By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Hunters can expect an abundance of two- and three-year-old gobblers for the 2026 spring turkey season after three years of strong summer production, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

Wildlife experts noted another year of strong production and recruitment could lead to a temporary spillover of birds into areas where turkeys are not consistently found.

Gobblers are expected to spread out in search of hens, while hens look for suitable nesting cover. Young birds will also be moving across the landscape for new areas to occupy.

“For spring turkey hunters, two-year-old gobblers are probably the most fun birds to hunt,” said Jason Hardin, TPWD Wild Turkey Program leader. “They gobble readily and are not jaded by past turkey hunter efforts and near misses from previous seasons. The middle and later portions of the season usually have fewer hunters in the woods, and you never know when you will strike a tom in the mood to strut and gobble. Go early and go often.”

Drier conditions in the Rio Grande could slow the start of nesting season and increase competition from hens, which may make gobblers less responsive early on. Once rainfall and green grasses return, breeding activity should follow quickly. However, some gobblers are likely to be ready to breed before hens reach peak condition, creating early-season opportunities for hunters.

Nineteen counties offer a spring season from April 1-30. These counties include Bastrop, Brewster, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal, Fayette, Guadalupe, Hays, Hill, Jackson, Jeff Davis, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, McLennan, Pecos, Terrell, Travis and Wharton.

Turkey populations have historically been lower along the edges of the Rio Grande, resulting in a spring-only seasons. Hunters are limited to one gobbler per county. As in all Texas counties with an open turkey season, harvest reporting is required and must be reported within 24 hours through the Texas Hunt and Fish mobile app or online.

Twelve counties in East Texas—Bowie, Cass, Fannin, Grayson, Jasper, Lamar, Marion, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Red River and Sabine—will have a one-gobbler bag limit for the entire region and mandatory harvest reporting is required.

Hunters with a digital license have a digital tagging option. Hunters who chose to use the digital tagging option must report their wild turkey at the time of harvest. Rules and guidance associated with the new digital tagging option can be found on the TPWD website.

Data from these harvest reports will help TPWD better manage the wild turkey population.

“Thank you to all hunters who harvested a wild turkey and reported the bird through TPWD’s Texas Hunt & Fish App over the last few hunting seasons,” Hardin said. “TPWD keeps tabs on the state’s wild turkey population, and those populations are changing over time. With most of Texas being privately owned, TPWD relies on our turkey hunter citizen scientists to provide the data we need to track and manage wild turkeys.”

Spring 2026 turkey season dates
Youth Only
Rio Grande: North Zone — March 21-22; May 16-17

Rio Grande: South Zone — March 7-8; May 2-3

Spring Regular Season
North Zone — March 28 – May 10

South Zone — March 14 – April 26

Special One Turkey Bag Limit Counties — April 1-30

East Zone — April 22 – May 14

Visit the Outdoor Annual or TPWD’s website for more information on season dates and hunting regulations.