Spring Turkey Season Prep
Hunters are practicing turkey calls ahead of season openers while Alli and Adriana tested calls on an Illinois spring turkey hunt airing Saturdays on Sportsman Channel. The Iowa Deer Classic also featured debates over deer leasing revenue as hunters gear up for spring seasons.
In Illinois, hunters are navigating a lottery system for spring turkey permits, with the third lottery running from January 23 to February 9, 2026. Any remaining county-specific permits will be available over-the-counter starting March 10, 2026. The state is divided into North and South zones, with staggered season start dates beginning April 6 in the South and April 13 in the North. Iowa's 2026 spring turkey season is structured across four separate periods for gun and bow hunters, starting April 13-16 and concluding with a final season from April 29 to May 17. A youth-only season for residents will take place from April 10-12, and a resident-only archery season runs from April 13 to May 17. Non-resident hunters must apply for tags in a draw that runs from January 1st to the 25th. Neighboring Missouri has set its regular spring turkey season from April 20 to May 10, 2026, with a youth portion on April 11-12. A notable regulation change for 2026 affects non-residents, who are now limited to harvesting only one turkey during the combined youth and regular spring seasons. Regulation adjustments are a common theme for the 2026 seasons. In Florida, new rules restrict non-resident hunters from hunting during the first nine days of the season in certain wildlife management areas. Similarly, South Dakota has capped the number of non-resident licenses for the popular Black Hills unit for the first time. Nationally, the spring turkey season follows the advance of spring from south to north. The earliest seasons kicked off in Florida and Mississippi in early March. States in the Northeast, such as Pennsylvania and New York, have later openers in May, with Pennsylvania's season running from May 2 to May 30. For hunters in Illinois, specific rules apply to the use of turkey calls. It is illegal to use a call that imitates a turkey in the field from March 15 until the day before the first season in the Southern Zone, and from March 22 in the Northern Zone. This restriction does not apply to youth hunters during their designated season.
