North Carolina

Sub-species: Eastern

Tags: Over the counter plus some limited public land draw opportunities

Application Period: March 1 deadline

Electronic or Print at Home Fulfillment: YES with some exceptions

Hunter Education Required: Yes if age 16 or older

Bag Limit: 2 bearded turkeys, only one per day

2026 Spring Season Dates: April 11 – May 9

Special Youth Hunt: April 4-5, limit one

Special Disabled Hunt: Some by special permit

Decoys Allowed: Yes

Tagging Instructions: Hunters shall carry a valid big Game Harvest Report Card with them while hunting wild turkey. Upon harvesting a turkey, and before moving the animal from the site of kill, the hunter must validate the Big Game Harvest Report Card by cutting or punching out the corresponding day and month the harvest occurred. The successful hunter must also register any harvested wild turkey BEFORE any of the following occur:

• The animal is skinned or dismembered;
• The animal is left unattended by the successful hunter;
• The animal is placed in the possession of another person; or
• 12 p.m. (noon) the day following the harvest.

Big game harvests may be registered by calling 800-I-GOT-ONE (800-446-8663), by clicking the “Report a Big Game Harvest” link located on the NCWRC home page (ncwildlife.org/IGotOne), or by reporting the harvest to a participating wildlife service agent location. Turkeys may be field dressed before being registered but the hunter may not mutilate the carcass in a manner that obscures the species, age or sex.  When a success­ful hunter registers a big game harvest, the hunter will be issued an authorization number for the animal. The hunter shall then record the authorization number in the space provided on the Big Game Harvest Report Card. This record shall thereafter constitute the authorization for continued possession of the carcass.

Noteworthy Restrictions:

Under new law, public land managers, including the Commission, may authorize hunting on Sundays with a firearm on the public lands for which they have jurisdiction. If public land managers allow Sunday hunting on their lands, hunters still are prohibited from hunting with a firearm between 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and from hunting within 500 yards of a place of worship.  Sunday hunting on the Commission’s game lands remains prohibited. Approximately 1.5 million acres of approximately 2 million acres enrolled in the Commission game land program are owned by corporate and federal partners. The Commission will implement a collaborative and inclusive process of evaluating options and opportunities to hunt on Sundays with a firearm on its game lands after carefully considering landowner and user-group perspectives.  It is illegal to knowingly take wild turkeys from within 300 yards of any place in which bait has been placed. (An area is considered baited until 10 days after the bait has been consumed or otherwise removed.)

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

888-248-6834

Purchase License Online

Licenses Needed to Hunt Turkeys