When Does Turkey Season Start? 2026–27 Opening Dates for All 50 States
Turkey season opens as early as August 30, 2026 in Idaho and as late as April 30, 2027 in Arizona, with most states opening in October.
Dates verified against each state's official wildlife agency — open any state below for its source and last-verified date.
Turkey season opening dates by state
43 states
- IdahoOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 25
- MontanaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 1
- OregonOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 31
- WyomingOpen now
- Archery open
- Sep 1
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 31
- WisconsinOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 3
- MaineOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jun 5
- ConnecticutOpen now
- Archery open
- Sep 15
- Firearm open
- Oct 3
- Closes
- Dec 31
- MichiganOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 14
- New HampshireOpen now
- Archery open
- Sep 15
- Firearm open
- Oct 12
- Closes
- May 31
- IllinoisOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- Oct 1
- Firearm open
- Oct 24
- Closes
- Jan 17
- IndianaOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- Oct 1
- Firearm open
- Oct 21
- Closes
- Nov 1
- IowaOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- Oct 1
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 10
- MissouriOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- Oct 1
- Closes
- Oct 31
- NebraskaOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 30
- New YorkOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 30
- OhioOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 25
- OklahomaOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- Oct 1
- Firearm open
- Oct 31
- Closes
- May 16
- Rhode IslandOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- Oct 1
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 23
- UtahOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 31
- VermontOpens in 4 days
- Archery open
- Oct 1
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 13
- MinnesotaOpens in 6 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 1
- MassachusettsOpens in 8 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 28
- North DakotaOpens in 13 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 3
- West VirginiaOpens in 13 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 23
- TennesseeOpens in 20 days
- Archery open
- Oct 17
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 16
- VirginiaOpens in 20 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- Oct 17
- Closes
- May 15
- KentuckyOpens in 27 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- Oct 24
- Closes
- Oct 30
- MarylandOpens in 34 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 24
- PennsylvaniaOpens in 34 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 31
- South DakotaOpens in 35 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 31
- FloridaOpens in 41 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Apr 25
- TexasOpens in 41 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 16
- AlabamaOpens in 48 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 3
- CaliforniaOpens in 48 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 2
- MississippiOpens in 162 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 2
- LouisianaOpens in 180 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 2
- GeorgiaOpens in 181 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 15
- South CarolinaOpens in 188 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 3
- DelawareOpens in 195 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 9
- North CarolinaOpens in 195 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 15
- ArkansasOpens in 197 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 9
- New JerseyOpens in 209 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- May 28
- ArizonaOpens in 215 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- Apr 30
- Closes
- May 20
| Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | West | — | — | May 25 | Open now |
| Montana | West | — | — | Jan 1 | Open now |
| Oregon | West | — | — | May 31 | Open now |
| Wyoming | West | Sep 1 | — | May 31 | Open now |
| Wisconsin | Midwest | — | — | Jan 3 | Open now |
| Maine | Northeast | — | — | Jun 5 | Open now |
| Connecticut | Northeast | Sep 15 | Oct 3 | Dec 31 | Open now |
| Michigan | Midwest | — | — | Nov 14 | Open now |
| New Hampshire | Northeast | Sep 15 | Oct 12 | May 31 | Open now |
| Illinois | Midwest | Oct 1 | Oct 24 | Jan 17 | Opens in 4 days |
| Indiana | Midwest | Oct 1 | Oct 21 | Nov 1 | Opens in 4 days |
| Iowa | Midwest | Oct 1 | — | Jan 10 | Opens in 4 days |
| Missouri | Midwest | — | Oct 1 | Oct 31 | Opens in 4 days |
| Nebraska | Midwest | — | — | Nov 30 | Opens in 4 days |
| New York | Northeast | — | — | Oct 30 | Opens in 4 days |
| Ohio | Midwest | — | — | Oct 25 | Opens in 4 days |
| Oklahoma | South | Oct 1 | Oct 31 | May 16 | Opens in 4 days |
| Rhode Island | Northeast | Oct 1 | — | May 23 | Opens in 4 days |
| Utah | West | — | — | May 31 | Opens in 4 days |
| Vermont | Northeast | Oct 1 | — | Nov 13 | Opens in 4 days |
| Minnesota | Midwest | — | — | Nov 1 | Opens in 6 days |
| Massachusetts | Northeast | — | — | Nov 28 | Opens in 8 days |
| North Dakota | Midwest | — | — | Jan 3 | Opens in 13 days |
| West Virginia | South | — | — | May 23 | Opens in 13 days |
| Tennessee | South | Oct 17 | — | May 16 | Opens in 20 days |
| Virginia | South | — | Oct 17 | May 15 | Opens in 20 days |
| Kentucky | South | — | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Opens in 27 days |
| Maryland | South | — | — | May 24 | Opens in 34 days |
| Pennsylvania | Northeast | — | — | May 31 | Opens in 34 days |
| South Dakota | Midwest | — | — | Jan 31 | Opens in 35 days |
| Florida | South | — | — | Apr 25 | Opens in 41 days |
| Texas | South | — | — | May 16 | Opens in 41 days |
| Alabama | South | — | — | May 3 | Opens in 48 days |
| California | West | — | — | May 2 | Opens in 48 days |
| Mississippi | South | — | — | May 2 | Opens in 162 days |
| Louisiana | South | — | — | May 2 | Opens in 180 days |
| Georgia | South | — | — | May 15 | Opens in 181 days |
| South Carolina | South | — | — | May 3 | Opens in 188 days |
| Delaware | Northeast | — | — | May 9 | Opens in 195 days |
| North Carolina | South | — | — | May 15 | Opens in 195 days |
| Arkansas | South | — | — | May 9 | Opens in 197 days |
| New Jersey | Northeast | — | — | May 28 | Opens in 209 days |
| Arizona | West | — | Apr 30 | May 20 | Opens in 215 days |
Turkey seasons opening this week
Earliest and latest openers
Turkey seasons by region
Northeast
10 states covered
Earliest open
Sep 14
South
15 states covered
Earliest open
Oct 1
Midwest
11 states covered
Earliest open
Sep 12
West
7 states covered
Earliest open
Aug 30
Archery vs. firearm vs. muzzleloader: how seasons are split
Most states don't run one continuous turkey season — they split it into method-specific segments. Archery seasons typically open first and run longest, often overlapping with the rest of the calendar. Muzzleloader segments are usually short windows before or after the main firearm season. General firearm (gun) season is usually the shortest and most heavily hunted segment, and dates can differ by zone within the same state.
- Archery
- 10
- states with an archery segment
- Muzzleloader
- 0
- states with a muzzleloader segment
- Firearm
- 9
- states with a general gun segment
Frequently asked questions
Turkey season opens as early as August 30, 2026 in Idaho and as late as April 30, 2027 in Arizona, with most states opening in October.
Regulations change every year and can vary by county or unit. Hunting Season by State is a reference tool, not a substitute for the official regulation book — always verify dates, zones, and bag limits with the state wildlife agency before you hunt.