Youth and mobility-impaired hunters will have an opportunity to get an early start on the 2026 turkey season during a special two-day hunt scheduled for March 21–22.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, the early weekend hunt allows eligible hunters to harvest a gobbler on private land before the statewide turkey season officially opens.
The hunt is open only to youth under 16 years of age and hunters who are mobility-impaired, including those confined to a wheelchair or those with conditions such as hemiplegia, monoplegia, paraplegia, or a single-leg amputation above the knee.
Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older. The adult may call for turkeys but is not allowed to take or attempt to take a turkey during the hunt.
State regulations allow hunters to harvest one gobbler per day, with a maximum of two gobblers during the entire season.
All turkey hunters must also obtain a free harvest record each season, including hunters under 16, landowners, and those with honorary, lifetime, or sportsman licenses. Before moving a harvested turkey, hunters must record the date and county on the harvest record and complete the reporting process through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours.
Resident youth under age 16 are not required to have a hunting license. Hunters age 16 and older — including adults accompanying youth hunters — must possess both a hunting license and a big game license unless hunting on their own private property.
The statewide 2026 turkey season opens March 28 for private land and April 4 for public land.
More information about turkey hunting regulations and harvest reporting is available at the Georgia Wildlife website.