Wisconsin · Turkey · 2026–27 Edition
Wisconsin Turkey Season 2026–27: Fall & Spring Dates, Bag Limits
01 — Fall turkey
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Turkey | Statewide (all 7 turkey management zones) | Sep 12 – Jan 3 |
02 — Spring gobbler
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Youth Hunt | Statewide | Apr 17 – Apr 18 |
| Spring · Period A | Drawn zone | Apr 21 – Apr 27 |
| Spring · Period B | Drawn zone | Apr 28 – May 4 |
| Spring · Period C | Drawn zone | May 5 – May 11 |
| Spring · Period D | Drawn zone | May 12 – May 18 |
| Spring · Period E | Drawn zone | May 19 – May 25 |
| Spring · Period F | Drawn zone | May 25 – Jun 1 |
03 — Bag limits
| Per harvest authorization | One turkey per unfilled harvest authorization — see WI DNR turkey regulations |
|---|
04 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 12, 2026) 06:04 — 19:13
Rule: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset — this is the conservative figure and applies to the spring periods. FALL TURKEY RUNS LONGER: DNR's own '2026 Deer, Bear, Small Game and Fall Turkey Shooting Hours' tables (Northern and Southern Area, identical wording) state '30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset for Zone A', so fall turkey hunters get a further 20 minutes that this field does not show. The offsets stored here deliberately understate the fall season rather than overstate the spring one. DNR publishes spring and fall turkey hours as separate documents, plus per-zone offsets to add outside Zone A — check the table for your season and zone. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Wisconsin sun times for any other date.
05 — License
A Wisconsin 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.
Wisconsin hunting license cost & turkey permits →
Where to hunt public land in Wisconsin — WMAs by county & access rules →
06 — Scouting gear
Patterning a gobbler's roost and strut zone before Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is September 12, 2026. Fall and spring seasons run separately — see the tables above.
When does turkey season end in Wisconsin?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is June 1, 2027. Individual segments and zones close on their own dates.
When does spring turkey season start in Wisconsin?
Spring Youth Hunt opens April 17, 2027 (Statewide).
When does fall turkey season start in Wisconsin?
Fall Turkey opens September 12, 2026 (Statewide (all 7 turkey management zones)).
How many turkeys can you shoot in Wisconsin?
2026–27 bag limits: Per harvest authorization — One turkey per unfilled harvest authorization — see WI DNR turkey regulations. 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 Wisconsin?
On opening day (September 12, 2026) legal light runs 06:04 to 19:13. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset — this is the conservative figure and applies to the spring periods. FALL TURKEY RUNS LONGER: DNR's own '2026 Deer, Bear, Small Game and Fall Turkey Shooting Hours' tables (Northern and Southern Area, identical wording) state '30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset for Zone A', so fall turkey hunters get a further 20 minutes that this field does not show. The offsets stored here deliberately understate the fall season rather than overstate the spring one. DNR publishes spring and fall turkey hours as separate documents, plus per-zone offsets to add outside Zone A — check the table for your season and zone. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Wisconsin sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt turkey on my own land in Wisconsin without a license?
Wisconsin's exemption covers only a specific species list — beaver, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, woodchucks, rabbits, and squirrels — for the owner or occupant and their family on their own land. Deer, turkey, bear, and waterfowl aren't included, and the exempt species can't be taken in the 24 hours before firearm deer season opens.
Verified · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-17
Publisher's note. All seven turkey management zones are open. Spring 2027 runs in six one-week time periods (A–F) — hunters draw a harvest authorization for a specific period and zone. Shooting hours differ between the northern and southern halves of the state and are published only as per-zone PDF tables; the times shown here use the standard framework, so check the WI DNR shooting-hours PDF for your area. A turkey hunting license, wild turkey stamp and unfilled harvest authorization are required. Re-verified 2026-08-17 directly against the DNR turkey page (fall/spring dates, all confirmed exact) and both the Northern-Area Spring and Fall shooting-hours PDFs (each states its own -30/0 resp. -30/+20 Zone A rule verbatim, matching this file's already-documented offsets). On the earlier survey's flagged 'zones' concern: 'Drawn zone' is correct as written, not a data gap — Wisconsin's 7 numbered turkey zones (see the DNR harvest-by-zone table) are all open in every one of periods A-F, and each hunter draws their own specific zone independent of period, so no single fixed zone name belongs on these rows.