules.
The wild turkey is truly one of Wisconsin’s wildlife management success stories. A key part of the success of the wild turkey management program can be attributed to hunters through their purchase of the Wild Turkey Stamp which provides vital financial support in providing for future opportunities for turkey management and hunting in Wisconsin.
All hunters must have a valid spring turkey license, turkey stamp and harvest authorizations. You can use a harvest authorization for any time period during the youth hunt weekend, but you must hunt within the turkey management zone indicated on their harvest authorization. If you do not harvest a turkey during the youth hunt, you can use the harvest authorization during the time period specified on the harvest authorization. For more information, including youth hunt rules and regulations, click here.
Registering your turkey harvest remains a critical component of wildlife population management. Turkey registration is mandatory and hunters must register their turkey by 5 p.m. the day after recovery using the DNR’s Electronic Game Registration reporting system GameReg, or by phone at 1-844-426-3734.
Hunters will need their harvest authorization number to register their turkey, located on the paper or digital copy of their harvest authorization.
The Fall 2020 – Spring 2021 Combined Hunting Regulations provides hunters with everything you need to know about spring turkey hunting from season dates, general regulations to shooting hours.
Each year, thousands of outdoor enthusiasts use Wisconsin’s public lands for various activities, ranging from birdwatching to hunting. For anyone interested in exploring all Wisconsin has to offer, the DNR has several tools to help users find a new favorite spot in the wild.
The DNR’s free Hunt Wild mobile app gives hunters the tools they need to plan their time in the field, combining public lands mapping, rules and regulations, shooting hours and the option to link their Go Wild account.
For additional information about turkey hunting in Wisconsin, click here.
