Turkey Registration Information
On this page:
- Why hunt for wild turkey in Maine?
- Who can hunt turkey in Maine?
- When can you hunt for turkey?
- Where can you hunt for turkey?
- What are the laws and guidelines for turkey hunting in Maine?
- Turkey Hunting Gear
- Tips for a Successful Turkey Hunt
- Wild Turkey Recipes
Why hunt for wild turkey in Maine?
If you are eager to spend more time outside in the spring or fall, turkey hunting could be your next big adventure! Calling in a tom turkey and chatting with them is often cited as a spring turkey hunter’s favorite experience. This fast-paced, engaging hunt is perfect for beginner hunters.
Turkey hunting requires less gear than many other hunts and the small size makes it the easiest big game species to prepare for the dinner table. Wild turkeys are abundant and there is lots of opportunity throughout the state, making it easier to find a location close to home.
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Who can hunt turkey in Maine?
The spring and fall wild turkey hunting seasons are open to all hunters with valid big or small game hunting licenses (firearms or archery). A combination spring/fall wild turkey permit is also required and available for $20, plus agent fee. Junior hunters and Maine resident lifetime license holders over the age of 70 are exempt from the $20 permit fee. Buy a license or permit online.
A person hunting with a crossbow must possess either a valid big or small game firearms hunting license or an archery license as well as a turkey permit and crossbow permit.
To obtain a hunting license, new hunters must complete a hunter safety course, demonstrating their capabilities to properly and safely hunt wild turkey and other game.
See guide requirement for big game hunters from New Brunswick or Quebec (PDF)
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When can you hunt for turkey?
Maine has two wild turkey hunting seasons:
- Fall wild turkey hunting season: The fall wild turkey hunting season begins with a youth hunting day and the season is open to all hunters late September through the first week in November.
- Spring wild turkey hunting season: The spring wild turkey hunting season begins with a youth hunting day, and the season is open to all hunters from early May through early June.
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Where can you hunt for turkey?
Wild turkeys are most common in the southern and central parts of the State, and less common in the northern parts. Still, wild turkeys can be found in every Wildlife Management District (WMD) in the State. In the spring, all WMDs are open to wild turkey hunting. In the fall, some northern WMDs are closed to the take of wild turkey.
Maine has over 17 million acres of extraordinary land available to hunters. When it comes to finding where you want to hunt, you have two options: private land or public land. Click here to learn more about accessing private or public land. Many of the State-owned Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) open to hunting have exceptional turkey habitat, find a WMA near you. Always be a good land user to help continue access for generations to come.
Understanding turkey behavior
In late March, winter flocks start breaking up a bit and flock dynamics change. Jakes (juvenile males) are going away from the bigger flocks. Toms (mature males), hens (mature females), and jennies (juvenile females) are sticking together. Jakes will probably be hanging out in groups together on the edge of where bigger flocks may be.
Spring turkey hunting season doesn’t begin until early May, so where you see birds in March or early April doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll see them on opening day. By mid-April, they are where they are going to nest. The Department has radio telemetry data that shows some females will nest up to 28 miles from where they were in the winter. But, if a location such as a farm has available food resources, they may breed and nest in that location.
In the spring, females are running the show and the males are working hard for female attention. In the morning, especially on sunny days, you’ll see male turkeys strutting. The warm weather will get them keyed up, so they may be more active. Their behavior, more than anything else, revolves around mating and pre-nesting. Feeding and water certainly play a part and as the season wanes on, your tactics and locations may change.
Locating turkeys in the spring
When pre-season scouting, it’s better not to “test call” to get a sense of turkey activity in the area. Pre-season calling may educate turkeys to be wary of such calls and make them “call shy,” and they’ll be less likely to respond during the season. A better option when scouting is using a locator call—such as a crow call—which will spook the turkey into making a noise in response. These calls don’t train turkeys to be wary of hunters calling but can help give you a sense of where they’re at during pre-season scouting.
The night before you go out to hunt, go to your spots and “roost birds”—this means you’re checking out those fields where you’ve seen turkey sign or turkeys in groups. As the turkeys fly up to the trees to sleep for the evening, you’ll have a great idea of where they’re going to come down at night. This gives you an advantage. You can pick a safe place to set up in the morning that conceals you from the turkeys and doesn’t spook them on your way to your spot. A common tactic is to approach a field quietly and let out a shock call such as an owl hoot, and pinpoint where the gobbler respond from. You may not see them, but you’ll hear them!
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What are the laws and guidelines for turkey hunting in Maine?
Click here to view Maine’s turkey hunting laws.
Wild Turkey Registration Information
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Turkey Hunting Gear
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Tips for a Successful Turkey Hunt
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Wild Turkey Recipes
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