Spring Turkey: What State Will You Hunt by John L. Barone
Spring Turkey: What State Will You Hunt?
By John L. Barone
It is that time of year again. Turkey season is upon us. For most folks the season openers are still one to two months out, but this past weekend Florida and Hawaii turkey seasons were open.
So, what states will you hunt this year? It seems that this question is becoming more popular among turkey hunters.
If you are hunting out of state for the first time, advance planning is almost as important as the approach in the field. You need to be thinking about several considerations such as:
- travel and hotel arrangements,
- camping or backcountry preparation,
- assessment of gear,
- researching public or private lands,
- scouting using maps and the internet, and
- reviewing license requirements.
State Hunting Regulations
As one of the first steps in the process, I review state licensing requirements. Without a license, I’m not going anywhere. The prerequisites to register as a non-resident hunter are usually similar for every state, however, I find surprises more times than not. For instance, here in the northeast, New Jersey and Connecticut have short waiting periods to review your non-resident documentation (e.g., hunter education certificate), before issuing approval for purchase of the hunting license.
Additionally, some states have quota and lottery applications with deadlines as early as the fall season the previous year. If you fail to submit early applications, over-the-counter tags may still be available in those particular states. Missing deadlines means you have limited your public land choices and potentially squandered an opportunity for a unique hunting experience. Even with good planning, I still find myself occasionally buying a license in Walmart the night before a hunt in those states that are more procrastinator friendly.
Don’t forget to read and become familiar with the hunting regulations of the state. While regulations across the country are similar, many states have unique requirements. For instance, Massachusetts requires a small shooting safety sticker placed on the hunter’s shotgun. So don’t look to purchase your license the day before you plan to be in the field if you need the sticker mailed to you. In other states, a successful hunter may be required to bring a harvested bird to a check station for reporting purposes, the size of shotgun load may be limited, or you may need to wear orange while moving through the woods. Review the requirements for licensing, in the field conduct, tagging and reporting before your hunt.
Various publications issue hunting guides or summaries regarding turkey regulations and seasons throughout the country. I find National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF) breakdown of the 49 states the most useful as a starting point. http://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/2019-spring-hunt-guide
Out-of-State Phenomenon
Sportsmen and women traveling far distances to pursue hunting or angling adventures is nothing new. Nevertheless, my impression is that more folks are considering the experience of out-of-state turkey hunting. I raised my curiosity regarding the popularity of non-resident hunts with Karen Cavender of NWTF. She is the Records Coordinator for the organization and regularly handles the review of harvested birds that hunters register with NWTF. Karen has not noticed a significant uptick in the amount of certified slams, and only a nominal increase in harvested birds overall. However, she acknowledged that NWTF’s records probably only scratch the surface of the turkey harvests around the country, and numerous hunters still do not report slams with NWTF.
Karen mentioned that NWTF encourages hunters to register harvested birds, but it’s not for everyone. I am one of those hunters that seem to only report when required and thus, realize that records are only as good as the data entered. Impressions aside, I would have more homework to perform to fully speak to this issue.
As for the 2019 season, I’m hunting in New York my home state, Massachusetts, Connecticut (tag soup last year), and New Jersey for the first time. I figure with a 10 month old in the house, my first child, staying within driving distance to home is appreciated by the family.
Whether you’re hunting one or several states this spring, good luck and hunt safe!
