GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR WILD TURKEY
License Requirements
Resident: A hunting license or proof of exemption.
In addition, all hunters must possess a turkey license for each bird to be hunted, unless otherwise exempt.
Nonresident: Nonresident annual hunting license (see page 5) or proof of exemption. In addition, all hunters must possess a turkey license for each bird to be hunted, unless otherwise exempt. Nonresident lifetime license holders are required to purchase a nonresident annual hunting license and turkey license(s). The nonresident 5-day hunting license is not valid for hunting turkey.
Jan. 1 - 15: All fall archery turkey hunters must possess a hunting license and fall turkey license for the current calendar year, unless exempt. Annual hunting and turkey licenses are valid from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 only.
Public Lands
Seasons on public lands may vary from statewide seasons. Consult public lands section.
Tom Turkey Definition
Any bearded turkey, regardless of sex.
Identification
Evidence of sex (one leg with foot) must remain on the bird until it has reached its final destination.
Beards on hens must remain intact and not removed from the turkey until the bird has reached its final destination.
Shooting Hours
One-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset.
Roost Shooting
Roost shooting is prohibited.
Decoys & Recorded Calls
Artificial decoys are permitted. Live decoys and recorded calls are prohibited.
Field Tagging
Upon harvesting a turkey, all hunters, including lifetime license holders, must immediately attach their name, license number, and date and time of harvest securely to the carcass. The attached item can be anything, as long as it contains the required information. This information must remain attached to the carcass until it is checked (where required) or reaches its final destination.
In addition, all annual license holders are required to complete the "Record of Game" section on the license form.
Checking
All turkeys taken east of I-35 must be checked at a hunter check station, with an authorized Department employee or online at wildlifedepartment.com within 24 hours of leaving the hunt area. Turkeys taken west of I-35 will not be checked.
Once checked, the turkey will be issued a carcass tag or an online confirmation number. This tag or number must remain with the carcass to its final destination or through processing and/or storage at commercial processing or storage facilities.
Baiting
Turkeys may not be hunted or taken within 100 yards of any bait. Baiting is the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain or other feed so as to constitute for such birds a lure, attraction or enticement, on or over any area where hunters are attempting to take them. The taking of turkey over standing crops, grain crops, properly shucked on the field where grown or grain found scattered solely as the result of normal agricultural operations is permitted.
Dates
Archery: Oct. 1, 2010 - Jan. 15, 2011.
Gun: Oct. 30 - Nov. 19, 2010.
Open Areas & Limits
Fall Season Limit: One (1) turkey, regardless of method of taking.
Archery: The limit is one (1) turkey of either-sex, statewide.
Gun - The following counties have a limit of one (1) tom turkey: Alfalfa, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cimarron, Cotton, Creek, Custer, Garfield, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Hughes, Jefferson, Kay, Kiowa, Love, Murray, Noble, Okfuskee, Pawnee, Seminole, Stephens, Texas and Washita.
Gun - The following counties have a limit of one (1) turkey of either-sex: Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Comanche, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Jackson, Kingfisher, Logan, Major, Osage, Payne, Roger Mills, Tillman, Woods and Woodward.
Gun - The following counties are open to shotgun hunting only and have a limit of one (1) tom turkey: Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Haskell, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Sequoyah, Wagoner and Washington.
Legal Means of Taking
Archery: Equipment described as legal for deer archery season.
Rifle: Centerfire rifles, .22 magnum rimfire, 5mm magnum rimfire and .17 HMR are legal. All other rimfire rifles are illegal.
Muzzleloader: Muzzleloader rifles and handguns of .36 caliber or larger are legal.
Shotgun: Conventional or muzzleloading, using shot no larger than BB (.180 in. dia.) are legal.
Handgun: Centerfire, .22 magnum rimfire, 5mm magnum rimfire and .17 HMR are legal. All other rimfire handguns are illegal.
Concurrent Seasons: Conventional handguns and rifles are not permitted for turkey hunting during the two-day period when fall turkey season and deer muzzleloader season overlap.
Hunter Orange
All fall turkey hunters must conspicuously wear either a head covering or an outer garment above the waistline, consisting of hunter orange while hunting during any antelope, bear, deer or elk firearms (muzzleloader or gun) season in any open hunting area (zone, county, or area.).
Dates & Open Areas
April 6 - May 6, 2011, statewide.
Season Limit
The season limit is three (3) tom turkeys. Hunters may take more than one (1) tom turkey per day, up to the season limit of three toms. However, no more than one (1) tom may be taken in any county with a one (1) tom season limit and no more than two (2) toms may be taken in any county with a two (2) tom season limit. No more than two (2) toms may be taken from the combined eight (8) southeast counties.
County Limits
The following counties have a season limit of one (1) tom turkey: Beaver, Bryan, Cimarron, Cleveland, Custer, Delaware, Garfield, Kiowa, Marshall, Mayes, Noble, Oklahoma, Ottawa, Rogers, Texas and Tulsa.
The following counties have a season limit of two (2) tom turkeys: Adair, Alfalfa, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cherokee, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Dewey, Ellis, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Haskell, Hughes, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Major, McClain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Pawnee, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Roger Mills, Seminole, Sequoyah, Stephens, Tillman, Wagoner, Washington, Washita, Woods and Woodward.
No more than two (2) toms may be taken from the combined eight (8) southeast counties of: Atoka, Choctaw, Coal, Latimer,
Le Flore, McCurtain, Pittsburg and Pushmataha. All eight southeast counties have a season limit of two (2) toms, except Choctaw has a one (1) tom limit.
Legal Means of Taking
Archery: Equipment described as legal for deer archery season.
Shotgun: Conventional or muzzleloading, using shot no larger than BB (.180 in. dia.) are legal.
Illegal Firearms: Rifles and handguns may not be used during the spring season.
updated June 18, 2010 12:28 PM