§116.4.  Special provisions applicable to turkey; times and methods of taking; penalties

A.(1)  Wild turkey may be taken only with a bow and arrow, crossbow, or a shotgun not larger than a No. 10 gauge fired from the shoulder without a rest, and by no other means whatsoever.

(2)  No person shall hunt or take turkey by the use or aid of recorded or electrically amplified bird calls or sounds, or recorded or electrically amplified imitations of bird calls or sounds.

(3)  No person shall hunt, trap, or take turkey by the aid of baiting, or on or over any baited area.  As used in this Subsection, "baiting" shall mean the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or scattering of shelled, shucked, or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed so as to constitute for such birds a lure, attraction, or enticement to, on, or over any areas where hunters are attempting to take them; and "baited area" means any area where shelled, shucked, or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed whatsoever capable of luring, attracting, or enticing such birds is directly or indirectly placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered; and such area shall remain a baited area for fifteen days following complete removal of all such corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed.  Wildlife agents shall be authorized to close such baited area and to place a sign or signs in the immediate vicinity designating the closed zone and dates of closure.  However, nothing in this Paragraph shall prohibit:

(a)  The taking of turkey, on or over standing crops, grain crops properly shucked on the field where grown, or grains found scattered solely as the result of normal agriculture planting or harvesting; and

(b)  The taking of turkey, on or over any lands where shelled, shucked, or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed has been distributed or scattered as the result of bona fide agricultural operations or procedures, or as a result of manipulation of a crop or other feed on the land where grown for wildlife management purposes; however, manipulation for wildlife management purposes shall not include the distributing or scattering of grain or other feed once it has been removed from or stored on the field where grown.

(c)  The taking of turkey when the person is more than two hundred yards from a baited area.

(4)  Violation of the provisions of this Subsection constitutes a class three violation.

B.(1)  No person shall possess any of the following:

(a)  An illegally taken turkey.

(b)  A freshly-killed turkey in the closed season.

(2) Violation of any of the provisions of this Subsection constitutes a class four violation.

C.(1) No person shall hunt or take any of the following:

(a)  Turkeys from one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise.

(b)  Illegal turkeys in the open season.

(2) Violation of any of the provisions of this Subsection constitutes a class 5-A violation.

D. No person shall hunt or take turkeys in the closed season.  Violation of this Subsection constitutes a class six violation.

Acts 1992, No. 966, §1; Acts 2006, No. 109, §1; Acts 2009, No. 55, §1.