Authority: IC 14-10-2-4; IC 14-22-2-6

Affected: IC 14-22-11; IC 14-22-12; IC 35-47

[NOTE: 312 IAC 9-4-11 was superseded by Interim Final Rule LSA #24-225 20240828-IR-312240225IFA. This document expires August 21, 2025.]

Sec. 11. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c), an individual may hunt wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in the spring beginning the first Wednesday after April 20 and ending after an additional eighteen (18) consecutive days. On property managed by the division of fish and wildlife, an individual may hunt wild turkeys under this subsection only until noon (central time) or 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time).

(b) An individual may hunt wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) during the fall as follows:

1. (1) With firearms beginning the first Wednesday after October 14 and ending after an additional eleven (11) consecutive days in the following counties only:

   1. (A) Bartholomew.
   2. (B) Brown.
   3. (C) Clark.
   4. (D) Clay
   5. (E) Crawford.
   6. (F) Daviess.
   7. (G) Dearborn.
   8. (H) DeKalb.
   9. (I) Dubois.
   10. (J) Elkhart.
   11. (K) Fayette.
   12. (L) Floyd.
   13. (M) Fountain.
   14. (N) Franklin.
   15. (O) Gibson.
   16. (P) Greene.
   17. (Q) Harrison.
   18. (R) Jackson.
   19. (S) Jefferson.
   20. (T) Jennings.
   21. (U) Knox.
   22. (V) Kosciusko.
   23. (W) LaGrange.
   24. (X) LaPorte.
   25. (Y) Lawrence.
   26. (Z) Marshall.
   27. (AA) Martin.
   28. (BB) Monroe.
   29. (CC) Morgan.
   30. (DD) Noble.
   31. (EE) Ohio.
   32. (FF) Orange.
   33. (GG) Owen.
   34. (HH) Parke.
   35. (II) Perry.
   36. (JJ) Pike.
   37. (KK) Posey.
   38. (LL) Putnam.
   39. (MM) Ripley.
   40. (NN) Scott.
   41. (OO) Spencer.
   42. (PP) St. Joseph.
   43. (QQ) Starke.
   44. (RR) Steuben.
   45. (SS) Sullivan.
   46. (TT) Switzerland.
   47. (UU) Union.
   48. (VV) Vanderburgh.
   49. (WW) Vermillion.
   50. (XX) Vigo.
   51. (YY) Warren.
   52. (ZZ) Warrick.
   53. (AAA) Washington.

2. (2) With a bow and arrows beginning:

   1. (A) October 1 to the end of the fall turkey season with firearms as established in subdivision (1); and
   2. (B) the first Saturday after the closing day of deer firearms season as established in 312 IAC 9-3-4 and ending the first Sunday in January.

(c) The spring and fall seasons for hunting and possessing wild turkeys on Camp Atterbury are determined by the director on an annual basis to prevent interference with military training exercises.

(d) An individual may take one (1):

1. (1) bearded or male wild turkey during the spring season; and
2. (2) wild turkey of either sex during the fall season.

(e) An individual must not do the following:

1. (1) Hunt wild turkeys except between one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise and sunset.

2. (2) Take a wild turkey except by using any of the following:

   1. (A) A shotgun or muzzleloading shotgun with a barrel length of at least 18 inches (forty-six (46) cm):

      1. (i) of 28, 20, 16, 12, and 10 gauge; or
      2. (ii) .410 caliber;
   2. loaded only with shot of size 4, 5, 6, 7, 7 1/2, or smaller. Shot size smaller than size 7 1/2 must be comprised of tungsten super shot or equivalent pellet density only. Shot sizes of equal or greater diameter than six (6) shot (diameter equal to eleven-hundredths (0.11) inch) up through and including four (4) shot (diameter equal to thirteen-hundredths (0.13) inch) must have a density composition equal to or less than fifteen (15) grams per cubic centimeter.

