2025 Fall Shotgun Season for Wild Turkey Opens on October 13

CONTACT:
Dan Ellingwood: (603) 352-9669
Andrew Timmins: (603) 271-2461
October 2, 2025

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG) reminds hunters that the Granite State’s 7-day fall turkey shotgun season opens on October 13 and runs through October 19, 2025. Eight of New Hampshire’s Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) are open for the fall shotgun season this year including D2, H1, H2, I1, J2, K, L, and M. Additionally, New Hampshire offers a statewide fall archery season for wild turkey from September 15 through December 15 in WMUs B through M (ends December 8 in WMU A).

“The fall turkey harvest is very dependent on turkey nesting success during the previous spring and the distribution and abundance of fall foods,” said Dan Ellingwood, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Turkey Program Supervisor. “Due to a rainy month of May, nesting success was slightly below average this summer, resulting in fewer young turkeys maturing into the fall population.”

Locating fall turkeys is largely dependent on fall foods. When hard mast crops such as acorns are limited, turkeys spend more time in fields where they are easier for hunters to locate. During years with abundant hard mast, turkeys spend much of their time feeding in secluded woodlands. “Preliminary assessment of this year’s hard mast crops indicates abundant acorns statewide and a strong beechnut crop in some areas,” said Ellingwood. “Preseason scouting will be particularly important this fall to maximize the probability of a successful hunt.”

A New Hampshire turkey license comes with two tags, allowing for the harvest of up to two turkeys per year; the fall season bag limit is one turkey of either sex.

Shooting hours for the fall season begin one-half hour before sunrise and end one-half hour after sunset. All NHFG rules and regulations associated with the state’s fall turkey season remain in effect, and hunters will continue to have the option of registering harvested birds either in person or online. Regardless of registration method, the tag that is issued with the hunter’s turkey license must be affixed to the bird and hunters must register their turkey within 24 hours of harvest.

Check Station Registration: New Hampshire Fish and Game works with many registration stations statewide to provide locations for hunters to register their birds. It is recommended that hunters contact their local registration stations to determine their hours of operation. For a list of registration locations in New Hampshire, visit www.wildlife.nh.gov/hunting-nh/check-stations-registration.

Online Registration: If birds are not registered in person, they must be registered online within 24 hours of take. To expedite online registration, hunters must have a reliable internet connection and the following information readily available:

• Hunting/turkey license information
• License plate number of the vehicle used while hunting
• Town and Wildlife Management Unit where the turkey was harvested
• Sex of the bird
• Age of the bird (adult vs. juvenile)
• Weight of the bird (to the nearest 1/4 pound)
• Beard length (to the nearest 1/4 inch)
• Spur lengths (to the nearest 1/16 inch)

Successful registration, whether in person or online, will result in the generation of a confirmation number which must be written on or kept with the hunter’s license. Harvest data collected through registration is a primary metric used by wildlife biologists to monitor trends in New Hampshire’s turkey population. To register turkeys online, and for tips on how to age, weigh, and measure birds, visit www.wildlife.nh.gov/hunting-nh/turkey-hunting-new-hampshire.

Fall is a popular time for many outdoor enthusiasts. Hunters must always be aware of other people sharing the outdoors and be absolutely sure of their target and what lies beyond.

To learn more about turkey hunting in New Hampshire, visit www.wildlife.nh.gov/hunting-nh/turkey-hunting-new-hampshire.

Wild turkey management is funded, in part, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Restoration Program.