2009 Texas Spring Turkey Season Begins in Mid-March
The annual spring turkey season in Texas is set to begin March 21 with the south zone opener. The North Zone will follow on April 4th and will run through May 17th. Across the state, spring turkey hunting is a welcome “out of season” distraction for many hunters. A traditional turkey hunt offers the best of all elements in hunting including decoying, calling skills, patience and the potential for a climactic ending. Once a hunter has been part of a successful hunt, it usually hooks them for life. For a list of Turkey hunting leases, please see our lease listings here.
Turkey populations today are arguably the best in a century. Recent studies have shown that efforts to restock turkey populations in Texas have been successful. Today’s populations are a far cry from the turn of the century when their populations were almost exterminated. In their book “Learn About Turkey“, Robert L. Cook and Horace G. Gore point out that it was not until 1897 that anything was done to protect these birds by outlawing trapping for five months during the year. They go on to say that it was not until 1919 that the legislature created a bag limit of three bearded gobblers per season.
Today, turkey bag limits vary from county to county. But, no matter where you hunt, some basic rules apply. You can never shoot a roost. You must immediately tag your bird after harvesting. And, if you are in East Texas, you must check your kill in at one of these turkey check stations within 24 hours. This year’s seasons are as follows:
Rio Grande Turkey
| Spring Season | |
| North Zone (101 counties) | April 4 – May 17, 2009 |
| * Special Youth Season | March 28-29 May 23-24 |
| South Zone (54 counties) | March 21 – May 3, 2009 |
| * Special Youth Season | March 14-15 May 9-10 |
| 1 – Turkey Bag Limit (8 counties) | April 1 – 30, 2009 |
| * No Special Youth Season | |
Eastern Turkey – East Texas (43 Counties) is April 1st through 30th.
For more information regarding turkey hunting and techniques, you can go to the National Wild Turkey Federation website and read more.
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