New Mexico · Turkey · 2026–27 Edition
New Mexico Turkey Season 2026–27: Fall & Spring Dates, Bag Limits
01 — Fall turkey
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall OTC — Bow Only | Statewide (except named closed GMUs/WMAs) | Sep 1 – Sep 30 |
| Fall OTC — Shotgun, Bow or Crossbow | Statewide (except named closed GMUs/WMAs) | Nov 1 – Nov 30 |
02 — Spring gobbler
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Spring OTC — Youth Only | All open OTC units (draw-permit areas excluded) | Apr 10 – Apr 12 |
| Spring OTC — Any Legal Weapon | Statewide (except named closed GMUs/WMAs) | Apr 15 – May 15 |
03 — Bag limits
| Fall OTC | 1 turkey. A hunter who doesn't fill the bow-only September tag may try again in November with any legal sporting arm. |
|---|---|
| Spring OTC | 2 bearded turkeys. A draw-permit holder limited to 1 bird on their permit may take a second turkey in any open OTC area. |
04 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 06:08 — 19:59
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset for turkey (per NMDGF, 19.31.10.12 NMAC). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local New Mexico sun times for any other date.
05 — License
A New Mexico hunting license and turkey permit are required. Spring and fall permits are often sold separately, and some states cap the number of gobblers per hunter per year across both seasons.
New Mexico hunting license cost & turkey permits →
Where to hunt public land in New Mexico — WMAs by county & access rules →
06 — Scouting gear
Patterning a gobbler's roost and strut zone before New Mexico'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.
07 — FAQ
When does turkey season start in New Mexico?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is September 1, 2026. Fall and spring seasons run separately — see the tables above.
When does turkey season end in New Mexico?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is May 15, 2027. Individual segments and zones close on their own dates.
When does spring turkey season start in New Mexico?
Spring OTC — Youth Only opens April 10, 2027 (All open OTC units (draw-permit areas excluded)).
When does fall turkey season start in New Mexico?
Fall OTC — Bow Only opens September 1, 2026 (Statewide (except named closed GMUs/WMAs)).
How many turkeys can you shoot in New Mexico?
2026–27 bag limits: Fall OTC — 1 turkey. A hunter who doesn't fill the bow-only September tag may try again in November with any legal sporting arm. Spring OTC — 2 bearded turkeys. A draw-permit holder limited to 1 bird on their permit may take a second turkey in any open OTC area. 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 New Mexico?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 06:08 to 19:59. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset for turkey (per NMDGF, 19.31.10.12 NMAC). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local New Mexico sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt turkey on my own land in New Mexico without a license?
No — New Mexico requires a license for every game species regardless of land ownership. What's sometimes called a 'landowner' program is a separate elk-tag authorization system granted through the landowner, not a license waiver.
Verified · New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · Last verified 2026-08-17
Publisher's note. From the official 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules & Info booklet ('HNT_RIB_2026-27'). Unlike New Mexico deer — which is 100% draw-only with no honest general season to publish — turkey has a real statewide over-the-counter (OTC) season, spring and fall, open to any hunter who buys a license, no draw or application required. A separate system of Turkey Draw Permits also exists for a handful of named, higher-quality units (Carson National Forest, Valles Caldera, Valle Vidal, Gould's turkey in Units 26-27, and others) with their own dates and a Feb. 11, 2026 application deadline — those are not included here since they require a drawn permit on top of the OTC license; the statewide OTC hunt covers the areas and dates most hunters actually use. A list of named closed areas (specific GMUs and WMAs) applies to both the spring and fall OTC hunts — check the source PDF for your specific unit. Re-verified 2026-08-17 against the same PDF (the download page's actual file link had to be extracted separately, since fetching the landing-page URL directly returns an HTML page, not the PDF): all four OTC date ranges, both bag limits and the fall re-hunt rule confirmed exact.