Youth hunters who are under age 18 on the day of the hunt can register for the April 18-19 reserved turkey hunts from now until March 27.
A limit will be placed on the number of youth hunters allowed to hunt a respective property on each hunting day, in an attempt to provide quality hunts for participants. Interested hunters or an adult representing them must register by phone during the normal office hours for the property they wish to hunt. Hunters are allowed to register for only one property.
Participating fish and wildlife areas include Atterbury, Chinook, Crosley, Deer Creek, Fairbanks Landing, Glendale, Goose Pond, Hillenbrand, Hovey Lake, Jasper-Pulaski, Kingsbury, LaSalle, Pigeon River, J.E. Roush Lake, Sugar Ridge, Tri-County, Wabashiki, Willow Slough and Winamac. Two reservoir properties, Mississinewa Lake and Salamonie Lake, will also take part in the hunts.
Those who want to sign up for the Chinook or Wabashiki hunts may register by calling Deer Creek FWA, and those interested in the Fairbanks Landing or Hillenbrand hunts should call Goose Pond FWA.
A drawing will be held April 1 at properties where the number of registered hunters exceeds the spots available. A youth hunter may be drawn for either one or both hunt days, depending on the number of applicants. All applicants will be notified of drawing results by mail.
Applicants must have a 2020 Youth Consolidated Hunting & Trapping License, a 2020 Nonresident Youth Spring Turkey License with a gamebird habitat stamp privilege, or a Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting License. Apprentice hunting licenses of the types named above also may be used.
Hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise until noon for properties in the Central Time Zone, and one-half hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. on properties in the Eastern Time Zone.
Youth hunters who are selected will receive hunt information by email or by mail. Properties will not have a daily no-show drawing. Hunters interested in possible unfilled quotas at a property should call that property for more information before showing up. Property contact information is available here.
Youth hunters can take a bearded or male wild turkey. The youth must be accompanied by someone 18 or older. Youth hunters may use any legal shotgun, bow and arrow, or crossbow. The adult accompanying the youth hunter must not possess a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow while in the field. The accompanying adult must be licensed if they are assisting by calling or if the youth is using an apprentice license.
Licenses may be purchased online.