The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that spring is not the only time to hunt turkeys – a majority of counties are open for fall turkey hunting.
“A fall turkey hunt is a pretty unique experience,” said DNR upland game bird specialist Al Stewart. “It’s an entirely different feeling when you’re out in the fall. The leaves are changing, and even better yet, no mosquitoes.”
Sept. 15 – Nov. 14 marks the fall turkey hunting season in 59 of 83 counties. Turkey licenses still are available in Units J, HA and YY, with a large number of licenses still available in Unit YY, a multicounty, private-land-only unit in southern Michigan that includes Beaver Island.
“The fall season is used to manage turkey populations, so you can take a hen or a tom. You can even purchase one turkey license a day, until licenses are gone for that unit,” said Stewart. “With two full months of hunting, the fall turkey season offers many chances for a wild Michigan Thanksgiving turkey.”
Stewart added that turkey hunting is a challenging and interactive activity that can be fun for a group, or alone, while providing great local and organic protein for the table.
To hunt turkey, a base and a turkey license are needed. To learn more about turkey hunting, please visit mi.gov/turkey or see the Fall Turkey Digest, which is available online at mi.gov/dnrdigests.
