Category 1

How Much Money Does the “Survivor ”Winner“ ”Get? Inside Season 50's Record-Breaking Prize

Survivor season 50 ended on May 20

People Rick Devens, Jonathan Young, Rizo Velovic on Survivor 50.Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

NEED TO KNOW

  • For only the second time in 50 seasons, the winner won $2 million

  • Losing players didn't go home empty-handed, though; they also won prize money depending on their performance

Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fanshas already broken many of the show's barriers, and the final prize is no different.

For only the second time inSurvivorhistory, the show introduced a $2 million prize for the winner of the historic season — doubling the traditional $1 million that's been given out for 48 of the last 49 seasons.

The pot increased after internet personalityMrBeast surprised the contestantsand revealed that they could double the reward if they flipped a coin the right way. Luckily, Rick Devens had fate on his side, as he correctly tossed up the coin to score a $2 million total prize pot.

In addition to the $2 million for the winner, the show also announced that the$100,000 Fan Favorite vote, nicknamed the Sia Prize, returnedand is “in the hands of the fans.”

While only one person gets to take home the grand prize at the end of each season, the remainder of the contestants reportedly also receive some amount of money depending on how well they did in the competition.

"I think people are always surprised to learn that we do earn money,” Corinne Kaplan, who played on seasons 17 and 26, said in a September 2021 episode of theTrading Secretspodcast. “The same pot of money exists no matter how many players there are.” CBS did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

So, how much money have the past winners and contestants onSurvivorwon? Here's everything to know about what theSurvivorwinner gets.

What does the winner ofSurvivorget?

Eva Erickson, Star Toomey, Mary Zheng, and David Kinne on Survivor: Fiji.Credit: Robert Voets/CBS via Getty

Ever sinceSurvivorpremiered in 2000, the contestants have competed to win the grand prize and the title of Sole Survivor. For 48 seasons, the prize was $1 million but in 2020 and 2026, the pot increased to $2 million.

However, the winner doesn't get to pocket the entire prize, since thousands of dollars have to go to federal and state taxes. The total amount of money a winner receives depends on their state's income taxes.

It's crucial that the winner pay the taxes, as season 1 winner Richard Hatch spent nearly three years in federal prison for not paying up. He told PEOPLE in April 2023 that legal fees and missed work "more than wiped out the money."

HasSurvivorever increased the prize fund?

Jeff Probst hosts Survivor: Winners at War.Credit: Robert Voets/CBS via Getty

The $1 million prize fund has mostly stayed the same since season 1 in 2000.

However, the CBS show doubled the jackpot to $2 million twice: once to celebrate the 40th season,Survivor: Winners at War, in 2020, and again to celebrate the 50th season. The former season featured 20 winners from past seasons ofSurvivorto compete for the highest prize fund in history.Tony Vlachoswas named the winner.

"The $2 million prize was all CBS," hostJeff ProbsttoldEntertainment Weeklyin January 2020. "The truth is, Kelly Kahl is the guy at CBS who back in season 2 movedSurvivorto go up againstFriends. And we beatFriendsin the ratings and his career was really made in that moment."

Probst continued, "He's been invested inSurvivorforever. And he has given us free rein to do what we want for a long time. And this season he said, 'Can you try to make winners happen? And can we give them a $2 million prize?' "

In 2026, MrBeast helped raise the pot to $2 million.

How much do the second and third-place finishers get?

David Kinne, Eva Erickson, Charity Nelms, Star Toomey, and Mary Zhen on 'Survivor'Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

Even though they didn't snag the title of Sole Survivor, contestants who get second and third place also walk away with a significant amount of money.

Advertisement

The runner-up receives $100,000 and the third place finisher gets $85,000, according toToday. Kaplan confirmed the prize amounts during a 2021 appearance on theTrading Secretspodcast.

Do allSurvivorcontestants get paid?

Chrissy Sarnowsky, Star Toomey, Mitch Guerra, Joe Hunter, Saiounia

Every contestant who has appeared onSurvivorhas reportedly been paid some amount of money for their time.

Kaplan claimed during herTrading Secretspodcast appearance that the amount of money a contestant wins depends on how they placed and how many people are competing on a certain season.

According to Kaplan, "the same pot of money exists no matter how many players there are." So if there are more contestants in a season, then each person gets less money. The sooner the contestants get eliminated, the less money they take home. (Season 50 featured thelargest group of contestantsever at 24.)

