Sub-species: Eastern
Tags: Over the counter
Application Period: n/a
Electronic or Print at Home Fulfillment: YES
Hunter Education Required: Yes
Bag Limit:
WMDs 7 and 9-29: 2 bearded turkeys
WMDs 1-6 and 8: 1 bearded turkey
Fall bag limits vary by WMD
2026 Spring Season Dates: May 4 – June 6
2025 Fall Season Dates: Sept 15 – Nov 7
Sept 13 youth only
Special Youth Hunt: May 2
Special Disabled Hunt: No
Decoys Allowed: Yes
Tagging Instructions: A person wild turkey in the spring must:
1. Remain with the animal until it is registered, (with some exceptions – see
Time Limits for Registering section). 2. Within 18 hours, present the animal for registration in that person’s name at the first open registration station for that animal on their route. 3. Leave the registration seal attached until the animal is processed and packaged for consumption. 4. Pay a fee of $2.00 to register a wild turkey.
Noteworthy Restrictions: It is illegal to possess any part or parts of a wild turkey unless each part is plainly labeled with the name and address of the person who registered the turkey, and the year it was registered. Hunting is prohibited on Sunday. It is illegal to engage in an organized drive or shoot a turkey while it is in a tree. Shotguns 10ga through 20 ga shooting shot sizes 4 through 7 as well as 10 ga through 28ga (including .410) shooting shot sizes #7 through #9 TSS. Not legal to buy, sell, offer for sale or barter, or aid someone in buying, selling, or offering for sale or barter, any wild turkey (except the plumage of legally taken turkeys).
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
207-287-8000
Licenses Needed to Hunt Turkeys
Accessing private land: there’s the law, and then there’s the unwritten rule.
Roughly 94% of Maine’s forest land is privately owned, and more than half of that land area is open to the public. In total, landowners voluntarily open up more than 10 million acres of working farms and forests.
This access is an incredible gift, and in order to preserve it, everyone who ventures outdoors needs to understand the contribution that landowners make.
Most private landowners are happy to allow outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing, on their land, as long as their property is treated with respect.
But it’s important to remember that the private land you use for recreation belongs to someone else, just as surely as your car or home belongs to you, and accessing it is a privilege, not a right.
The law – Unlike most other states, Maine operates under an implied permission structure, meaning that if land is not posted, it is legal to use the land.
The unwritten rule – Always ask permission. Hunting, fishing, or otherwise using private land without the owner’s permission is a careless move that puts everyone’s future access at risk.
When venturing into the Maine woods, follow the unwritten rule.
This site is dedicated to the wonderful passion of Spring turkey hunting. Our goal is to encourage you to “expand your season”, by “expanding your boundaries”. We hope that you find this information useful in planning your next hunt. The information in these pages has been compiled and interpreted to the best of our ability. Please consult local hunting regulations to be sure that you are in compliance with all hunting laws. ©Hunt49 2026