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 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 beginning on page 44.

Tom Turkey Definition

Any bearded turkey, regardless of sex.

Identification

Evidence of sex [one (1) 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 and hunting license number securely to the carcass. The attached item can be anything, as long as it contains the hunter’s name and license number. 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 the nearest open hunter check station, with an authorized Department employee or online at wildlifedepartment.com. Turkeys taken west of I-35 will not be checked.

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, 2009 - Jan. 15, 2010.

Gun: Oct. 31 - Nov. 20, 2009.

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.).

See Youth Hunting Seasons on page 17.

Dates & Open Areas

April 6 - May 6, 2010, 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.

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.