Delaware · Turkey · 2027 Edition
Delaware Turkey Season 2027: Spring Dates, Bag Limits
01 — Spring gobbler
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Youth & Non-Ambulatory Hunt | Statewide | Apr 3 – Apr 4 |
| General Season | Statewide | Apr 10 – May 9 |
02 — Bag limits
| Season | 1 bearded turkey — the season limit also sets the effective daily maximum |
|---|
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (April 3, 2027) 06:12 — 19:27
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. only — not sunset (per Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Delaware sun times for any other date.
04 — License
A Delaware hunting license and turkey permit are required. Check whether the permit is sold with the license or separately, and note any cap on gobblers per hunter per year.
Delaware hunting license cost & turkey permits →
Where to hunt public land in Delaware — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Patterning a gobbler's roost and strut zone before Delaware's opener usually means glassing from a distance and running a trail camera through late winter and early spring.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does turkey season start in Delaware?
The earliest 2027 opener is April 3, 2027. See the tables above for each segment.
When does turkey season end in Delaware?
The latest 2027 closing date is May 9, 2027. Individual segments and zones close on their own dates.
When does spring turkey season start in Delaware?
Youth & Non-Ambulatory Hunt opens April 3, 2027 (Statewide).
How many turkeys can you shoot in Delaware?
2027 bag limits: Season — 1 bearded turkey — the season limit also sets the effective daily maximum. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting turkey in Delaware?
On opening day (April 3, 2027) legal light runs 06:12 to 19:27. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. only — not sunset (per Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Delaware sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt turkey on my own land in Delaware without a license?
Delaware residents who own or live on a farm of 20 or more acres, plus immediate family living there, may hunt, fish, and trap it without a license. Deer tags and other harvest requirements still apply.
Verified · Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife (DNREC) · Last verified 2026-08-27
Publisher's note. Re-verified 2026-08-27 against the eRegulations turkey page, fetched directly. DNREC's own hunting-seasons page links here for turkey dates - eRegulations is the designated display for this content, the same pattern already used for Delaware deer, so it counts as the agency's published version rather than a third-party summary. The season paragraph confirms every field in this file in one block: 'Delaware s spring wild turkey hunting season will run from April 10, 2027-May 9, 2027. A special two-day hunt for youth and non-ambulatory hunters will occur on Saturday April 3rd and Sunday April 4th. Turkeys may be hunted 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1:00 PM. Hunting on Sundays is now permitted for all gamebirds, including turkeys.' Bag limit from the same page: 'Bearded birds only. Bag limit is one turkey.' The 1 p.m. cutoff is the detail most likely to catch a hunter out - it is four to five hours earlier than Delaware's own deer hours, and it is a hard stop, not a sunset rule. Not modeled here, but worth knowing before applying these dates to public land: the general season is subdivided into four public-land permit segments - (A) April 10-16, (B) April 17-23, (C) April 24-30, (D) May 1-9 - and a permit is valid only for the property and segment it was issued for. Lottery applications must be postmarked by January 8, 2027. Delaware runs spring turkey only; there is no fall season.