"So, what happens is, roughly, the first person voted out makes like $2,500, [and] it goes up very incrementally," Kaplan claimed. "Those people only make a few thousand, and there's a couple hundred [dollars] difference between them."

However, once there are enough people eliminated and people qualify to be members of the jury, their payout "starts going up by $10K," according to Kaplan.

"It works backwards," she said, claiming that each person on the jury makes $10,000 less than the contestant who made it one place ahead of them (excluding the winner).

Do contestants get paid to appear on the live reunion?

Jeanine Zheng, James Jones, Noelle Lambert, Sami Layadi, Cody Assenmacher, and Karla Cruz Godoy on Survivor: Mana Island.Credit: CBS via Getty

For several years,Survivorheld alive reunionafter the season finale. The special episode was paused ahead of season 40 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed forSurvivor50.

When the live reunion was in its heyday, it was another opportunity for every contestant to take home more money. Kaplan claimed that regardless of where a contestant finished in the season, everyone was offered $10,000 to participate in the reunion.

Kaplan claimed, "The reason that that ticket is so high is because most people, if they were wronged on the show or whatever, if there wasn’t a big ticket attached to it, you might just be like. 'F--- it I’m not going,' so they make that very high."

What is the Sia Prize?

Tai Trang is presented with a gift from recording artist Sia during the live reunion show.Credit: Neil Jacobs/CBS via Getty

Like manySurvivorfans, singerSiahasn't always been thrilled by who won the reality TV show. The superfan decided to take matters into her own hands in 2016 when she gaveTai Trang$50,000 of her own money after he didn’t win season 32. She then decided to continue giving money to her favorite contestants, nicknaming the award the “Sia Prize.”

The award continued for eight years and 14 seasons, during which time she gave a total sum of over $1 million to her favorite contestants. However, Probst announced in 2024 that theSia Prize would endafter season 46.

"After eight years, 14 seasons, 19 players and over $1,000,000 awarded, Survivor is officially bringing the Sia Prize to a triumphant end!” he posted on his Instagram Stories in May 2024. “So it is with tremendous gratitude and admiration to Sia that we bring to a close one of the most unique relationships a TV show could ever have with a pop star of Sia’s global wattage.”

Among the special Sia Prize winners included seven players to whom she gave $100,000 — including Rick Devens (season 38), Elaine Stott (39), Janet Carbin (39), Drea Wheeler (42), Jesse Lopez (43),Carolyn Wiger (44)and Katurah Topps (45).

The other 11 contestants who won the coveted money were Donathan Hurley (36), Davie Rickenbacker (37), Aurora McCreary (38), Joe Anglim (38), Jamal Shipman (39), Owen Knight (43), Ryan Medrano (43), Lauren Harpe (44), Carson Garrett (44), Jake O’ Kane (45) and Kaleb Gebrewold (45).

Sia brought the prize back forSurvivor 50, promising to give whomever won a fan vote for favorite player $100,000, perVariety.

Read the original article onPeople

How Much Money Does the “Survivor ”Winner“ ”Get? Inside Season 50's Record-Breaking Prize

Survivor season 50 ended on May 20 NEED TO KNOW For only the second time in 50 seasons, the winner won $2 million...
Ukraine says its drones hit another refinery deep inside Russia as long-range strikes escalate

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian drones smashed into another Russian refinery overnight, starting a fire that produced huge clouds of black smoke, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest long-rangeattack on Moscow’s vital oil industry.

Associated Press Ukrainian servicemen of Khartia brigade check the drone aerial view in the command centre Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko) In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out a fire in a building following a Russian air attack in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Ukrainian servicemen of Khartia brigade launch a drone towards Russian positions at the front line in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Russia Ukraine War

The drones targeted the Syzran oil refinery, located more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) inside Russia, Zelenskyy said on social media, where he posted a video of the aftermath.

It was not possible to verify the video or independently confirm the attack. The governor of Russia’s Samara region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, said that two people were killed by Ukrainian drones in Syzran but he didn’t mention the refinery. Russia’s Astra news outlet said that Ukrainian drones struck the Syzran refinery owned by oil and gas giant Rosneft.

Ukraine has expanded its mid- and long-range strike capabilities, deployingeye-catching drone and missile technologythat it has developed domestically as it battles to defeatRussia’s 4-year-old invasion. Ukrainian weaponry and expertise are nowsought by other countries, whereas earlier in the war Kyiv had to plead for massive foreign military aid.

