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Turkey Hunting Information
Wild
turkeys are prized gamebirds and have responded remarkably well to recent
restoration and management programs. They have shown considerable
adaptability to widely different habitat conditions, and, under responsible
management programs, can provide high quality hunting without detriment
to the overall population. Restoration efforts in Massachusetts have
been directed toward the ultimate goal of a huntable population - a
goal that was achieved in the spring of 1980 when the first Bay State
spring gobbler season opened. The hunt is by permit only so that hunter
density can be kept to an optimum low level - thus insuring a quality
hunting experience. With eleven counties (Wildlife
Management Zones 1-13) now open in spring, virtually all hunters
who apply are successful in getting a permit.
Permit applications are located on the duplicate certificate of over-the-counter licenses. Online license holders can go into the MassOutdoors site and apply online.
A safety sticker on your gun barrel is also required. If you need the
safety sticker, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to any MassWildlife
District office or the Westboro
Field Headquarters with your request. Several stickers are on one
sheet, but you only need one on the gun. The others can be used when
the first one falls off or give them to your hunting buddies.
Spring gobbler seasons are a challenging way to hunt these wary birds. Because toms can breed with several hens - and the season is timed to coincide with the period when the protected hens are already on their nests - gobblers can be taken without adversely affecting production. A well established turkey population can easily withstand a limited either-sex hunting season without adverse effects, however, and this is the case in western and central parts of the state where the first fall turkey season opened in 1990. Combined with the spring gobbler season, this either-sex fall season offers hunters greater opportunities to bag one of North America's premier game species. Spring or fall, turkey hunting requires a high degree of skill in imitating the calls of the birds to lure them within range. It is a challenge found in few other types of hunts, and with fewer than one in fifteen hunters being successful, the turkey is truly a bird of trophy status.
Turkeys are back in the Northeast, and they are here to stay thanks to the support of members of the National Wild Turkey Federation, sportsmen and other interested conservation minded citizens. Recently, the wild turkey was designated as the state's official game bird! Under careful management, the future looks bright for turkeys; sportsmen, naturalists and other wildlife enthusiasts welcome their return.