Michigan Turkey Digest 2023 (2024)

FAQs

Where is the best turkey hunting in Michigan? ›

The middle part of the Lower Peninsula has the best turkey numbers. Allegan, Jackson, Kent, Lapeer, Montcalm, Newaygo, Saginaw, St. Clair and Tuscola counties typically lead the turkey tally. Go here for more Realtree turkey hunting.

Turkey Season

It's $5 to apply for your permit which is from January 1 to February 1. There is a fall turkey hunt you can apply for and you do that from July 1 through August 1.

They look so alive because, well, at one time they were. Especially handsome is the 32-pound, state record turkey shot by Teresa K. Pietrowski in 2005.

Spring turkey drawing system

Hunters can apply for one spring turkey license. Successful applicants will be selected by a random drawing system.

Fairview is considered the wild turkey capital of Michigan.

Hunting eastern turkeys, especially in Georgia, can be some of the toughest hunting you will find. Finding land to chase birds in Georgia can be tough but with the amount of public land access and landowners willing to either lease turkey rights or trade out hunts for hunts in other states, it can be done.

Some of the rules have changed as well, such as the most recent which allows turkey hunters on private property to use shotguns from an elevated platform or tree-stand.

Firearms limited to shotguns

With limited exceptions for pistols carried with a concealed pistol license, hunters violate Michigan law by carrying any firearm other than a shotgun on a turkey hunt.

In Michigan, you may use No. 4, 5 or 6 shot for turkey hunting. Although you do not have to buy a turkey-specific shell, it helps.

Some believe the weight and size of large #4 pellets provides more killing power, while others feel because there are more pellets in a load of smaller #6 that more of those pellets will end up in a turkey's neck and head. A good compromise is #5 copper-plated lead pellets loaded in a 12-gauge 3-inch magnum shot shell.

What is the Michigan state record wild turkey? ›

Teresa Pietrowski of Petersburg, Mich., has bagged a record Michigan wild turkey weighing a whopping 32 pounds. "It's pretty overwhelming for my first time turkey hunting and my first turkey," said Pietrowski yesterday in the understatement of the week. "It's pretty incredible."

on average in the wild. 5 – 12 lbs. Males make a gobbling sound. Wild turkeys stay in Michigan year-round!

Turkeys are quite active in the early mornings so it's important to get close to a roost, but not too close when setting up to hunt.

PRIVATE LAND

Much of the land in Michigan is privately owned. Hunters can typically freely take game animals hunted on their own private property, or may seek permission from a landowner to hunt on private property.

The tail fan, and rear feathers make a perfect bullseye, and as long as this shot is centered, your bird should go down immediately. This shot will often take out the neck vertebrae as well if you get enough penetration. Another popular shot is right above the beard as the turkey is facing you.

Once a declining species in the United States, wild turkeys now thrive nationwide. In Michigan, turkeys can be found in most counties in the Lower Peninsula and in some parts of the Upper Peninsula. Wild turkeys are an important big game species in Michigan and can be hunted in the spring and fall.

When scouting for ideal turkey hunting land, search for rivers and waterways. Turkeys need water almost daily and can rarely be found far from a reliable water source. Also, a turkey habitat must have trees big enough to get them off the ground and out of reach for night roosting.

Michigan is a great state for hunting whitetail deer, with the best regions being located in the Upper Peninsula, Northern Lower Peninsula and Southern Lower Peninsula. The Southern Lower Peninsula is widely considered by hunters to be the best spot in the entire state when it comes to quality.

43524. (1) An individual shall not hunt wild turkey without a wild turkey hunting license. The fee for a resident wild turkey hunting license is $15.00.