Ukrainian drones hit another refinery the previous day, Zelenskyy said, as attacks on Russian oil assets that play a key part in funding the invasion have become almost daily occurrences.

“Overall, our long-range plan for May is being carried out largely in full,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post late Wednesday. “The key targets are Russian oil refineries, storage facilities, and other infrastructure tied to these oil revenues.”

The escalating attacks have hurt Moscow’s revenue at the same time as it feels the economic pinch of international sanctions. With some attacksreaching more than 1,500 kilometers(900 miles) into Russian soil, the strikes have contributed to some Russians feeling unsafe due to the war and heaped pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine’s new reach has also helped it push Russian troops back along parts of the front line, with Ukrainian forces making their most significant battlefield gains since 2024, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

“Ukraine’s intensified midrange strike campaign against Russian logistics, military equipment, and manpower since early 2026 has also degraded Russian forces’ ability to conduct offensive operations across the theater and has also likely supported recent Ukrainian advances,” the Washington-based think tank said in an assessment late Wednesday.

Advertisement

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 121 Ukrainian drones between late Wednesday and early Thursday.

In the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine, eight people were injured by Ukrainian drones, according to the regional governor, Alexander Shuvayev.

Russia has also invested heavily in drones, using them to bombard civilian areas of Ukraine throughout the war and killing more than 15,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.

Ukraine’s air force said Thursday it shot down 109 out of 116 drones that Russia launched overnight.

One civilian was killed and at least six others were wounded in the strikes in the north, south and east of the country, emergency services said.

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Ukraine says its drones hit another refinery deep inside Russia as long-range strikes escalate

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian drones smashed into another Russian refinery overnight, starting a fire that produced huge clouds of bla...
Rumer Willis Shares the Moment She Knew Her ‘Brutal’ Relationship with Ex Derek Richard Thomas Was Over: 'I Need to Go'

Rumer Willis has shared an insight into the "reckoning moment" that made her realize her relationship with Derek Richard Thomas was over

People Rumer Willis; Derek Richard ThomasCredit: Daniele Venturelli/Getty; Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

NEED TO KNOW

  • The pair, who split in August 2024, welcomed daughter Louetta in April 2023

  • Willis said she is manifesting marriage and more children, and hopes to meet someone and get married next year

Rumer Willisis getting candid about why her relationship with her daughter’s father ended.

The actress, 37,confirmed her splitfrom ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas, with whom she shares3-year-old daughter Louetta, in August 2024.

And while appearing onThe Inside Editpodcastwith her best friend, stylist Maeve Reilly, in an episode released May 18, Willis gave an insight into the moment she knew the pair’s romance was over.

Revealing that it was host Reilly’s June 2024 wedding to husband Zach Quittman that made her realize she didn’t want to be in the relationship anymore, Willis shared, “Your wedding literally was a huge reckoning moment for me in my life. I heard your vows and I just realized that the situation I was in was never going to look like that, no matter how much effort I put in.”

Rumer Willis with daughter LouettaCredit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

“And I was just watching you guys, just weeping, holding my child, and I just thought, you know what? I need to have more value for myself," she explained.

Willis added, “I need to go and like, leave, no matter how scared I am and find something that looks like this, because I want that. Literally, it was such a huge reckoning and massive moment for me so I will always be grateful."

Rumer Willis and Derek Richard Thomas in October 2023Credit: Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty

Reflecting on their romance, Willis went on to share that she's started to "feel back in my power in the last eight months" after a "really challenging relationship. "

"I try not to speak negatively but my truth is that it was really brutal and challenging,” she continued. “And I’m so proud of myself, you know? I work really hard and I show up for my kid and it’s such a privilege.”

“It’s such a privilege to be a mom,” she added. “It makes me so happy.”

Advertisement

As for what she's looking for in her next relationship, Willis explained that she's "grateful" for what she learned in her previous one — even though it was "one of the most brutal things I had to do" — as she now has "a totally different set of stands and a different thing I'm looking for."

"I'm looking for someone who shows up with consistent communication and is interested in pursuing me and wooing me," she continued, adding that she is dating again after putting it off for a year and a half after her split from Thomas.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I’m gonna meet this wonderful man,” Willis added of what she is manifesting, before sharing that she hopes to get married next year and wants more kids. “I can’t wait — I’m gonna have, like, seven more … I want to have like, eight kids. I’m so excited," she said.

