As we look toward the 2026 spring season, the challenge of hunting the Eastern Wild Turkey in North Carolina remains significant. While the state’s deer population thrives at an estimated 1 to 1.1 million, the Eastern Wild Turkey population is much more specialized, hovering around 270,000 birds. This disparity makes access to quality land and rigorous scouting the deciding factors between a filled tag and an empty vest.
The difficulty of the hunt was underscored during a recent scouting trip I took on new property, where a six-mile trek yielded only a single set of tom tracks. While finding any sign in unfamiliar territory is a success, it highlights the necessity of the Fall Line Outdoors Chapter (FLOC) Turkey Program in preparing hunters for low-density environments.
FLOC 2026 Turkey Program Intentions
To ensure our members are prepared for the 2026 season, FLOC will execute the following program milestones:
- Candidate Selection: We will select 10 candidates or students for the 2026 program. All selections will be finalized No Later Than (NLT) February 4th.
- Range Day (Field Day 1): We will conduct a mandatory range day at the Fort Bragg Gun Club. (Directions to the Range will be sent to each student upon selection via email.) The session will run from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (or until completion). During this time, mentors will be assigned to every two students to focus on shotgun patterning and ethical shot placement.
- Scouting Field Day 2 (Feb 21st): This session will take place on Fort Bragg, Ross Road, and Ball Road areas. The focus will be on calling techniques and identifying visual turkey signs. To maximize coverage and learning, students will be spread out across these three locations. For example, at the Ball Road property, the area will be split in half, with one mentor/students team per section. By sitting quietly at the parking lot on opening day, teams may be able to hear/locate gobbles and plan their approach. Prior scouting will help plan a hunt before opening day.
- Advanced Scouting (March 28th): A second scouting day will be held on Fort Bragg from 07:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Participants will meet at the Circle K on Hwy 87 and Vass Rd in Spring Lake. I am currently working to identify turkey sign in at least five different locations across the installation to provide the best opportunities. This field day only pertains to the students that choose to pay out of pocket and go through the process to hunt Fort Bragg. Mentors will not carry a weapon, but because they will be calling for turkeys, you will be required to go through Fort Bragg training and quiz and purchase a license. For those that choose not to hunt Fort Bragg, Mentors will take their students back to Ball Road and Ross Road for further scouting and preparation for opening day. Ie; proper clothing to wear, how to approach your area where you hear a gobble – – –
- Opening Day (April 11th): The turkey season for adult hunters officially opens. Hunts will be conducted at Ross Road, Ball Road, and various Fort Bragg locations. Mentors will escort their assigned students to their prospective hunting areas for the day’s hunt. Mentors will need to communicate prior to opening day and select a place to hunt and contact their students and inform them where to meet. The season is open until May 9th. You don’t have to take your students on opening day if you can’t arrange it. Just schedule it for a different day, but please work with your students schedule.
- Season Conclusion (May 9th): The 2026 turkey season closes on May 9th. While the program guarantees one mentored hunt, mentors wishing to take students out for additional days are encouraged to do so. However, mentors must coordinate these extra trips with program leadership to ensure proper permissions are secured from private landowners. (Note: This coordination requirement does not pertain to Fort Bragg/public land hunts).
As a reminder All participants hunting on the Fort Bragg installation must ensure their permits are active via the Fort Liberty iSportsman portal and their weapons are registered at the visitors center at the All American Gate.
If there are any questions pertaining to this schedule, I need to know ASAP.
Respectfully,
Francisco
FLOC President
Turkey Program Leader