Special youth wild turkey hunting season sign-ups available

Youth hunters (under age 18 on the day of the hunt) may apply for reserved turkey hunts during the special youth wild turkey hunting season on DNR properties from Monday, March 18 through Thursday, March 28.

The 2024 youth turkey season is April 20-21. In order to provide quality hunts for participants, a limit will be placed on the number of youth hunters allowed to hunt a respective property on each hunting day. Interested hunters or an adult representing them must register in person or by phone during the normal office hours for the property they wish to hunt. Hunters are allowed to register for only one property.

Participating Fish & Wildlife areas include Atterbury, Chinook, Crosley, Deer Creek, Fairbanks Landing, Glendale, Goose Pond, Hillenbrand, Hovey Lake, Jasper-Pulaski, Kingsbury, LaSalle, Pigeon River, J. E. Roush Lake, Sugar Ridge, Tri-County, Wabashiki, Willow Slough and Winamac. Two reservoir properties, Mississinewa and Salamonie lakes, will also take part in the hunts.

Those wanting to sign up for the Chinook or Wabashiki hunts may register at Deer Creek FWA. Those wanting to sign up for Fairbanks Landing or Hillenbrand hunts may do so at Goose Pond FWA.

A drawing will be held on Monday, April 1 at properties where the number of registered hunters exceeds the spots available. A youth hunter may be drawn for either or both hunt days, depending on the number of applicants. All applicants will be notified of drawing results by mail.

Applicants must possess a 2024 Youth Consolidated Hunting & Trapping License, a 2024 Nonresident Youth Spring Turkey License with a game bird habitat stamp privilege, or Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting License. Apprentice hunting licenses of the types named above also may be used.
Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon at properties in the Central Time Zone, and one-half hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. on properties in the Eastern Time Zone.

Youth hunters who are selected for the hunt may check in at any time each day until the end of legal hunting hours for that property. Properties will not have a daily "no-show" drawing. Hunters interested in possible unfilled quotas at a property should call that property for more information before showing up.

Youth hunters can harvest one bearded or male wild turkey. The youth must be accompanied by someone 18 or older.

The youth hunter may use any legal shotgun, bow and arrow or crossbow. The adult accompanying the youth hunter must not possess a firearm, bow and arrow or crossbow while in the field. The accompanying adult must be licensed if they are assisting by calling or if the youth is using an apprentice license.

To register a youth for one of the hunts, the following information is needed:

Hunter's name
Type of license and license number
Date(s) in which applying
Mailing address
Phone number
Parent or guardian’s name, address, & phone number

For property contact information, visit on.IN.gov/dfwproperties. To purchase a license, visit on.IN.gov/inhuntfish.