3,008 Wild Turkey Harvest During The 2006 Spring Season

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ANNAPOLIS, MD—Maryland’s turkey hunters reported taking 3,008 wild turkeys during the 2006 spring turkey season according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service (WHS). The total harvest fell 4 percent below the 2005 record-high harvest of 3,136.

”Turkey populations are in excellent shape and continue to provide quality hunting opportunities across the State,” said Paul Peditto, Director, Wildlife and Heritage Service. ”This year’s harvest is consistent with the average harvest for the last seven years.”

Annual surveys conducted by WHS indicated that reproductive success was below average across Maryland in the summer of 2005. Over 83 percent of this year’s harvest included adult gobblers. In a typical year, adults make up about 70 percent of the kill.

According to WHS Biologist Bob Long, “While there are fewer young turkeys (jakes) in the current population, 2-year-old turkeys produced during the record-high reproduction of 2004 are plentiful. These likely comprised a large portion of the harvest.”

Maryland’s junior hunters experienced good weather during the youth hunt that took place on April 15, resulting in a harvest of 168 turkeys. This 1-day hunt allows hunters ages 16 and younger to hunt with an unarmed adult before the regular season opens when hunter pressure is minimal and gobbling activity is at its peak.

As in the past, a large portion of the harvest (44 percent) occurred during the first week. While most hunters took their birds on private land, 18 percent were taken on Maryland’s public hunting areas.

The western mountain counties of Garrett (342), Washington (340), and Allegany (331) led the state in harvest this spring. Dorchester (265), Worcester (253), Charles (227), and Somerset (204) counties also supported respectable harvests, demonstrating that high-quality turkey hunting can be found in most regions of the State. All-time high harvests in counties such as Talbot, Harford, Baltimore, Caroline, and Kent suggest that populations continue to grow and expand in some areas, providing additional recreational opportunities for Maryland’s sportsmen and women.

Maryland’s reported wild turkey harvest, 2000-2006.
County	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Allegany	331	364	336	332	337	328	331
Anne Arundel	29	51	67	59	75	70	65
Baltimore	10	11	14	20	21	24	28
Calvert	105	120	94	110	64	53	59
Caroline	29	44	42	50	47	66	75
Carroll	5	19	17	13	10	28	24
Cecil	17	25	13	8	10	17	10
Charles	138	190	223	198	183	213	227
Dorchester	297	334	322	325	289	332	265
Frederick	134	156	159	171	136	163	148
Garrett	533	567	490	431	325	365	342
Harford	26	27	26	37	44	47	59
Howard	1	3	3	2	5	3	7
Kent	20	29	41	39	36	44	50
Montgomery	52	45	44	40	31	56	56
Prince George's	68	84	102	92	78	83	95
Queen Anne's	39	51	68	60	59	80	82
St. Mary's	21	36	45	43	61	96	62
Somerset	164	165	201	230	169	215	204
Talbot	38	42	46	62	42	49	80
Washington	240	278	296	325	305	340	322
Wicomico	184	168	192	169	164	180	164
Worcester	225	266	286	304	269	284	253
State	2706	3075	3127	3120	2760	3136	3008

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June 8, 2006

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov