CONTACT:
Dan Bergeron: (603) 271-2461
Allison Keating: (603) 352-9669
April 27, 2022
Concord, NH –The Granite State’s spring turkey hunting season opens on May 1 and runs through May 31. The tag that is issued with the hunter’s turkey license must be affixed to the bird immediately upon harvesting, and the first harvested bird must be legally registered prior to harvesting a second bird in those Wildlife Management Units (WMU) where two spring birds are permitted. All harvested birds must be registered within 24 hours either at a check station or online.
Check Station Registration: While New Hampshire Fish and Game (NHFG) works with many registration stations statewide to provide local places for hunters to register their birds, all hunters should contact their local registration stations to determine the location’s hours of operation and confirm that they are registering birds during the spring season. For a current list of registration stations in New Hampshire visit: https://wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/deer-check-stations.html.
Online Registration: Birds can also be conveniently registered online within 24 hours of taking via the NHFG website at www.wildnh.com. Prior to starting the online registration process, hunters must have a reliable internet connection and the following information:
- Hunting/turkey license information
- License plate number of the vehicle used while hunting
- Town and WMU where the turkey was harvested
- Sex of the bird
- Age of the bird (adult vs. juvenile)
- Weight of the bird (to the nearest 1/4 pound)
- Beard length (to the nearest 1/4 inch)
- Spur lengths (to the nearest 1/16 inch)
Successful online registration will result in a confirmation email upon completion. Hunters must retain a copy of this confirmation as proof that their turkey was legally registered online by saving a digital version or printing a copy of the email. Accurately entered registration data is essential because as the information is relied upon by wildlife biologists and conservation officers. To register turkeys online, and for tips on how to age, weigh, and measure birds see https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/turkey-reg.html.
Hunters must be aware of other people sharing the outdoors this spring—it is more important than ever to be absolutely sure of your target and what lies beyond it. Pre-season scouting should be maximized and hunters should be prepared with back-up locations if their chosen spot is busy with other outdoor enthusiasts during this turkey season.
Hunters also should be aware of the recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that has been detected in waterfowl in New Hampshire this year. HPAI is a virus that occurs mainly in wild birds but rarely causes them to become ill. The main risk of the virus is to domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys, quail, and ducks. Hunters with domestic birds and poultry are encouraged to take extra precautions including processing wild turkeys away from domestic birds, washing hands and tools with soap and water and then disinfectant, and properly cooking wild turkey to a temperature of 165°F. For more information about HPAI visit the NHFG website at Avian Influenza | Wildlife | New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (state.nh.us).
