Spring hunting underway

By Sandy Morris

Spring turkey season opened last Saturday, April 3, but no successful weekend hunts were reported according to Shackelford County game warden Jacob Mort. 

“I’m really not seeing very many birds moving around in the county,” Mort said. “I’m expecting it to be an average to below average season, but it could still be early.”

Season Dates

The Texas Parks and Wildlife North Zone general Rio Grande spring turkey season runs through May 16. It will be followed by a spring youth-only weekend season on May 22-23 for licensed hunters 16 years of age and under. 

Hunting Rules

Turkey hunters are required to have an Upland Game Bird Endorsement along with a valid Texas hunting license. All turkeys must be tagged with a tag from the hunter’s license immediately upon kill, with the tag fastened in a secure manner.

Both turkey gobblers and bearded hens may be bagged during the spring season, with an annual bag limit of no more than four turkeys in the aggregate for all counties, no more than one of which may be an Eastern turkey.

Proof of sex of a harvest, such as a patch of skin with breast feathers and beard attached, needs to remain with the turkey until the bird reaches the processor’s permanent residence or a cold storage/processing facility and is finally processed.

A gobbler may also use one leg, including the spur as proof of sex.

Hunters should know that it is against the law to hunt roosting turkeys by any means at any time.

Hunters are required to report harvest of an Eastern turkey electronically to TPWD within 24 hours of harvest. 

Reports can be made through the TPWD “My Texas Hunt Harvest” app or online from the TPWD turkey page at www.tpwd.texas.gov/turkey. The app is available for free download from Google Play or the App Store. 

Hunters will be issued a confirmation number upon completion of the reporting process. 

Harvested turkeys may be field dressed, but must otherwise remain intact until reaching a final destination. Hunters have to tag harvested birds, even those reported electronically. 

The harvest reporting app can also be used as a tool for voluntarily reporting and tracking harvests of other resident game species, including Rio Grande turkey.