Missouri spring turkey season runs April 20 – May 10, 2027, with a youth weekend April 11–12 and a fall firearms season October 1–31.
Missouri runs two turkey seasons each year: a heavily anticipated spring gobbler season and a quieter fall season. This guide lays out the missouri turkey season 2026 dates, bag limits, permits, and the calling tactics that turn a gobble on the roost into a bird in the field. Wondering when is turkey season in Missouri? The dates below cover both spring and fall.
Turkey hunting is a gear-light sport with a few things that matter a lot. Our turkey calls, turkey decoys, turkey vests, and choke tubes cover the short list.
Part of our full Missouri hunting seasons guide. See also deer, duck, teal, squirrel, rabbit, and gigging seasons. All dates follow Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) regulations; verify current rules at mdc.mo.gov before you hunt.
Missouri runs two turkey seasons with different dates, limits, and rules. Pick one to see its 2026–27 schedule and current status.
Spring shooting hours vary by land type (public vs private), so confirm yours on MDC. Fall archery turkey follows the deer archery dates in counties open to fall turkey hunting.
Quick answers for the most-searched missouri turkey season questions. Dates below are for 2026 and follow MDC regulations. Shooting hours and county-specific rules can change, so confirm the current numbers before opening morning. Last reviewed June 2026.
Here is the full missouri turkey season 2026 calendar in order, spring through fall:
The missouri spring turkey season is the headline event for Missouri turkey hunters. The regular season runs April 20 – May 10, 2027, opening the Monday after the youth weekend.
The season limit is 2 bearded turkeys; no more than 1 may be taken in the first week, and only 1 bird per day. That first-week restriction keeps pressure honest and rewards hunters who scout instead of racing the calendar. Spring is the most popular season, so scouting roost sites and strut zones starting in March pays off when birds get call-shy under pressure.
Shooting hours in spring vary between public and private land. Do not guess on this one. Confirm the exact hours for your land type on MDC before you head out.
Three weeks of hard hunting is easier in a vest that carries your calls and gives you a seat. Our turkey vests handle both jobs.
Missouri holds a dedicated spring youth turkey season on April 11–12, 2027, the weekend before the regular opener. It gives eligible young hunters first crack at unpressured, vocal gobblers and is one of the best on-ramps into spring turkey hunting.
Youth hunters should review current eligibility, supervision, and permit requirements on MDC, since these details are set by the agency and can change year to year.
Sitting still is the hardest part of turkey hunting for a new hunter. An enclosed setup from our ground blinds hides the fidgeting that a turkey's eyes pick up from a hundred yards.
The fall turkey season is the lower-key half of the year, but it overlaps prime deer time and suits hunters who like flexibility. The fall firearms turkey season runs October 1–31, 2026, with a limit of 2 turkeys of either sex, a notable difference from the bearded-only spring rule.
Fall archery turkey follows the deer archery dates in counties open to fall turkey hunting, so a bowhunter in the stand for whitetails can often fill a turkey tag on the same sit. Because fall turkey availability is set county by county, check whether your county is open before you hunt.
Hunting both in October? Our Missouri deer season guide covers the archery dates the fall turkey season rides on.
Spring hunters need a spring turkey hunting permit; fall hunters need a fall turkey hunting permit. These are separate permits for separate seasons, so make sure you are carrying the right one.
Hunter education is required for hunters born on or after January 1, 1967, unless they are hunting under the Apprentice Hunter Authorization. Permit prices, availability, and any landowner provisions are set by MDC, so confirm current requirements there before buying.
Calling is where turkey hunting earns its reputation. Most hunters carry a mix of mouth (diaphragm) calls for hands-free finishing, slate (pot) calls for soft, realistic yelps, and box calls for volume on windy mornings or to reach a distant gobbler. Carry more than one so you can switch voices if a tom hangs up.
Start scouting in March: locate roost sites by listening for gobbling at first and last light, then mark the strut zones where toms display once they fly down. Set up tight to the roost without bumping birds, use a hen or jake decoy to pull a hung-up gobbler that last 40 yards, and call sparingly, since pressured spring birds often respond better to less. The same patient approach carries into the fall season, where breaking up a flock and calling birds back is a classic tactic.