Rumer Willis on 'The Inside Edit' podcastCredit: The Inside Edit/YouTube

Back in November, Willis opened up about thechallenges of being a single momin a teary post on Instagram.

“Just had a good cry in the woods… some days being a single mom is hard. She is not hard (ever) but some days doing everything alone can be,” Willis wrote across a video of herself wiping tears from her face while walking outdoors.

She added in the caption, “Wow, and I just realized I have food in my teeth…really winning today.”

Williswelcomed Louettain April 2023 in a home birth. "✨ Louetta Isley Thomas Willis ✨ You are pure magic 🌱 Born at home on Tuesday April 18th," an Instagram post of Louetta's arrival captioned. "You are more than we ever dreamed of ✨."

Read the original article onPeople

Rumer Willis Shares the Moment She Knew Her ‘Brutal’ Relationship with Ex Derek Richard Thomas Was Over: 'I Need to Go'

Rumer Willis has shared an insight into the "reckoning moment" that made her realize her relationship with Derek Richard Thom...
Colorado's top court orders children's hospital to resume gender-affirming care for minors

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Supreme Court has ordered Colorado’s largest provider ofgender-affirming carefor young people to resume medical treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy despite threats that providing the care could lead to losing federal funding.

Associated Press

Children’s Hospital Colorado suspended medical treatments for transgender patients under 18 in January after it said theU.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesopened an investigation into its treatments following aseries of clashesbetween President Donald Trump's administration and advocates over transgender health care for children.

The hospital said in a statement that it is reviewing Monday's court ruling and considering its next steps. It previously said it would continue to provide mental health treatment for minors and also medical treatment for patients aged 18 to 21.

Four transgender girls, ranging from age 10 to 17, sued the hospital, through their parents, alleging that the hospital was violating the state’s antidiscrimination law by refusing to provide them treatment both because of their gender identity and their disability, gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is the distress caused when someone’s gender expression doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth.

The girls said they feared not being able to get medication and monitoring to prevent them from undergoing puberty and developing male traits. And they cited mental health fallout, including depression and suicidal ideation.

The court sided with the girls in a 5-2 ruling, finding that the decision to shutter the services for minors violated a state antidiscrimination law. In the majority opinion, Justice William Wood III said, “We conclude that the actual immediate and irreparable harm to petitioners outweighs the speculative harm CHC may face if the federal government further acts against it.”

Advertisement

In a dissent, Justice Brian Boatright said the hospital didn't make its decision to stop the case because of the gender identity of the patients. Rather, he wrote, “It was a decision driven by the direct threat to the viability of the entire hospital.”

A Kansas judge alsosided with transgender minorsin a ruling last week.

The Colorado hospital’s TRUE Center, which focuses on gender-affirming care, is one of the largest programs in the country and the only comprehensive care center in the Rocky Mountain region, according to the lawsuit.

Children’s Hospital Colorado said the HHS opened the investigation of the hospital after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued adeclarationthat called treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria, or the distress when someone’s gender expression doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth.

An Oregon-basedfederal judge ruledin March for Colorado and 20 other states that Kennedy's declaration went too far.

Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Colorado's top court orders children's hospital to resume gender-affirming care for minors

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Supreme Court has ordered Colorado’s largest provider ofgender-affirming carefor young people to resume medi...
Helena Christensen, 57, Rebels Against Cannes Dress Code in a Backless Lace-Trimmed Naked Dress

Helena Christensen joined this year's Cannes Film Festival rule-breakers in a black naked dress on May 19.

InStyle Helena Christensen attends the

The Gist

  • The iconic supermodel, 57, wowed in a sheer lace LBD that bared her abs at the screening of Amarga Navidad.

  • The 2026 Cannes Film Festival dress code prohibits naked or sheer dressing due to "decency reasons."

For the second year in a row, the 2026 Cannes Film Festival has prohibitednaked or sheer dressingfor "decency reasons”—and attendees are getting creative withskirting around the Cannes dress code, or, in some cases,flouting it entirely. Case in point: Supermodel Helena Christensen made a rule-breaking NSFW style moment on May 19.

