Kentucky’s spring turkey season starts Saturday and continues through Sunday, May 7th and hunters should expect a good number of 2-year-old male birds based on surveys conducted recently by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Hunters are not required to wear hunter orange clothing during the spring turkey season. However, wearing an article of hunter orange clothing while going to and from a setup location or while carrying a harvested turkey is a simple and effective way to help prevent hunting accidents that can occur when a hunter is mistaken for game.
Unless license exempt, hunters in the field must carry a spring turkey hunting permit and an annual hunting license.
Hunters can purchase or view licenses and permits through the department’s MyProfile online portal.
Hunters who harvest a turkey must report the harvest using the department’s “Telecheck” big game check-in system, which can be done online or via telephone at 800-245-4263. Telecheck helps ensure lawful harvests and records important biological data for monitoring harvest trends.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife maintains a “Learn to Hunt Turkey” page on its website designed to help newcomers to turkey hunting.
Kentucky’s statewide spring harvest limit is two legal turkeys. A legal turkey is defined as a wild turkey that is male or has a visible beard.