A pot call that will not take chalk is a dead call. Keep a conditioning stone and a lanyard from our call accessories in the vest, and pattern your gun with a turkey choke tube before opening morning rather than on a live bird.
The turkey kit, straight from the catalog:
When is turkey season in Missouri? Missouri has two turkey seasons. Spring turkey season runs April 20 – May 10, 2027, with a youth weekend April 11–12. Fall firearms turkey season runs October 1–31, 2026, and fall archery turkey follows the deer archery dates in counties open to fall turkey hunting.
Missouri spring turkey season runs April 20 – May 10, 2027, with a youth-only weekend April 11–12. The season limit is 2 bearded turkeys; no more than 1 may be taken in the first week, and only 1 bird may be taken per day.
Missouri fall firearms turkey season runs October 1–31, 2026, with a limit of 2 turkeys of either sex. Fall archery turkey follows the deer archery dates in counties open to fall turkey hunting.
In the spring season the limit is 2 bearded turkeys, with no more than 1 taken in the first week and only 1 bird per day. In the fall firearms season the limit is 2 turkeys of either sex. Always confirm current limits on MDC before you hunt.
Missouri's spring youth turkey season is April 11–12, 2027, the weekend before the regular spring season opens on April 20. It is open to eligible youth hunters and counts toward the spring season limit.
Yes. Spring hunters need a spring turkey hunting permit and fall hunters need a fall turkey hunting permit. Hunter education is required for hunters born on or after January 1, 1967, unless hunting under the Apprentice Hunter Authorization. Confirm current permit rules on MDC.
A spring setup comes down to calls, a decoy, a vest, and a way to stay hidden. Most hunters carry a mouth call, a slate or pot call, and a box call from our turkey calls so they can change a bird's mind when he hangs up. Add a hen or jake turkey decoy, a turkey vest with a built-in seat for long sits against a tree, and a turkey choke tube to tighten your pattern. Camo gloves and a headnet from our hats and gloves collection cover the hands and face a gobbler picks up first. A ground blind helps youth hunters and anyone who struggles to sit still, and a binocular saves you from bumping birds while scouting roost sites.
Knowing the dates is step one; finishing a hung-up gobbler is step two. Double D Hunting stocks the calls, decoys, vests, and blinds that put a long-spurred tom in range, for both the spring woods and the fall flock-bust.
Calling is the heart of spring turkey hunting, and no single call does it all. Browse our turkey calls for diaphragm (mouth) calls that keep your hands free when a gobbler closes the gap, slate and pot calls for soft, realistic yelps and purrs, and box calls for cutting through wind and reaching distant birds. Carrying all three lets you change a bird's mind when he hangs up just out of range.
Calls need upkeep. Conditioning stones, strikers, lanyards, and tuning kits live in our call accessories, and a chalked box beats a slick one every morning of the season.
A hen or jake from our turkey decoys can pull a strutting tom that last stubborn 40 yards into the open. Pair it with a low-profile setup from our ground blinds to hide movement from a turkey's famously sharp eyes, which is especially valuable for youth hunters and run-and-gun fall hunts where staying still is the hard part.
A good turkey vest is the piece most hunters underrate. It keeps four calls, your tags, and a drink within reach, and the built-in seat is what lets you sit out a stubborn bird instead of standing up and blowing the setup. For longer walks into public ground, our packs and bags carry the rest.
Bare hands and a pale face are what a gobbler picks up first. Camo gloves and a headnet from our hats and gloves collection cost less than a box call and save more setups.
Turkey loads pattern very differently through different chokes, and a tight, even pattern at 40 yards is what turns a shot into a bird. Our choke tubes include dedicated turkey chokes. Pattern your gun on paper before opening morning, not on a live gobbler.
Good glass shortens the scouting season. A quality binocular lets you confirm beards and spurs from a distance and watch fly-down behavior in strut zones without bumping birds. If you also chase deer and predators, our full optics range covers the rest of the calendar.
Missouri turkey season dates, bag limits, shooting hours, and county rules can change. This 2026 guide follows MDC regulations for reference only. Complete hunter education if required, then confirm current spring and fall turkey season dates, limits, permits, and which counties are open for fall turkey on the Missouri Department of Conservation website before you go.
Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Always consult official Missouri hunting rules and regulations before you hunt. Double D Hunting is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in season dates or regulations, and will not be held liable for any decisions made based on this information.