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Minnesota’s fall turkey season opens

Minnesota's wild turkey season opens today, October 3, 2026, and runs through November 1, with populations expanded into every county across the state, according to Roy Churchwell of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Despite a rough early nesting period, successful re-nesting efforts bolstered populations, and Churchwell reports seeing females with poults, particularly in the Bemidji area where young turkeys thrive in good-sized groups throughout the northwest region.
Churchwell enjoys the hunt because turkeys are "wary, smart and observant birds," and while they may appear docile alongside roads, pursuing them remains a true challenge for hunters seeking established populations.
August roadside surveys indicate a 20% increase in pheasant numbers since 2025, with the southwest remaining Minnesota's hot spot, though pheasants are increasingly expanding into the northwest region, historically a poor production area.
North Dakota's wild turkey season opens October 10 and runs through January 3, while Churchwell plans to head afield soon to hunt grouse, hoping to remedy his recent lack of time in the field.

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