New York · Turkey · 2026–27 Edition
New York Turkey Season 2026–27: Fall & Spring Dates, Bag Limits
01 — Fall turkey
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Season — Zone 1 (Northernmost / Adirondacks region) | Northernmost fall turkey zone | Oct 1 – Oct 14 |
| Fall Season — Zone 2 (most of the state) | Central & Southern fall turkey zone | Oct 17 – Oct 30 |
| Fall Season — Zone 3 (Long Island / WMU 1C) | Long Island (WMU 1C) | Nov 21 – Dec 4 |
02 — Spring gobbler
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Youth Turkey | Same areas as the regular spring season | Apr 24 – Apr 25 |
| Spring Season | Statewide (all open areas) | May 1 – May 31 |
03 — Bag limits
| Fall — statewide | 1 bird of either sex |
|---|---|
| Spring — statewide | 2 bearded birds, no more than 1 per day; no more than 1 in WMU 1C (Long Island) |
| Spring Youth | 1 bearded bird — counts toward the regular spring 2-bird limit; a second bird may be taken starting May 1 |
04 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (October 1, 2026) 07:00 — 18:42
Rule: Fall: sunrise to sunset. Spring & Spring Youth: half an hour before sunrise until noon only — not sunset (per NYSDEC). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local New York sun times for any other date.
05 — License
A New York 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 York hunting license cost & turkey permits →
Where to hunt public land in New York — WMAs by county & access rules →
06 — Scouting gear
Patterning a gobbler's roost and strut zone before New York'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 York?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is October 1, 2026. Fall and spring seasons run separately — see the tables above.
When does turkey season end in New York?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is May 31, 2027. Individual segments and zones close on their own dates.
When does spring turkey season start in New York?
Spring Youth Turkey opens April 24, 2027 (Same areas as the regular spring season).
When does fall turkey season start in New York?
Fall Season — Zone 1 (Northernmost / Adirondacks region) opens October 1, 2026 (Northernmost fall turkey zone).
How many turkeys can you shoot in New York?
2026–27 bag limits: Fall — statewide — 1 bird of either sex. Spring — statewide — 2 bearded birds, no more than 1 per day; no more than 1 in WMU 1C (Long Island). Spring Youth — 1 bearded bird — counts toward the regular spring 2-bird limit; a second bird may be taken starting May 1. 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 York?
On opening day (October 1, 2026) legal light runs 07:00 to 18:42. The rule is: Fall: sunrise to sunset. Spring & Spring Youth: half an hour before sunrise until noon only — not sunset (per NYSDEC). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local New York sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt turkey on my own land in New York without a license?
New York resident owners, lessees, and their immediate family — while actually occupying and farming that land — may hunt it without a license. Deer and bear are explicitly excluded.
Verified · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. Dates from DEC's own '2026-2027 New York Hunting & Trapping Guide' turkey chapter (retrieved directly, dated Aug. 3, 2026). Fall turkey runs on a three-zone color-coded map, not a simple statewide date — the northernmost zone (roughly the Adirondacks/North Country) opens earliest, most of the rest of the state follows two weeks later, and Long Island (WMU 1C) opens latest of all; a band of downstate/NYC-metro WMUs is closed to fall turkey entirely (shown white on DEC's map, not reproduced as a row here since there is nothing to report for it). Spring is a single statewide window with a separate youth weekend beforehand. One turkey permit per year includes 2 spring tags and 1 fall tag. Re-verified 2026-08-16: this page is a map/infographic layout, and pdftotext's default reading order jumbles its info-boxes together (a 'Sunrise to sunset' line appeared to sit next to the Spring Youth box on first read); pdftotext -layout on the isolated page resolved it correctly — that line belongs to the Fall Season box, and Spring Youth genuinely does share the ½-hour-before-sunrise-to-noon cutoff with the regular Spring season. All zone dates and hours confirmed exact once resolved this way.