   3. (B) A bow and arrows, including crossbows as defined in 312 IAC 9-1-5.3, with the following restrictions:

      1. (i) An individual must not use a:

         1. (AA) long bow; or
         2. (BB) compound bow;
      2. of less than thirty-five (35) pounds pull.
      3. (ii) Arrows must be equipped with metal or metal-edged, flint, chert, or obsidian napped broadheads.

      4. (iii) An individual shall not use:

         1. (AA) a crossbow of less than one hundred twenty-five (125) pounds pull;
         2. (BB) a crossbow without a mechanical safety; or
         3. (CC) a poisoned or an explosive arrow.

      5. (iv) No part of a bow's riser (handle) or:

         1. (AA) track;
         2. (BB) trough;
         3. (CC) channel;
         4. (DD) arrow rest; or
         5. (EE) other device;
      6. that attaches to the bow's riser may contact, support, or guide the arrow from a point rearward of the bow's brace height.
3. (3) Hunt wild turkeys in the fall season that takes place during the deer muzzleloader season as established in 312 IAC 9-3-4 unless that individual wears hunter orange.
4. (4) Call wild turkeys for another individual unless licensed under subsection (j) or (k). The individual who calls the wild turkey may have already harvested a wild turkey.

(f) The special youth season for hunting wild turkeys under this subsection is two (2) consecutive days beginning the Saturday immediately before the beginning of the spring turkey season established in subsection (a). A youth who hunts a wild turkey under this section must be accompanied by an adult at least eighteen (18) years of age. An adult accompanying a youth hunter must not possess a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow while in the field. The seasonal limit for hunting wild turkeys under this subsection is one (1) bearded or male wild turkey. A youth hunter who takes a wild turkey under this subsection must not take another wild turkey during the spring turkey season in the same year.

(g) An individual must not use or possess:

1. (1) a dog;
2. (2) another domesticated animal;
3. (3) a live decoy;
4. (4) a recorded call;
5. (5) an electronically powered or controlled decoy; or
6. (6) bait;

while hunting a wild turkey. An area is considered baited for ten (10) days after the removal of the bait, but an area is not considered to be baited that is attractive to wild turkeys resulting from normal agricultural practices.

(h) An individual may possess a handgun while hunting wild turkeys under IC 35-47.

(i) Except as provided under IC 14-22-11-1 and IC 14-22-11-11, an individual must not hunt:

1. (1) wild turkeys unless possessing a completed and signed license bearing the individual's name; or
2. (2) with a wild turkey license issued to another individual.

(j) An individual may take a wild turkey during the spring season established under subsection (a) only if:

1. (1) issued a license to hunt wild turkeys with:

   1. (A) a resident youth consolidated hunting license under IC 14-22-11-10(b);
   2. (B) a resident spring turkey license under IC 14-22-11-10(a) or IC 14-22-12-1(a)(20);
   3. (C) a nonresident spring turkey license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(21);
   4. (D) a resident youth consolidated hunting license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(24);
   5. (E) a nonresident youth spring turkey license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(27);
   6. (F) a lifetime comprehensive hunting license under IC 14-22-12-7(a)(4) before its repeal;
   7. (G) a lifetime comprehensive hunting and fishing license under IC 14-22-12-7(a)(5) before its repeal; or
   8. (H) an apprentice spring turkey hunting license under IC 14-22-12-1.7; or
2. (2) hunting under IC 14-22-11-1.

(k) An individual may take a wild turkey during the fall season established under subsection (b) only if:

1. (1) issued a license to hunt wild turkeys with:

   1. (A) a resident youth consolidated hunting license under IC 14-22-11-10(b);
   2. (B) a resident fall turkey license under IC 14-22-11-10(a) or IC 14-22-12-1(a)(22);
   3. (C) a nonresident fall turkey license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(23);
   4. (D) a resident youth consolidated hunting license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(24);
   5. (E) a nonresident youth fall turkey license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(28);
   6. (F) a lifetime comprehensive hunting license under IC 14-22-12-7(a)(4) before its repeal;
   7. (G) a lifetime comprehensive hunting and fishing license under IC 14-22-12-7(a)(5) before its repeal; or
   8. (H) an apprentice fall turkey hunting license under IC 14-22-12-1.7; or
2. (2) hunting under IC 14-22-11-1.

