Possession Limit and Requirements for Transporting Turkeys

March 26, 2009

Question: If I’m on a trip for a few days and shoot a couple of turkeys but am not going home for a while, what do I need to keep for identification purposes in order to legally possess and transport them? I plan on dressing the birds and keeping them under refrigeration until getting them home. Also, what is the total possession limit allowed? (John K., Redding)

Answer: Spring turkeys must have a visible beard, so you will need to retain that part of the skin or carcass that contains the beard. The spring season daily bag limit is one bird per day and three birds per season, thus three birds would also be your possession limit (after the third day of the season.) As long as you are a licensed hunter and are transporting a legal possession limit of your birds only, no special identification or transportation tags are necessary.