Helena Christensen attends the

From the moment she left Le Majestic hotel, the 57-year-oldrunway starensured all eyes were on her as she unveiled ablack naked dressthat was constructed almost entirely from see-through black lace. Making a red carpet entrance at the screening ofAmarga Navidad,Christensen showed off different angles of her plunging slip dress, which featured black velvet bra cups trimmed with black lace and a dramatic backless design that was held in place with two pieces of string.

Helena Christensen attends the

The Danish fashion model’s barely-there black silk number was covered in delicate sheer lace panels, exposing large swatches of skin on her midriff and legs. As she posed for photos at the legendary Palais de Festivals, Christensen revealed how she’d bypassed Cannes’s “decency” rules with opaque layers of black ruffled fabric wrapping around the top of her skirt in the front and the back.

Advertisement

Helena Christensen attends the

The mermaid-like silhouette of Christensen’s dress also featured a black silk trim at the bottom of the floor-skimming lace skirt, showing off just a glimpse of her strappy black stiletto sandals underneath.

Christensen accessorized her bold LBD with silver hoop earrings, a small black leather clutch adorned with a bow, and a white watch. She brought the drama by styling her chest-length chestnut brown hair in a French girl-coded blowout with her full bangs swept over one eye. A brown smoky eyeshadow and a dewy pink flush on her cheekbones and lips finished off her Cannes red carpet look.

Read the original article onInStyle

Helena Christensen, 57, Rebels Against Cannes Dress Code in a Backless Lace-Trimmed Naked Dress

Helena Christensen joined this year's Cannes Film Festival rule-breakers in a black naked dress on May 19. The Gist ...
Timothée Chalamet Shaves off His Mustache and Debuts Shorter Hair for Knicks Playoff Game in N.Y.C.

Timothée Chalamet debuted a clean-shaven look and shorter hairstyle at a Knicks playoff game in New York City on Tuesday, May 19

People Timothée Chalamet with and without his mustacheCredit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty; Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • The actor has famously rocked a mustache for his role in Marty Supreme but kept the facial hair style long after filming wrapped

  • Known to be a huge Knicks fan, Chalamet skipped the 2026 Met Gala to attend the Knicks' playoff win

Timothée Chalametis showing off his new look!

When theMarty Supremestar, 30, headed to Madison Square Garden to see his beloved New York Knicks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was displaying a smart new style.

The famously mustached star was clean-shaven and sporting a shorter hairstyle for his sporty outing. He kept the rest of his look casual, in camouflage-print joggers and an oversized sweatshirt.

Timothée Chalamet at Madison Square Garden, May 19Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty

Other famous faces courtside for the game — in which the Knicks triumphed 115-104 — included talk show hostJimmy Fallon, 51, and actorDustin Hoffman, 88.

Earlier this month, theComplete Unknownactorproved he liked to play basketballas well as watch from the sidelines when he shared an Instagram video of himself dribbling on the Knicks' court at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The clip was presumably taken after he attended the team's first game of the playoffs' second round against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, May 4.

Advertisement

Timothée Chalamet and girlfriend Kylie Jenner at Madison Square Garden, May 6Credit: Dustin Satloff/Getty

The video shows Chalamet pulls up for an impressive-looking three-point shot that swished through the net. The Knicks' official Instagram account responded to Chalamet's post, writing: "check your dms we just sent you a 10-day," jokingly suggesting they would offer Chalamet a temporary NBA contract.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Chalamet notablyskipped the 2026 Met Galaon May 4 to attend the Knicks' 137-98 win over the 76ers, while hisgirlfriend,Kylie Jenner, stepped out for the fashion event. In fact, the actor has become an almost constant presence courtside during Knicks playoff games in N.Y.C. He also skipped last year's Met Gala in favor of attending a Knicks game.

Timothée Chalamet at Madison Square Garden, May 19Credit: Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty

Chalamet and 28-year-old Jenner, who have been dating since April 2023,previously sat between Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan and Ben Stillerat Madison Square Garden on April 28, while the Knicks were playing the Atlanta Hawks.

The Oscar nominee also previously said he wastoo "locked in"during the Knicks' postseason run to attend during a December 2025 appearance on the7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthonypodcast.

Read the original article onPeople

Timothée Chalamet Shaves off His Mustache and Debuts Shorter Hair for Knicks Playoff Game in N.Y.C.

Timothée Chalamet debuted a clean-shaven look and shorter hairstyle at a Knicks playoff game in New York City on Tuesday, May 19 ...
Turkey hunters in Wisconsin having another very good spring season

With about one-third remaining, preliminary registration data show hunters are having another very good spring wild turkey hunting season in Wisconsin.

