Turkey hunters in Wisconsin had a good spring season.
The DNR says hunters registered 47, 725 birds.
That’s 8.6% above the five year average.
This spring marks 50 years since wild turkeys were successfully reintroduced to Wisconsin.
The first statewide hunt took place in the spring of 1983.
Turkey numbers continue to remain stable and they are now found in all 72 counties of the state.
"The reintroduction of wild turkeys in this state has been a remarkable success. 2026 marks the 44th year we have been hunting turkeys," said Taylor Finger, DNR gamebird biologist.
"With mild winters and average to above average nesting and brood rearing conditions the last several years, Wisconsin’s turkey population is very healthy, and we continue to see stable harvest trends that indicate stable to increasing numbers across most of the state."
The 2026 statewide fall turkey hunting season will open Sept. 12 and run through Jan. 3rd.
The deadline to apply for next spring’s turkey season is Dec. 10.
Hunters can apply for harvest authorizations online through the Go Wild license portal. Any harvest authorizations not awarded in the December drawing will be available for purchase in March as a bonus harvest authorization.
Learn more about turkey hunting in Wisconsin on the DNR’s Turkey Hunting webpage.
