TurkeySeason.com — Interactive map and data aggregation system for all 50 states.
We built the TurkeySeason.com seasons map — an interactive, data-driven tool that aggregates turkey hunting season dates and regulations from every state into a single searchable map, and host the infrastructure behind it.
Turkey hunting season data was scattered across 50 different state sources.
Turkey hunters and researchers looking to plan hunts across multiple states faced a frustrating problem: every state manages its own hunting seasons, and the data — dates, zones, regulations, season types — lives on 50 different state agency websites in 50 different formats.
There was no single place to see and compare season dates across states. Finding out when spring turkey season opened in a neighboring state meant navigating an unfamiliar state wildlife agency website, hunting for a PDF or table, and manually tracking down the right information. Multiply that by every state a traveler or researcher cared about and the process was genuinely time-consuming.
The core challenges to solve
- Season data existed in disparate formats — PDFs, HTML tables, downloadable spreadsheets — across 50 state sources
- Data needed to be aggregated, normalized, and kept current as states update their regulations annually
- The final product needed to be geographic and intuitive — users should be able to look at a map and immediately understand season windows by state
- The tool needed to support filtering by season type, date range, and region
- Infrastructure had to be reliable — this is a reference tool hunters depend on during planning season
An automated data pipeline feeding a fully interactive map.
We designed and built two connected systems: a backend data aggregation pipeline that collects, normalizes, and stores turkey hunting season data from all 50 states, and a frontend interactive map that lets users explore that data visually.
The map renders each state as a selectable region. Clicking a state surfaces its season dates, zone breakdowns, and regulation notes. Users can filter by spring or fall season, view states by open/closed status relative to a given date, and compare season windows across regions.
What was delivered
- Data aggregation system pulling season data from all 50 state sources
- Normalization layer converting disparate formats into a consistent data schema
- Interactive SVG-based US map with per-state season data overlaid
- State detail panels showing season dates, zones, and regulation summaries
- Filtering by season type (spring/fall) and date-based open/closed status
- Annual data update workflow for keeping season dates current each year
- UST-hosted infrastructure serving the map and all underlying data
Built for data accuracy and map performance.
Node.js aggregation
Custom scripts collect and normalize season data from state sources, handling varied formats including PDFs, HTML tables, and structured downloads.
PostgreSQL
Structured storage for all 50 states' season data — dates, zones, season types, and regulation metadata — queryable by the map API.
Interactive SVG map
State-level geographic visualization with dynamic data overlays, color-coding by season status, and per-state detail panels.
REST API
Serves season data to the map frontend with filtering support by season type, state, and date range.
UST Application Hosting
Map infrastructure and data API hosted on UST-managed servers with SSL, uptime monitoring, and annual data update support.
From raw state data to an interactive map.
Data collection
The aggregation system pulls turkey season data from each state's wildlife agency — handling PDF extraction, HTML parsing, and structured data sources depending on the state.
Normalization
Raw data is normalized into a consistent schema: state, season type, open date, close date, zones, and regulation notes — regardless of the original source format.
Map rendering
The frontend map queries the API and overlays season data on each state, color-coding by status and enabling per-state detail on click.
Annual updates
Season dates are updated annually when states publish new regulations — the aggregation pipeline is re-run and verified before the new season data goes live.
What made this project technically interesting.
50 different data formats
No two states publish hunting season data the same way. Some use PDFs, some use HTML tables, some offer structured downloads. The aggregation system had to handle each format and normalize it into a single consistent schema without losing zone-level detail.
Geographic accuracy at the zone level
Many states split turkey seasons by zone — different parts of the state open at different times. The data model and map rendering had to support this complexity while still presenting a clean, understandable visual to the user.
Keeping data current year over year
State regulations change annually. The system was designed with update workflows in mind — the pipeline can be re-run each year and validated against the previous year's data to catch changes before they reach users.
A live reference tool for hunters and researchers across the country.
The TurkeySeason.com seasons map is live and actively used by hunters and researchers looking for a single authoritative source on turkey season dates across the US. Instead of navigating 50 state wildlife agency websites, users can find what they need in seconds.
UST continues to host and maintain the infrastructure, with annual data updates keeping the map current as states publish new season regulations each year.
What was achieved
- All 50 states' turkey season data aggregated into one place
- Interactive map giving hunters and researchers instant geographic context
- Zone-level data preserved for states with split-season regulations
- Annual update process keeps the data accurate each new hunting year
- Hosted and maintained by UST on managed application infrastructure
Need a data aggregation system or interactive data visualization?
Tell us what data you're working with and what you want to do with it. We'll scope a fixed-price proposal.