No Nebraska Tag? Recalibrating Your Spring Turkey Hunt
Just a few years ago, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission changed its process for turkey hunting in the state each spring, notably for non-residents. With only 10,000 spring turkey tags available for non-residents, each subsequent spring since the change was enacted has resulted in an increasingly rapid sale of the tags, with 2026 spring permits being sold out by 2:50 p.m. CT on the day permits went on sale.
If you managed to get a permit, congrats to you and happy hunting the Cornhusker State.
However, if you didn’t get a permit, all is not lost. There are still plenty of other states to hunt that offer the same lure as chasing turkeys in Nebraska. Here are a few things to consider as you plan to recalibrate your spring hunting travels.
Are You Wanting to Hunt a Different Subspecies?
If you were planning to hunt Nebraska to bag a Merriam’s or Rio Grande wild turkey, maybe in pursuit of an NWTF Grand Slam, you have options.
As the Merriam’s wild turkey is known as the mountain turkey, it can be found in Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Arizona, Utah and South Dakota, just to name a few. While in some states, like South Dakota, you’ll have to enter a draw permit that has yet to open, others are either solely over-the-counter tags or a combination of draw hunts and over-the-counter tags still providing opportunity for a white-tipped tom this spring.
For hunting Rios — the “plains turkey” — hunting the states from Kansas to Texas is always an option. Kansas now has a draw for permits for non-residents for spring turkey hunting. You may still have time to enter according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ license purchase portal.
Other states that have Rio Grande turkeys include states in the Pacific Northwest, as well as California. Oh, and Hawaii has a healthy population of Rios, if you ever needed a reason to visit the Aloha state.
So really you have your pick of quite a few locations to chase turkeys if your reason is bagging a specific subspecies found in Nebraska.
Length or Timing of Hunting Seasons
Nebraska’s turkey season runs from late March to the end of May, with the early portion being solely for archery. Gun season starts on April 18. If you are looking for seasons that give you around a month and a half of hunting time, that is easy to find with states from the Southeast all the way to the Pacific Northwest offering lengthy seasons. That said, states like Iowa, Arkansas, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky and South Carolina are some with seasons at just one month or less.
If timing is more important, you can get started as early as March by hunting the following states: Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Hawaii, California and Texas. Definitely check state regulations, as some start dates only apply to specific land types — such as private vs public — or locations within the state, and there also may be additional permit needs. Again, check with the local state agency before purchasing permits.
Early April dates — April 1–15 — can be found in numerous states from South Carolina to Washington. States with dates opening later in April or in May typically are reserved for states in the Northeast.
Cost of the Tags
To hunt turkeys in Nebraska, you had to shell out $183 for just one turkey permit and the required habitat stamp. While not the most expensive state to hunt for non-residents — that title belongs to probably Arkansas or Colorado (or Hawaii if you factor in travel) — there are many states where you can enjoy a turkey hunt for less than Nebraska.
If the entire country is an option for you, you’ll find states with tags at $100 or less for a single non-resident permit and associated required add-ons, but there are options for sure. Where things can get as pricey as Nebraska or even more pricey are scenarios where you have to buy the full annual hunting permit that also gives you privileges for deer and other small or big game, which isn’t all bad. It just means you get the option to travel again in the fall, so start selling that idea to your significant other now!
Public Land Accessibility
Turkey hunters know some of the hotspots to hit in Nebraska for wild turkeys, so no need to point those out. But did you know that Nebraska is more than 95% privately owned (as high as 98% depending on the report) and one of the lowest ranking states for public access? To find states with better access, you can hit nearly all of the states in the Rocky Mountain Region, and you can also look at some of the states that are bordering the Great Lakes. While not all of the habitat in these states may be suitable for turkeys, you can surely find more public ground than in Nebraska.
To sum things up, all is not lost. You still have time to plan out a turkey hunting adventure for the spring. You just need to decide what your priorities are — time, money, subspecies to harvest or access opportunities — and start doing your research today!