Youth Turkey Hunt Program

The program is open to minors 12 -17 years of age and includes a seminar and a mentored turkey hunt.

To participate, youth hunters must: 

• Graduate from a Basic Hunter Education course before the day of the hunt
• Complete a seminar before the day of the hunt
  (This only needs to be completed once; it is not necessary to repeat each year.) 
• Be accompanied by an adult mentor (18 or older) who holds a Massachusetts hunting license and turkey permit

All hunting laws apply. If you are 15 or older and wish to hunt with a shotgun, you must have a valid Massachusetts firearms license. To apply for a firearms license, contact your local police department.

To participate in the youth turkey hunt, new participants must be 12-17 years of age and fulfill the following:

1. Graduate from a Basic Hunter Education course before the day of the hunt
2. Obtain a firearms identification (FID) card
   (This step is only required if you will be 15-17 years of age on the day of the youth turkey hunt and wish to hunt with a shotgun.)
3. Complete the youth turkey seminar before the day of the hunt. You can choose to complete the online seminar or the in-person seminar.
   (Youth who have completed the seminar in prior years already meet this requirement.)
4. Find a mentor*. Mentors can be any adult licensed hunter (18 years of age or older). Only one minor per licensed adult is permitted.
5. Obtain the necessary license, permits, and authorizations through MassFishHunt.

*Note about mentors: If you do not have a mentor for the hunt, it is best to complete the in-person seminar where you will have an option to be paired with a mentor from a participating club. If you complete the online seminar, you will not have the option to be paired with a mentor.

All first-time participants must complete a youth turkey seminar. If you prefer the in-person option, skip to the section below.

The online course is closed for 2025 and will be opened again in 2026.The online seminar uses videos and written instruction. In addition to this seminar, you must go to a range to practice shooting. At the end of the seminar, you must affirm that you have reviewed all online instruction and practiced at a range. 

This seminar provides young hunters with specialized training and reinforces lessons from Basic Hunter Education. Instruction includes safety, calling, proper set-up, identifying your target and what’s beyond it, turkey biology, and turkey hunting regulations.

All first-time participants must complete a youth turkey seminar. If you prefer to complete the seminar online, see the section above.

This option allows hunters to participate in a day-long training offered at several locations. It provides specialized training and reinforces lessons from Basic Hunter Education. Instruction includes safety, calling, proper set-up, identifying your target and what’s beyond it, turkey biology, and turkey hunting regulations.

How to complete the In-person Massachusetts Youth Turkey Seminar

1. Register
   Several clubs offer in-person seminars. Seminars will be listed in February 2026. 
2. Complete the seminar
   A record of seminar completion will be sent to MassWildlife. Within 1 week, you will receive a confirmation email. Once you have received the email (and completed Basic Hunter Education) you can get your turkey permit/hunt eligibility. Get permit instructions.

If you have participated in the Youth Turkey Hunt in the past, you can go to MassFishHunt and get your Youth Turkey Permit or Youth Turkey Day Eligibility at any time before the day of the hunt. See instructions in the next section.

After completing either the online or in-person youth turkey seminar, along with Basic Hunter Education, a youth turkey authorization will be added to your customer profile in MassFishHunt. If you don't already have a customer profile, one will automatically be created for you. This will allow you to purchase either a Youth Turkey Permit (for ages 12–14) or Youth Turkey Day Eligibility (for ages 15–17). You must receive this special authorization in order to participate in the hunt. See below for detailed instructions on how to obtain your permit/authorization.

Instructions

Logging into MassFishHunt

Option 1: Linked accounts
The new MassFishHunt provides families with a convenient option to link and manage accounts under a single log in and payment method. This option works well for families who already have a MassFishHunt account or for youth hunters who don't have their own email address. Click here for step-by-step instructions to set up a linked account.

Note: When using linked accounts, you’ll be locating the minor’s profile that was created during seminar registration, so be sure to use the same first and last name and date of birth. If you do not find an account, call MassWildlife at (508) 389-6300 and DO NOT create a new profile.

Option 2: Claim an account
The MassFishHunt licensing system requires a unique email address for each customer. Youth hunters can claim their account with the same first and last name and date of birth that was used to register for the youth turkey seminar. Go to MassFishHunt and click on Sign Up to get started. If you do not find an account, call MassWildlife at (508) 389-6300 and DO NOT create a new profile.

Obtaining Your Permit/Eligibility 

Youth hunters ages 12-14 need a Youth Turkey Permit:

1. Once you are logged into MassFishHunt, go to Buy Licenses in the main menu. (Mobile users click on the 3 lines to access the main menu.)
2. Go to Hunting Permits & Stamps and add a Youth Turkey Permit to your cart. You will be prompted to enter your hunter education information if it is not already in the system.
3. Checkout and print.

Youth hunters ages 15-17 need a Minor Hunting License, a Turkey Permit, and a Youth Turkey Hunt Eligibility:

1. Once you are logged into MassFishHunt, go to Buy Licenses in the main menu. (Mobile users click on the 3 lines to access the main menu.)
2. Add a Hunting License to your cart. Parent or guardian authorization is required for this step.
3. Add a turkey permit to your cart.
4. Go to Hunting Permits & Stamps and add a Youth Turkey Hunt Eligibility to your cart. You will be prompted to enter your hunter education information if it is not already in the system.
5. Checkout and print.

Mentors can be any adult licensed hunter (18 or older). Only one minor per licensed adult is permitted. Mentors must have the following to participate on the Youth Turkey Hunt day:

• Massachusetts hunting or sporting license
• turkey permit
• If mentoring a minor 12-14 years of age hunting with a shotgun, the adult must have a firearms license

If you have questions, please contact MassWildlife (508) 389-6300 or email mass.wildlife@mass.gov.

Please mention that you need help with the Youth Turkey Program when calling or emailing.