Mississippi set a turkey harvesting record in 2026.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks said Thursday that the most recent turkey season yielded 17,907 birds being reported through the state’s game check platform. The figure surpassed the previous record of 15,498 birds set in 2024 and is the highest number that has been reported since the state implemented mandatory harvest reporting in 2019.
Multiple Wildlife Management Areas also recorded historic harvests with some setting all-time records for bird numbers and others reaching harvest levels not seen in more than 40 years, officials say.
Biologists contend several factors may have contributed to the record turkey harvest in 2026, including strong hatches, increased hunter numbers, and favorable spring weather.
“Mississippi has long been considered a blue-chip state for turkey hunting, and the 2026 season really showed how special it can be when everything comes together,” said Caleb Hinton, the state’s wild turkey program coordinator. “We’re hearing from many hunters that had their best season in years. We’ve got a lot of good things going here in our state, so the future looks bright.”
The 2026 spring season also marked the first year of the wild turkey stamp in Mississippi. Passed as Senate Bill 2280 during the 2025 legislative session, the stamp created a hunter-based source of funding for wild turkey conservation efforts across the state. During the 2026 spring season, a reported 31,177 hunters purchased a wild turkey stamp.
Conservationists believe the extra source of money that comes from stamp purchases will help maintain the turkey populations enjoyed today by funding habitat work and science for future years.
