Massachusetts
35,000
Wild Turkey Population
Easterns
Turkey Subspecies
14,389
Number of Licenses Sold Annually
$50
Hunting license, $40; turkey permit, $10
Cost of Resident License and Permit
$142
Big game license, $112; turkey permit, $30
Cost of Non-Resident License and Permit
Photo by Bruce MacQueen.
Massachusetts manages more than 250 parcels of fish and wildlife habitat, including state-owned wildlife management areas and wildlife conservation easements. These properties total more than 250,000 acres. Western Massachusetts, more rural and rugged country than to the east, is typically the region many Bay State turkey hunters target. That said, birds can be found throughout the state, including urban strongholds.
Hunters took about 2,689 turkeys during Spring 2025. A sneaky sleeper area of the state is Martha’s Vineyard (Zone 13). Huge turkey populations exist there, but there's little hunting effort.
To hunt legally, an official safety sticker, which comes with the turkey permit, must be placed on your gun so it's visible when sighting down the barrel. Lose one? Contact the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for a replacement. Also, shooting hours run from a half-hour before sunrise until noon in spring, which might seem unusual to visiting hunters who live in states where it's open all day.
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