Hunters can expect to see an abundance of two-year-old gobblers and jakes setting the stage for an increase in male harvest in 2025.
Most of Texas experienced a bump in production and recruitment in 2023 and 2024, meaning hunters can expect a temporary spillover of birds into landscapes 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.”
However, unless spring rains break current dry conditions across much of the Rio Grande wild turkey range in coming weeks, biologists expect delayed wild turkey breeding and nesting season activity this spring. 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 the hens are not in top breeding condition.
Ten counties in the Oaks and Prairies ecoregion of Central Texas (Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Fayette, Jackson, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, Milam and Wharton) offer a spring season from April 1–30.
At the edge of the Rio Grande wild turkey range in Texas, this 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 of 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.
Twelve counties in east Texas make up the East Turkey Zone including Bowie, Cass, Fannin, Grayson, Jasper, Lamar, Marion, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Red River 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 Super Combo license 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.
The data obtained from these harvest reports help TPWD better manage the Texas turkey population. TPWD encourages turkey hunters to learn about and share these new rules with fellow turkey hunters and landowners in counties with an open turkey season to help TPWD keep tabs on these populations.
“Thank you to all hunters who harvested a fall turkey and reported the bird through TPWD’s Texas Hunt & Fish App,” said Hardin “Harvest reporting is now mandatory statewide for all harvested wild turkeys. This data is critical to the short and long-term management of wild turkeys in Texas.”
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: North Zone: March 22-23; May 17-18
Rio Grande: South Zone: March 8-9; May 3-4
Spring Regular Season
North Zone: March 29-May 11
South Zone: March 15-April 27
Special One Turkey Bag Limit: April 1-30
East Zone: April 22–May 14
Additional information about harvest reporting, bag limits and more can be found in the Outdoor Annual or via the Outdoor Annual app.
Article source and photo credit: tpwd.texas.gov
