MADISON — The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages hunters to invite friends and family members to join the hunt this spring turkey hunting season.

Turkey hunting in Wisconsin is a wildlife management success story. Once absent from the state, turkey populations are stable after increasing steadily for decades. Because of this, Wisconsin offers more than 245,000 spring turkey harvest authorizations in all seven time periods of the season, along with bonus harvest authorizations.

Hunting in Wisconsin provides a meaningful connection to wildlife and the outdoors. Many hunters enjoy that turkey hunting connects them directly to a food source. Spending a day in the woods during the season provides an excellent opportunity to view Wisconsin’s wildlife and understand and appreciate the hunters’ passion for pursuing the wild turkey. Taking a friend or family member along on your hunt, even if just to watch the process, is a great way to help get a new hunter interested in the sport.

Knowing turkey hunting techniques, season dates, regulations and safety standards can help foster safe practices while enjoying Wisconsin’s wild places this spring.

If you plan to introduce someone to hunting, urge the importance of completing a hunter safety education class. Early spring is the ideal time to find local courses. New hunters can also participate in the Learn to Hunt Turkey program, which includes classroom portions focused on safety, scouting and biology and ends with a one-on-one mentored hunt.

If a new hunter is not able to complete a hunter safety course before the season, the Mentored Hunting program allows novices to hunt within arm’s reach of a mentor. Mentors must be over the age of 18, hold a valid safety certificate or be exempt from needing one and have a valid hunting approval.

New hunters not participating in the DNR’s Mentored Hunting program will need to complete a hunter safety education class before heading to the field alone.

The DNR has a variety of resources for new and returning turkey hunters:

● Read about turkey hunting season dates, regulations and more at the DNR’s Turkey Hunting and Management webpage.

● Check out the Turkey Hunting Access Program.

● See what licenses are required for turkey hunting.

● Find out what remaining turkey harvest authorizations may be available for the 2024 spring turkey seasons.