March 18, 2023 at 7:58 am staff writer

Rio Grande Wild Turkey Season Opens March 18

Tom Turkey in Texas wildflowers

Let’s talk turkey – forecast, skill builders, videos and more.

Spring Season Looks Good for Wild Turkey

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.

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.

Season Dates and Bag Limits

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.

What You Need to Know

Upland Game Bird Endorsement and hunting license are required.
All turkeys must be tagged immediately with a tag from your license – watch the short video How to Tag a Turkey.
All Eastern turkeys, and all wild turkeys harvested in Spring One-Gobbler counties, must be tagged and then reported online or with the free My Texas Hunt Harvest app.
Keep proof of sex on any harvested wild turkey.
In spring, it is illegal to take ANY hen in 1-bird bag limit counties, or to take non-bearded hens in the north and south zones.
It is illegal to hunt roosting turkeys by any means at any time.
All hunters born after Sept. 1, 1971 must have proof of Hunter Education. Access proof of your certificate with the Outdoor Annual app.

NEW for 2022-23:

Turkey season is closed east of IH-35 in Ellis County.
If you chose digital tagging this season, you must report your harvested wild turkey immediately upon take.

Falling for a Decoy

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.

Shotgun Tips for Turkeys

Hunter carrying turkey harvest on his back

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.

*****Story & photos courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife*****