Yes, you can hunt Rio Grande turkey with a .22 rimfire cartridge in Texas, but only during the spring season. This includes the North Zone (March 30 – May 12, 2024) and the South Zone (March 16 – April 28, 2024). However, you cannot use a .22 rimfire cartridge to hunt Eastern turkey, which can only be hunted with shotguns, archery equipment, or crossbows.
Here’s a breakdown of the regulations for hunting turkey with a .22 in Texas:
- Caliber: You can use any .22 rimfire cartridge, but the minimum recommended size is .22 long rifle.
- Firearm: You can use any legal handgun or rifle that fires .22 rimfire cartridges.
- Season: You can only use a .22 rimfire cartridge to hunt Rio Grande turkey during the spring season.
- Zone: You can use a .22 rimfire cartridge to hunt Rio Grande turkey in any county in Texas.
- Other regulations: You must still follow all other hunting regulations, such as bag limits, shooting hours, and hunter education requirements.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind when hunting turkey with a .22:
- Shot placement is critical. A .22 rimfire cartridge is not as powerful as a shotgun or a larger caliber rifle, so you need to make sure your shot is placed accurately. Aim for the head or neck of the turkey.
- Use a good quality scope. A scope will help you to make accurate shots, especially at longer distances.
- Practice your shooting skills. Before you go hunting, make sure you practice shooting your .22 at the range.
- Be aware of your surroundings. When you are hunting, be aware of your surroundings and make sure you are not shooting at anything that you do not intend to kill.
Here are some resources that you may find helpful:
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/animals/turkey
- Texas Hunting Regulations: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/general-regulations/means-and-methods
- National Wild Turkey Federation: https://www.nwtf.org/
Lawful Means and Methods
It is legal to:
- hunt wildlife and non-migratory game birds from a car, sailboat, powerboat, or other floating object on private land or on private water.
- employ recordings, electrically amplified calls, and manual and mouth-operated calling devices when hunting game animals and game birds. Hunting migratory game birds with electronic calls is only permitted during the season designated by the Light Goose Conservation Order.
- use decoys to hunt game animals and game birds. No one may hunt migratory game birds with live decoys.
- bait for upland game birds, nongame animals, and game animals, with the exception of migratory game birds and Eastern turkey (Baiting is unlawful on most public property. Please check specific regulations for that public property. ).
- trap nongame/exotic animals (such as feral hogs, rabbits, etc. ) on private property.
- employ dogs to assist in any game bird hunting
Game animals and non-migratory game birds may be hunted with any legal firearm, except:
- It is forbidden to hunt pronghorn, desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, or white-tailed deer with rimfire ammunition (of any caliber).
- Fully Automatic Firearms
- The only permissible firearm to be used during the spring Eastern turkey season is a shotgun.
- Magazine Capacity: When hunting game animals or game birds (apart from migratory game birds, see Legal Shotgun), there are no limits on the number of shells or cartridges that a legal firearm may carry.
- Muzzleloaders: only muzzleloading firearms—that is, any weapon made so that powder and bullets can be loaded only through the muzzle as opposed to breech-loading weapons—are permitted to be used during muzzleloader deer seasons. A muzzleloader is not a cap and ball gun where the powder and ball are placed into a cylinder.
- Suppressors, also known as “silencers,” can be used to take any kind of wildlife resource, but all applicable federal, state, and local laws still stand.
Turkey hunt with .22 long rifle, San Saba Texas, 2018
FAQ
Where is the best place to shoot a turkey with a 22?
The most effective firearm shot for a turkey is to the head and neck.
What caliber to hunt turkey?
In most states, choices for method of take for turkeys are shotgun, muzzleloader or bow. Thanks to modern turkey loads and turkey chokes, both 12 and 20 gauge do a good job at taking down a turkey. With Federal Premium Ammunition’s TSS turkey loads, even . 410 shotguns are viable turkey guns.
Can you hunt turkey with a 22 Magnum?
The 22 mag will kill a gobbler just fine out to 50 to 75 yards if you hit it at the butt of the wing. The challenge of turkey hunting is calling the bird to with in 40 yards. NOT shooting at a bird 50-80 yards out.
Can you carry a pistol while hunting in Texas?
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department states that “any legal firearm” can be used for hunting in the state of Texas. This includes handguns as long as you have the right certification and required training. Hunters under the age of 17 will also need a Youth Hunting License.