Indiana · Turkey · 2026–27 Edition
Indiana Turkey Season 2026–27: Fall Dates, Bag Limits
01 — Fall turkey
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall turkey · archery, first segment | Selected counties — the Hunting and Trapping Guide carries the list | Oct 1 – Nov 1 |
| Fall turkey · firearms | Selected counties — the Hunting and Trapping Guide carries the list | Oct 21 – Nov 1 |
| Fall turkey · archery, second segment | Selected counties — the Hunting and Trapping Guide carries the list | Dec 5 – Jan 3 |
02 — Bag limits
| Fall | 1 bird of either sex per hunter for the whole fall season, whatever equipment you use |
|---|---|
| License | A separate turkey license is needed for the spring season and for the fall season |
| Open counties | Fall turkey runs in selected counties only. The seasons sheet points to the Hunting and Trapping Guide for the list rather than printing it |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (October 1, 2026) 07:12 — 19:26
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset. Turkey closes earlier than Indiana's general hunting rule, which runs to half an hour after sunset. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Indiana sun times for any other date.
04 — License
An Indiana 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.
Indiana hunting license cost & turkey permits →
Where to hunt public land in Indiana — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Patterning a gobbler's roost and strut zone before Indiana'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 Indiana?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is October 1, 2026. See the tables above for each segment.
When does turkey season end in Indiana?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 3, 2027. Individual segments and zones close on their own dates.
When does fall turkey season start in Indiana?
Fall turkey · archery, first segment opens October 1, 2026 (Selected counties — the Hunting and Trapping Guide carries the list).
How many turkeys can you shoot in Indiana?
2026–27 bag limits: Fall — 1 bird of either sex per hunter for the whole fall season, whatever equipment you use. License — A separate turkey license is needed for the spring season and for the fall season. Open counties — Fall turkey runs in selected counties only. The seasons sheet points to the Hunting and Trapping Guide for the list rather than printing it. 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 Indiana?
On opening day (October 1, 2026) legal light runs 07:12 to 19:26. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset. Turkey closes earlier than Indiana's general hunting rule, which runs to half an hour after sunset. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Indiana sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt turkey on my own land in Indiana without a license?
Indiana farmland owners (resident or nonresident) and the spouse/children living with them may hunt, fish, and trap without a license on land they own; a resident lessee who actually farms it gets the same right. This applies to farmland only — non-farm acreage doesn't qualify — and a nonresident owner needs to be from a state that grants Indiana landowners the same right, plus carry proof of ownership.
Verified · Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. From the official Indiana Hunting & Trapping Seasons sheet for April 2026 through March 2027. FALL ONLY, AND THAT IS A CALENDAR QUIRK RATHER THAN A DATA GAP: Indiana's license year starts in April, so the spring season sits at the very beginning of it. The spring rows on this sheet are April 2026 — youth April 18 and 19, general April 22 to May 10 — and both closed months ago. Spring 2027 belongs to the next license year and is only part-published: Indiana DNR has confirmed the youth weekend as April 17 and 18, 2027, but not the general season, which its own rule sets as the first Wednesday after April 20 running 18 days. No 2027 spring rows are shown here until the seasons sheet carries them, rather than last spring's or a date worked out from the rule. WATCH THE HOURS: turkey closes at sunset, half an hour earlier than Indiana's general rule of half an hour after sunset. Fall turkey runs in selected counties only; the seasons sheet points to the Hunting and Trapping Guide for the county list and does not print it, so no county names are given here. A separate turkey license is needed for the spring and the fall season.