JACKSON – It’s time for Mississippi turkey hunters to break out their calls and dust off their shotguns, because the 2016 spring gobbler season is just around the corner!
Turkey season opens on Tuesday, March 15 and ends May 1. For hunters age 15 and under, the youth season began a week earlier on March 8.
Bag limits for the spring season are one adult gobbler or one gobbler with at least a six inch beard per day, not to exceed three per spring season. Youth hunters 15 years of age and under may harvest one gobbler of choice per day, not to exceed three per spring season. Spring turkey season is closed in the following counties or parts thereof: Coahoma, Quitman, and Sunflower.
After a slow 2015 spring, expectations are better for the upcoming season. Observations of jakes (one-year-old gobblers) were plentiful throughout the state last year. Those birds will be legal for harvest this spring, and should provide action-packed mornings for Mississippi’s nearly 50,000 turkey hunters.     
Hunters that wish to hunt on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) should check the area-specific regulations before going afield, because season dates and bag limits on WMAs can differ from the statewide season structure. Hunters must purchase a WMA User Permit in addition to the required hunting license prior to hunting on any WMA.
For more information regarding wild turkeys in Mississippi and turkey hunting opportunities, visit us at www.mdwfp.com/turkey  or call at (601) 432-2199.