Michigan Spring Turkey Hunting

[Michigan SwampHog]

Hello,

I am just getting into turkey hunting in central Michigan and would like to put in for an early season tag. The dates are from April 23- April 29 and April 30-May 6. Is one better than the other?

[Hawthorne]

I like the first week. Have shot them in 20 degree weather that first week so it can still be cold in the mornings.Never had a problem getting on birds. I’m in the most southern part of the state. Might be better later further north not sure

[mipubbucks24]

I agree with First season has been really good in the past. I have been buying the ZZ license the last couple years. If you want to hunt public it won’t work, but you can hunt commercial forest property and hap lands. Last couple of years I have had some great hunts on commercial forest lands. If I could take the whole week off I would apply for one of the public land hunts, but I can only really hunt 1 or 2 days a week so the long ZZ season has worked really well.

If your north of the zz line then you will have to look at other options. Just what I have done the last couple years good luck.

[sureshotscott]

I was tracking this on michigan-sportsman.com a few years ago to see if it was necessary to spend the $$$ to apply vs just buying when available.

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/thre ... rs.585875/

[Ack]

If you are hunting private land, there really is no reason to apply....save yourself the application fee and buy a guaranteed leftover license.

As far as which is the better season? Flip a coin. Both have their pros and cons, and birds are killable from the first day until the last.

Early season you can hunt unpressured birds, but if you find a hot bird later in May it can be money as well.

For what it's worth, I've killed most of my older birds later in May.....somehow they have a way of eluding the masses earlier in the season.

[simpzenith]

I hunt Michigan in June and the hunting is pretty dang good then so I imagine you'll be fine with either one of those weeks in April.