The restoration of the wild turkey in Alabama and across the nation is considered one of America’s greatest conservation success stories. The turkey population in the state was estimated to be as low as 10,000 in the early 1900s. These alarming conditions prompted Alabama’s conservation movement, which led to the restoration, protection, management and research efforts that ultimately helped revive wild turkey numbers to a level that provides excellent hunting opportunities today.
The wild turkey requires a diverse habitat which is provided by well managed woodlands interspersed with open areas. Proper habitat management for turkeys often includes prescribed burning, the creation of wildlife openings, periodic disking in fallow fields and timber harvest management.
Alabama has a fall season in a few counties, but the spring season is when most of the turkeys are harvested in the state. Alabama hunters enjoy one of the longest seasons in the country.
Hunters are allowed to harvest a total of four turkeys, gobblers only--one per day, during the combined fall and spring seasons. Decoys are allowed in the spring season only. No decoys the first 10 days of any spring season. Mechanical turkey decoys are illegal in Alabama.
Visit the Seasons and Bag Limits page for turkey season dates and zones.
License Requirements
To hunt Eastern wild turkey in Alabama, you must have the following:
- All Game Hunting License (unless exempt)
- Harvest Record (paper form or on the app)
- Wildlife Management License and map permit IF hunting on a WMA
- If you harvest a turkey, you have 48 hours to report it through Game Check
The Wild Turkey in Alabama by Steve and Victoria Barnett is a 106-page publication about the biology and behavior of the Eastern wild turkey in Alabama. Chapters include: Physical Characteristics; Behavior: Food Habits and Nutrition; Diseases, Parasites and Toxins; Predators; Population Dynamics; Population Management; Research and Surveys; Habitat Management; and Wild Turkey Management Guidelines for Landowners.
