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While fall turkey hunting can sometimes be deemed less exciting than hunting during the spring mating season, it can be a unique hunt to mix in with other fall adventures, a great opportunity to take someone new hunting, and a chance at procuring an excellent wild game holiday meal! Learn more in our fall turkey guide below.
Anyone born after 1961 is required to take a certified hunter education course prior to obtaining a hunting license (with a couple of exceptions).
A one time apprentice license is available to those who would like to try hunting prior to taking the hunter education course. If you have an apprentice license, you must be accompanied by a licensed adult when hunting. Note: An individual who was issued an apprentice hunter validation license in 2020-21 may receive another.
Hunter education courses are taught by volunteers and offered throughout the year (though most are held January - March).
Fall turkey licenses are distributed via a lottery in August/September each year (view current season dates and application deadlines). You may also want to review our Guide to Lotteries for more information on how this works.
To help guide your decision you can:
NOTE: Units which you have an increased likelihood of drawing may impact your decision of where to hunt and you may return back to Step 2 - Finding an Area to Hunt within this unit.
In addition to successfully drawing a fall wild turkey license in the lottery, you must also possess the following licenses:
Note: One key difference between the fall and spring turkey seasons is that it is legal to take any turkey in the fall (not just bearded turkey).
Firearms – Shotguns and archery equipment are legal to use while fall turkey hunting, but we recommend starting with a 20 or 12 gauge shotgun of any action with a modified or full choke.
Handguns and muzzle-loading long guns are also legal methods of take in the fall, but illegal in the spring.
Ammunition - Typical shotgun shot sizes used for turkeys are 4, 5, and 6. There are even some loads designed specifically for turkeys with extra weight or distance abilities. Note: you’ll need to use non-toxic shot if hunting on a USFWS Waterfowl Production Area or National Wildlife Refuge
Other gear:
Fall turkey hunting differs from the spring in that the birds are not mating. They may be in larger groups and are not very vocal so hunting strategies are different. It is also worth noting that it is legal to harvest any turkey in the fall vs. the bearded-only spring season.
Spot and Stalk - Drive, hike, or use binoculars to locate turkeys from a distance. Utilize landscape features (tree rows, topography, etc.) to quietly sneak *within shooting distance.
Sit and Wait – Observe turkeys over time and see if you can key in on movement patterns (e.g. between roost and feeding areas). Set up a ground blind or simply utilize a tree or shrubs to help camouflage yourself and wait for turkeys to walk by *within shooting distance.
Note: In late fall, turkeys often move to private lands in search of supplemental food sources (grains or grain bales). Landowners often have low tolerance for turkey flocks, so it is worthwhile to stop and ask permission if you see turkeys on private lands. In addition, the Department maintains lists of landowners who want fewer turkeys, so it’s beneficial to call to see if there are places in your hunting unit where hunting would be welcomed. In these situations (called depredation hunts), the success rate for sitting and waiting is very high.
Calling – In the fall, male turkeys are not mating and thereby gobbling so you cannot really count on calling one in. But, you could still utilize calling and decoys to add to your camouflage or draw birds into shooting range that are already passing through.
Additionally, people will sometimes intentionally flush a group of turkeys from a roosting area at which point the flock may call to re-locate each other and you can utilize a call to imitate this and hopefully bring one *within shooting distance.
*Shooting Distance: Typical turkey loads for shotguns are most lethal within 30-40 yards—you can get good at judging this distance by stepping off 30-40 large steps and looking back to see what that distance looks like.
Do you still have questions about hunting turkey in North Dakota?