Arizona

California

Colorado

Idaho

Montana

New Mexico

Oregon

Utah

Washington

Wyoming

---

A deep dive into over-the-counter spring turkey opportunities in the West

As hunters, even if it’s not hunting season, we’re constantly thinking about gear, application strategies, and the next hunt. After a long winter, spring hunting opportunities are a welcome sight and are a great way to get outside, hone up on your skills and test some new gear. Not to mention that these can be awesome icebreakers for those who want to do their first out-of-state hunt. The hunts listed below are cheap and very attainable! Check out this deep dive into what over-the-counter (OTC) opportunities exist for spring turkey hunting in all of the western states.

Arizona offers hunting opportunities for Gould’s, Merriam’s and Rio Grande turkeys. Hunting opportunities for Rio Grandes and Gould’s are limited to draw licenses only in the spring, but there is an archery only OTC spring season available for Merriam’s. For 2024, this archery season is valid in Units 1, 4A, 4B, 6A, 12A, 23 and 27, and runs from May 10 to 23. Licenses can be purchased here. 

Arizona might not be a state that would be recommended to everyone due to its geographic location — basically, it is probably easier to kill birds closer to home for 95% of you reading this — however, Arizona offers a very unique opportunity to chase birds in different landscapes than many of us are used to. I’d even go as far as to say that this could be deemed a destination hunt of sorts.

California offers generous OTC tag opportunities for turkey through their general tag. With the general tag, hunters can hunt the general any legal weapon season as well as the archery only season that follows it. The bag limit is three birds for the season (all weapon types combined) or one bird per day. The general season dates are from March 30 to May 5 and the archery only dates run from May 6 to 19. License can be purchased here.

In general, California can be a great state to consider. Many hunters will find unfamiliar landscapes here that can be fun to explore and hunt. Additionally, with the general season starting nearly two weeks ahead of many other states, this could be a good one to include ahead of other hunts.

Colorado is a popular state among western hunters, but it also has a pile of opportunities for turkey hunters. The state offers a spring OTC license that is valid in many units across the state. The best part about this tag is that tag holders do not need to declare a unit. Instead, they can hunt any unit that is deemed OTC. This allows you to hunt from border to border in many instances. During this season hunters can use any legal weapon. For 2024, the season dates for this hunt will run from April 13 to May 31. Licenses can be purchased here. 

With Colorado being a state that is centrally located for many, this can be a great option to consider for an out-of-state hunt. There’s a good number of turkeys found here and they exist in many different terrain types for a fun hunt.

Idaho is another state that offers a lot of OTC opportunities when it comes to turkey. During the spring season, hunters can purchase any legal weapon OTC tags that allow hunting in any of the open units in the state. One very cool perk in Idaho is that during the spring season, you can purchase a second turkey tag and kill another bird. The spring season limit is two male turkeys, but hunters can kill three during a calendar year. The state does offer a handful of spring controlled hunts so hunters will need to be aware of the boundaries. For 2024, the spring OTC season runs from April 15 to May 25. Licenses and tags can be purchased here.

Idaho can be a great state to consider if traveling to the state is not horrible for you. The added benefit of being able to kill two birds can really add some value to the hunt. As a bonus, hunters could also toss in a spring bear tag and make a heck of a combo hunt. Populations are scattered in Idaho, but are generally really good wherever the birds are found.

Montana is a state that has a lot to offer for aturkey hunter. Merriam’s and Easterns are found in this state and bag limits are very generous. During the spring season, hunters can purchase up to five separate licenses that allow them to hunt and kill five different birds. Now, these tags are spread out across the state — and Montana is a huge state — however, if you wanted to do a big turkey trip, you could do it all in Montana. The spring 2024 season runs from April 15 to May 31 and tags can be purchased here.

As noted, Montana can be a great state to consider for a turkey hunt because you have access to a few species and a pile of tags. Additionally, Montana also offers a huge array of terrain types to choose from. As we mentioned with Idaho, this can also be a good chance to pick up a spring bear tag and make a great combo hunt!

New Mexico offers an OTC tag that is valid in a bunch of units across the state. The state allows hunters to purchase up to two tags in a season so this can also be a great chance to add some extra value to your should you make the trek this far south. The spring season runs from April 15 to May 15 and tags can be purchased here.

As with Arizona, New Mexico might not be a state that gets recommended often due to its geographical location. However, it is another unique opportunity in a unique landscape and you do have the opportunity to kill two birds. This could be a fun hunt to look at!

Oregon offers great OTC turkey hunting throughout the state and also allows hunters to take multiple birds. Spring OTC licenses are sold in an unlimited amount, but these are limited for the fall seasons. During the spring season, hunters can kill one bearded bird per day and up to three for the entire season. For 2024, the spring turkey season runs from April 15 to May 31 and tags can be purchased here.

If the driving distance isn’t too much to deal with this can be a great state to consider for a turkey trip. Oregon has a vast array of terrain types and generous bag limits, which can make for an enjoyable experience.

Utah is not commonly known as an OTC state, but it does have some opportunities for the spring turkey seasons. Hunters can purchase a spring general season permit that allows them to take one bearded turkey per year. This tag is good statewide. For the 2024 season, the spring general season will run from April 29 to May 31 and tags can be purchased here.

In all, there are some good opportunities to be had in Utah for those who are willing to work for it. With the later season dates and the one bird per year bag limit, you might find more value in other states, but Utah is a fun state to explore in general. This could be a great adventure type hunt.

Washington is a very approachable state for turkey and offers opportunities for Merriam’s, Rio Grandes and Eastern turkey species. Hunters can kill up to three birds with some restrictions each spring season, making this another great option for a multiple bird trip. The 2024 season runs from April 15 to May 31 and tags can be purchased here. 

Other than being located in the extreme northwest corner of the lower 48, Washington can be a great state for anyone to consider. Hunters can take multiple birds and multiple sub-species here each season. This would be a great option for anyone to take a look at.

Wyoming can be a great state to look at. The state offers limited numbers of general OTC licenses though the number of yearly purchases is generally far less than the allotted number of tags. The state offers good turkey populations and a bunch of different terrain types to chase them in. The state will only allow you to harvest one bird per spring season, but this could be a great add-on state if you were running a loop through other close states like Idaho, Montana or Utah. A tag can be purchased here.

This can be a great state to look at for a western trip — or even as an add-on for other western states in a single season. Good populations of birds can be found here along with good general public access in most units.

In conclusion

A spring turkey trip can be a great and inexpensive way to get your feet wet in western hunting or to add some extra fun to your spring months. Most states allow hunters to take multiple birds in a season, and tags are readily available. Travel times and distances can be a deciding factor for many, but when you are talking turkeys, that can be a very approachable situation where the hunter can easily fly to destinations. As an added perk, this can also be a great excuse to go scout a unit you have been looking at or plan to draw in the coming years for big game species. Just watch for ticks!