Published: October 20, 2006 12:40 pm      

Fall turkey hunting season approaching

Indiana’s fall turkey-hunting season runs from now through Oct. 22. Archery equipment can be used the entire season. Firearms will be allowed Oct. 18-22.

New this fall is the addition of all or portions of 13 counties to the fall turkey-hunting range for hunting with archery equipment. Counties open to fall turkey hunting with firearms remain the same as for last year’s season.

Spring turkey hunting licenses are not valid for fall turkey hunting. Hunters must have a resident or non-resident fall turkey license and a gamebird habitat stamp privilege, unless exempt from needing a license. Indiana comprehensive lifetime hunting or comprehensive youth hunting licenses may also be used to hunt fall wild turkey. Some farmland owners or active military personnel on leave are eligible for resident license exemptions.

Non-resident hunters from states that require an Indiana resident to purchase an additional license to hunt turkeys must also purchase an annual non-resident hunting license to hunt turkeys in Indiana. This means residents of the adjacent states of Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio need an annual non-resident hunting license, a non-resident fall turkey license and a gamebird habitat stamp privilege. Wisconsin and Michigan residents are OK with a non-resident fall turkey license and a gamebird habitat stamp privilege.

The fall turkey bag limit is one wild turkey of either sex per fall. Shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Hunters must immediately tag their turkey with a paper stating the hunter’s name, address, date of kill, and sex of bird. Turkeys must be taken to a check station within 48 hours. The tag issued by the check station must be affixed to the leg of the turkey through a section of skin or flesh until processing.

Some DNR properties with high hunter use or high spring hunter demand may limit fall turkey hunting. All other spring turkey hunting regulations, such as restrictions on shot sizes, legal weapons, baiting, dogs and electronic calls and decoys, will be in effect for the fall season.

Counties where bow hunting will be allowed are Bartholomew, Benton, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Dekalb, Dubois, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Fountain, Fulton, Gibson, Grant — west of Interstate 69, Greene, Harrison, Howard, Huntington — north of State Road 124 or west of Interstate 69, Jackson, Jasper — north of State Highway 114 or east of Interstate 65, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton — north of State Highway 114, Noble, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Porter, Posey, Pulaski, Putnam, Ripley, St. Joseph, Scott, Spencer, Starke, Steuben, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Union, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wayne, and White.

Counties where fall wild turkey hunting with a firearm will be allowed Oct. 18-2, 2006 are Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Dubois, Floyd, Franklin, Greene — east of the White River, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Perry, Pike, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, Switzerland, Warrick, and Washington.

Hunting licenses are available at most DNR property offices and sporting goods stores, or online at www.in.gov/dnr/indianaoutdoor.