Hunters can expect to see an abundance of two and three-year-old gobblers for the 2026 spring turkey season. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) recorded good production through summer turkey surveys in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
After another year of good production and recruitment, hunters can expect a temporary spillover of birds into landscapes where they are not always found. Gobblers are expected to spread out in search of hens, hens in search of nesting cover and young birds moving across the landscape looking for new areas to occupy.
“For spring turkey hunters, two-year-old gobblers are probably the most fun birds to hunt,” said Jason Hardin, TPWD Wild Turkey Program Leader. “They gobble readily and are not jaded by past turkey hunter efforts and near misses from previous seasons. The middle and later portions of the season usually have fewer hunters in the woods, and you never know when you will strike a tom in the mood to strut and gobble. Go early and go often.”
TPWD reminds hunters to review the Outdoor Annual before opening day to ensure they are hunting during the legal season and pursuing legal birds. Hunters can check the TPWD website for exact season dates for the county where they plan to hunt. Hunters must possess an Upland Game Bird Stamp Endorsement to hunt wild turkeys in Texas.
The spring season dates are as follows:
Youth Only
Rio Grande Turkey
- North Zone: March 21-22; May 16-17
- South Zone: March 7-8; May 2-3
Spring Regular Season
- North Zone: March 28-May 10
- South Zone: March 14-April 26
- Special One Turkey Bag Limit Counties: April 1-30
- East Zone: April 22–May 14
Drier conditions across much of the Rio Grande wild turkey range mean a slower start to the nesting season and more competition from real hens distracting gobblers. When rains do return to promote green grasses and wildflowers, breeding activity will begin soon after. However, some gobblers will still be ready to start the breeding season even if hens are not in top breeding condition.
All or part of nineteen counties offer a spring season from April 1–30. These counties include Bastrop, Brewster, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal – east of I35, Fayette, Guadalupe – north of I10, Hays – east of I35, Hill – east of I35, Jackson, Jeff Davis, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, McLennan – east of I35, Pecos, Terrell, Travis – east of I35, and Wharton.
At the edges of the Rio Grande wild turkey ranges in Texas, the landscape historically has lower numbers of wild turkeys, resulting in a spring-only seasons. Hunters are allowed a one-gobbler bag limit per county. As with all Texas counties with an open season, wild turkey harvest reporting is mandatory. Any and all harvested wild turkeys must be reported within 24 hours through the Texas Hunt and Fish mobile app or online.
All or parts of twelve counties in east Texas make up the East Turkey Zone including Bowie – north of HWY 82, Cass, Fannin – north of HWY 82, Grayson, Jasper, Lamar – north of HWY 82, Marion, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Red River – north of HWY 82 and Sabine. There is a one-gobbler bag limit for the entire East Turkey Zone and again mandatory harvest reporting is required within 24 hours of harvest.
Hunters who purchased a digital licenses have a digital tagging option. All hunters who chose to use the digital tagging option must report their wild turkey at the time of harvest and harvest data must be attached to the harvested turkey. Rules and guidance associated with the new digital tagging option can be found on the TPWD website.
“Thank you to all hunters who harvested a wild turkey and reported the bird through TPWD’s Texas Hunt & Fish App over the last few hunting seasons,” said Hardin. “TPWD keep tabs on the state’s wild turkey population, and those populations are changing over time. With most of Texas being privately owned, TPWD relies on our turkey hunter citizen scientists to provide the data we need to track and manage wild turkeys.”
Additional information about harvest reporting, bag limits and more can be found in the Outdoor Annual or via the Outdoor Annual app. Apps are available for free download from Google Play or the App Store.
Article source and photo credit: Texas Parks and Wildlife