USA TODAY Ryan Fell of New Berlin, left, and Jim Smukowski of Oconomowoc pose with a wild turkey Smukowski called and Fell shot in Richland County during the 2026 Wisconsin spring turkey hunting season.

As of May 14 hunters registered 37,468 birds, about 2% fewer than the same time last year but more than the entire 2021 season, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

This year's total includes 33,610 turkeys taken during the first four regular hunting periods, 3,479 during the youth hunt and 379 during Learn To Hunt events.

When divided by management region, Zone 1 had 11,039 turkeys registered, followed by Zone 3 with 9,096, Zone 2 with 7,813, Zone 4 with 5,983, Zone 5 with 1,822, Zone 6 with 1,121 and Zone 7 with 594.

The 2026 Wisconsin spring turkey hunt comes after consecutive seasons that topped 50,000 birds registered, the highest or second highest total of any state.

The 2026 season in the Badger State has featured a range of spring weather, including cold and brief periods of snow in the north and tornadoes and thunderstorms in the south. However hunters in each time period and each zone have had opportunities to get afield.

Wisconsin manages its spring turkey hunting seasons by regulating the number of harvest tags across seven geographical zones and six time periods. It also includes a two-day youth hunt and dozens of learn-to-hunt events.

The number of harvest authorizations (or tags) offered in a zone is set to allow maximum recreational opportunities while limiting the impact on the turkey population and minimizing hunter interference, according to the DNR. Harvest authorizations levels reflect the amount of turkey habitat, turkey population densities and distribution in each zone.

The Wisconsin system has earned increasing praise from wildlife managers and hunters in recent years as the Badger State turkey population shows relative stability as many other states, including in the south and southeast, experience marked turkey declines. Game managers in some of those states have implemented lower bag limits or "no jake" rules in recent years in an effort to provide more protection for and help rebuild the turkey population.

Wisconsin wild turkey management zones.

For the 2026 Wisconsin spring turkey hunting season, the DNR made 254,227 harvest authorizations available; 146,644 were awarded through the drawing, according to DNR information. The rest were offered for sale beginning in March.

As of May 15, 23,947 remained available for sale (13,437 in Zone 1 and 10,510 in Zone 2).

Advertisement

Compared to the 2025 spring turkey hunting season, through four periods hunters in 2026 registered slightly fewer birds in the first two time periods and the youth hunt but more in the third and fourth periods.

Wisconsin has offered a spring turkey hunting season since 1983.

Following the highly successful DNR-led reintroduction of wild turkeys to Wisconsin in 1976, the state has earned a reputation as one of the nation's leading destinations for wild turkey hunting.

In the spring 2025 hunting season, 50,291 wild turkeys were registered, the fifth time the spring harvest has topped 50,000 in Wisconsin. The Badger State spring 2025 harvest was second highest (Missouri was first) among states.

Harvest information in Wisconsin is obtained through mandatory registration of harvested turkeys.

To pursue wild turkeys in Wisconsin, hunters need a turkey harvest authorization (formerly known as a carcass tag or permit), a turkey hunting license and a wild turkey stamp.

The authorization, license and stamp may be purchased on the DNR's Go Wild site or at authorized license sales outlets, including many sporting goods stores.

A slate call and striker and a box call rest on a ground pad during an April 16, 2026 wild turkey hunt near Eastman, Wisconsin.

Sales of Wisconsin wild turkey stamps generate about $750,000 annually, according to the DNR. All of the turkey stamp revenue is used for turkey management in the state, including for projects conducted by the DNR, conservation groups and other organizations.

Project proposals are submitted, reviewed and approved by the DNR Wild Turkey Management Advisory Committee and the Wildlife Policy Team.

Turkey hunters in Wisconsin are required to register their bird by 5 p.m. the day after recovery through an online harvest registration system or, optionally, via an automated phone registration system

The 2026 Wisconsin season included the April 11 and 12 youth hunt with the six regular season periods starting April 15. The final season, period F, will run May 20 to 26.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Turkey hunters in Wisconsin on track for another very good season

Turkey hunters in Wisconsin having another very good spring season

With about one-third remaining, preliminary registration data show hunters are having another very good spring wild turkey hunting seas...

 

SnS JRNL © 2015 | Distributed By My Blogger Themes | Designed By Templateism.com