Just Over Halfway Through 2025 Spring Turkey Season, Hunters Register Over 31,000 Birds

Wednesday, May 14th, 2025 -- 8:01 AM

(Paul Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Slightly more than halfway through the 2025 Wisconsin spring wild turkey hunting season, hunters have registered 31,285 birds, about 7% fewer than the same time last year.

According to Paul Smith with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this year's total includes 26,962 birds taken during the first three regular hunting periods, 3,977 during the youth hunt, 324 during Learn To Hunt events and 22 "unknown" registrations, according to preliminary data from the Department of Natural Resources.

Broken down by management region, Zone 1 had 8,914 turkeys registered, followed by Zone 3 with 7,872, Zone 2 with 6,514, Zone 4 with 5,063, Zone 5 with 1,498, Zone 6 with 915 and Zone 7 with 509.

The DNR made 246,068 harvest authorizations available for the 2025 spring turkey season; 150,098 were awarded to hunters in a December drawing and the balance were offered for sale beginning in March.

Wisconsin has offered a spring turkey hunting season since 1983. It consists of a two-day youth hunt followed by six, seven-day spring hunting periods. This year the youth hunt was held April 12 and 13 and the first regular period opened April 16.

The final time period concludes May 27.

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