(l) Immediately after taking a wild turkey, an individual shall attach a piece of paper to a leg of the turkey directly above the spur stating the following:

1. (1) The name and address of the individual who took the turkey.
2. (2) The number of the hunting license issued to the individual who took the turkey, if applicable.
3. (3) The date the wild turkey was taken.
4. (4) The sex of the wild turkey taken.

(m) An individual who takes a wild turkey shall do one (1) of the following:

1. (1) Ensure the wild turkey is delivered to an official turkey checking station within forty-eight (48) hours of taking as follows:

   1. (A) Register the wild turkey in the name of the individual who took the wild turkey.
   2. (B) Provide the check station with true and accurate information that includes the information on the piece of paper described in subsection (l).
   3. (C) Record the confirmation number provided by the department's electronic harvest reporting system on the piece of paper described in subsection (l).
2. (2) Ensure the take is reported by providing true and accurate information required on the department's electronic harvest reporting system within forty-eight (48) hours of taking. The individual who took the wild turkey or the individual reporting the take shall record the department's electronic harvest confirmation number on the piece of paper described in subsection (l). This confirmation number must be maintained with the turkey until processing of the turkey begins.

(n) The department's electronic harvest confirmation number must be maintained with a wild turkey gifted to another individual until processing of the wild turkey begins.

(o) The official wild turkey checking station operator shall accurately report the taking of a wild turkey on the department's electronic harvest reporting system and give the individual the confirmation number.

(p) The feathers and beard of a wild turkey must remain attached while the wild turkey is in transit from the site where taken.

(q) As used in this section, "bait" means to:

1. (1) place;
2. (2) expose;
3. (3) deposit;
4. (4) distribute; or
5. (5) scatter;

grain, salt, or other feed to lure, attract, or entice a wild turkey to an area where an individual may take the wild turkey.

(Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 9-4-11; filed May 12, 1997, 10:00 a.m.: 20 IR 2710; filed May 28, 1998, 5:14 p.m.: 21 IR 3715; filed Dec 26, 2001, 2:40 p.m.: 25 IR 1533; readopted filed Jul 28, 2003, 12:00 p.m.: 27 IR 286; filed Sep 23, 2004, 3:00 p.m.: 28 IR 541; filed May 25, 2005, 10:15 a.m.: 28 IR 2946; filed Jun 23, 2006, 2:24 p.m.: 20060719-IR-312050214FRA; filed Jan 8, 2007, 9:11 a.m.: 20070207-IR-312060193FRA; filed Sep 6, 2007, 12:20 p.m.: 20071003-IR-312070023FRA; readopted filed Nov 24, 2008, 11:08 a.m.: 20081210-IR-312080672RFA; filed Apr 3, 2009, 1:48 p.m.: 20090429-IR-312080740FRA; filed Mar 12, 2010, 1:28 p.m.: 20100407-IR-312090479FRA; filed Aug 27, 2010, 10:52 a.m.: 20100922-IR-312090984FRA; filed Dec 18, 2012, 2:00 p.m.: 20130116-IR-312120115FRA; readopted filed May 20, 2014, 9:43 a.m.: 20140618-IR-312140017RFA; filed Jun 15, 2015, 3:43 p.m.: 20150715-IR-312140453FRA; filed Jun 21, 2018, 1:45 p.m.: 20180718-IR-312170436FRA; readopted filed Sep 18, 2019, 1:16 p.m.: 20191016-IR-312190325RFA; filed May 11, 2021, 1:07 p.m.: 20210609-IR-312200602FRA; filed Dec 12, 2024, 2:17 p.m.: 20250108-IR-312240049FRA)