Wild turkeys in Central and South Texas should have already started nesting. An early nesting season bodes well for nest success, recruitment and good hunting early in the season.

“We had low recruitment in 2022 resulting from heat and drought across most of the Rio Grande wild turkey range. A good hatch will put us back on track for the 2024 season and beyond,” says TPWD Wild Turkey Program Leader, Jason Hardin. Compact Bow Case

Look forward to quite a few 2-year and older gobblers this spring. Find out more of what to expect this season from the wild turkey forecast.

Get scouting tips, strategy suggestions and other pro tips that will help you bag a wily wild turkey in the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story Talking Turkey.

Rio Grande turkey: bag limit is 4 birds. South zone: 3/18 to 4/30 North zone: 4/1 to 5/14

Special Rio Grande 1-turkey bag limit, in Spring One-Gobbler counties: 4/1 to 4/30. You MUST report this harvest with the my Texas Hunt Harvest app or online.

Eastern turkey bag limit is 1 bird, season runs from 4/22 to 5/14. You MUST report an Eastern turkey harvest with the My Texas Hunt Harvest app or online.

See the Outdoor Annual’s turkey information for more details, including a list of Spring One-Gobbler counties. Get tips for telling the difference between a jake, a hen and a tom in our short video Spring Turkey Season.

Wild turkeys are notoriously hard to outwit, but sometimes it only takes a couple of decoys and a turkey call to lure them in. Watch a flock of wild turkeys check out a decoy in our short video Panhandle Turkeys.

If you plan to use your shotgun during turkey season, the best rule is to treat it like a short-range rifle – aimed, not pointed. Your keys to success are minimum movement, maintaining a proper sight picture, and proper shot placement.

Many lost gobblers are the result of the hunter giving away his/her presence to the bird before it comes within shooting range. Keep your movements to a minimum and have your shotgun in shooting position before the gobbler gets within range. Turkeys won’t give a careless hunter a second chance.

Find out more in the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine article Shotgun Tips for Turkeys.

Military Double Rifle Pistol Cases *****Story & photos courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife*****