Turkey - General Regulations
2011-2012 Hunting Regulations

Field Tagging, Checking and Transporting | Common Violations

Resident and Nonresident Turkey Hunting License Privileges

Three wild turkey may be taken by hunters who possess one of the following valid base licenses or license combinations: resident license (Class X, XJ, XS {beginning January 1, 2012}, AB-L, A-L, Classes A+CS+BG); or a free license (Military, Disabled Veteran, former POW, Class DT or Senior Citizen); or nonresident license (Classes E+CS/LE+WW, Classes XXJ+CS/LE or Class DT). Class DT license holders must be accompanied by a properly licensed parent, guardian or other designated competent adult 21 years of age or older. Underage residents and resident landowners hunting on their own land (see page 8) may take three turkeys without a license. Two bearded turkeys may be taken in the spring and one either sex turkey in the fall. However, no more than one turkey may be taken in the fall. No more than one turkey may be taken per day.

Additional licenses must be purchased:

• to hunt on national forest lands: Class I (required for Class E).
• to hunt with a handgun: Class A-1 (must be age 21 or older, required for all hunters except resident landowners hunting on their own land).

Resident Landowner Privileges:

West Virginia resident landowners (see page 8) may hunt on their own land without obtaining a license.

Resident landowners hunting on their own property without a license can take the same number of turkeys as a licensed hunter. A hunter (licensee or landowner) cannot take more than the number of turkeys allowed in the respective seasons.

Firearms and bows legal for hunting wild turkey:

Wild turkey may be hunted with rifles, handguns, muzzleloaders, shotguns, or bows (see exception for Youth Spring Gobbler Season on page 33).

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Field Tagging, Checking and Transporting

Each person killing a turkey must either attach a completed field tag to the turkey or remain with the turkey and have upon their person a completed field tag before removing the carcass from where it was killed. A person who does not possess a field tag must make one. This tag must bear the hunter’s name, address, hunting license number (if required) and the date, time and county of kill. Immediately upon arriving at a residence, camp, hunting lodge, vehicle or vessel the field tag shall be attached to the turkey and must remain on the carcass until it is tagged with an official game checking tag.

The carcass of each turkey shall be delivered to an official game checking station or a Natural Resource Police officer for checking and retagging before it is either skinned or transported beyond the boundaries of the county adjacent to that in which the kill was made and within 72 hours from when it was killed or 24 hours from the close of the respective season, whichever comes first. The checking tag shall remain on the bird until it is dressed for consumption.

No person may transport wildlife killed by another hunter, unless the wildlife or parts thereof are accompanied by a paper tag filled out legibly bearing the signature, address, date of kill, hunting license number (if required) and the official game checking tag number (if required) of the hunter who killed the wildlife. The tag shall also specify the species and quantity of wildlife.

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Common Violations

Following are the most common violations observed by Natural Resource Police officers during the turkey hunting seasons:

• Hunting over bait
• Hunting without license
• Improper license
• Making false application for license
• Exceeding the limits
• Loaded gun in a vehicle
• Failure to field tag turkey
• Illegal possession of wildlife
• Hunting without permission

Reward

Reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of person found guilty of:

• illegally killing a turkey - $200
• hunting turkey over bait - $100
• willfully destroying a turkey nest or eggs - $100

Sponsored by: WV Chapter of NWTF

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