Wild Turkey Season Set to Begin in Connecticut Forests

STAFFORD, CT — The Springtime wild turkey hunting season is set to begin in the forested areas of north central Connecticut and around the state.

The 2018 season runs from April 25 through May 26, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Spring Turkey Junior Hunter Training Days have been slated for both state and private lands from April 14 through April 21 (excluding Sunday, April 15). On the designated days, licensed junior hunters (12 to 15) may hunt turkeys when accompanied by a licensed adult hunter 18 or older. The adult must remain within "physical contact and in a position to provide direct supervision and instruction," DEEP officials said.

Training days provide junior hunters with a change to learn "safe and effective hunting practices from experienced hunters," DEEP officials said.

“In addition to longer and warmer days, spring brings a special treat for many Connecticut hunters – turkey hunting. Our mixed hardwood forests and adjacent agricultural lands offer ideal habitat and plentiful forage, which in combination provide for some of the finest turkey hunting in New England,” said Michael Gregonis, a wild turkey program biologist for the DEEP's Wildlife Division.

During the 2018 spring season, two bearded turkeys may be taken on state land and three on private land, DEEP officials said. Hunting is permitted from a half-hour before sunrise until noon each day, DEEP officials said.

This year will mark the 38th consecutive year that hunters have sought turkeys in Connecticut. According to the DEEP, "healthy and numerous wild turkey populations exist throughout the majority of Connecticut’s woodlands."

During the 2017 spring turkey season, hunters took 1,584 bearded turkeys.

The DEEP has posted several recommended safety precautions for spring turkey hunting:

• Become familiar with two or more areas to hunt, so if someone is already hunting in one of those areas, you can move to another site.
• If another hunter is encountered in the woods, remain still and speak in a loud clear voice to announce your presence.
• Eliminate the colors red, white, and blue from your hunting outfit. These colors are associated with a turkey’s head and could be mistaken as a turkey.
• Hunters must be sure of their target and what is beyond it, prior to taking a shot.

“Spring turkey hunting requires preparation, patience, and persistence to help maintain a safe hunting experience and the opportunity to harvest a gobbler,” Gregonis said. “Scouting, calling, and hunting techniques unique to this effort can be learned by attending seminars, reading articles, watching videos, and talking with experienced turkey hunters.”

Photo Credit: Paul Fusco/DEEP Wildlife Division