News File Photo Turkeys are seen in this March 2021 News archive photo. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources outlined current regulations and guidelines in their 2025 Michigan Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations Summary.

ALPENA — According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Michigan spring turkey season is just around the corner. Depending on the license type, the DNR has different regulations that hunters should be aware of.

The main types of licenses for the spring turkey season include the Hunt 0301 and Hunt 0234 licenses. The DNR’s 2025 Michigan Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations Summary specifies that Hunt 0301 is a “private-land-only” license and Hunt 0234 is a public and private land license.

Depending on the license, the DNR determines different seasons for each.

According to the DNR, license holders of Hunt 0301 can start hunting April 19 and hunt through May 31. These licenses can only be acquired through a drawing system that hunters apply for each year. This year, the drawing results were announced on March 3. Leftover licenses went on sale March 10 and can be purchased on a first-come-first-serve basis.

As of Sunday, there are 30,928 leftover Hunt 0301 licenses listed on the DNR website.

The DNR states that a Hunt 0234 license has no quota and can be purchased at any time throughout the 2025 Spring Turkey season. According to the DNR, these licenses are guaranteed and went on sale March 17. Hunters should note that the season for these licenses runs from May 3 to May 31.

As of Sunday, the DNR has the Hunt 0234 license quota listed as unlimited.

According to the DNR, a spring turkey license is a kill tag that allows an individual to harvest a turkey during the season. Individuals purchase these in addition to base licenses.

The DNR requires anyone hunting in Michigan to purchase a base license no matter the season. The DNR states that the revenue from base licenses is used to fund conservation work on public and private lands. This revenue also supports conservation officers and field staff.

Besides license specifics, the DNR also outlines many other guidelines in regards to the 2025 Michigan spring turkey season.

For example, the DNR’s 2025 Michigan Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations Summary notes that hunting turkeys from elevated platforms is not allowed on public lands during the spring season. Elevated platforms are only allowed on public lands from September 1 to March 1.

The DNR does state, however, that hunters are allowed to use elevated platforms to hunt turkeys on private lands during the spring turkey season. If hunters are hunting on someone else’s land, they need the landowner’s permission.

As far as hunting equipment is concerned, hunters can use a bow, a crossbow, or a firearm per the DNR’s 2025 Michigan Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations Summary.

The DNR references the following types of equipment as prohibited to hunt turkeys:

— Snares, traps, cages, nets, pitfalls, or deadfalls

— Spears, slingshots, fully automatic firearms, airbows, or mechanical devices other than bows, crossbows, and firearms

— Cartridges containing tracer or explosive bullets

— Drugs, poisons, anticoagulants, stupefying substances, smoke, gas, or explosives

The DNR’s 2025 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations Summary outlines many more regulations and guidelines that hunters should reference before going out this year. The DNR suggests visiting their website for more information at michigan.gov/dnr.

Booklets outlining this spring season’s guidelines are also available at Clem’s Bait and Tackle located on 9th Avenue in Alpena.