Wild Turkey Harvest Increased For The 2009 Spring Season
Annapolis, Md. - Maryland hunters reported taking 2,910 wild turkeys
during the 2009 spring turkey season, registering a 3 percent increase from the
2008 harvest of 2,833 turkeys.
“More than 2,900 birds taken this spring indicate that the statewide population
is generally stable and wild turkeys continue to do well in most regions of
Maryland,” stated Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Upland Game Bird
Biologist Bob Long. “The statewide spring turkey harvest has averaged 2,913
birds over the last 10 years.”
The harvest data is consistent with DNR survey results which documented that
young gobblers, called jakes, were less abundant in most regions this year.
“The number of jakes reported was below average, comprising only 19 percent of
the harvest,” added Long.
Despite inclement weather, junior hunters took 126 gobblers during the one day
youth hunt held on April 11, similar to last year’s youth day harvest of 134
turkeys.
As in the past, the western mountain counties lead the state in harvest; Garrett
County reported 364 turkeys, followed by Allegany (342) and Washington (308).
Dorchester (236), Worcester (202), and Charles (186) counties also reported good
harvest numbers. Approximately 10,000 hunters pursue turkeys annually in the
spring season and about 25% are successful in taking at least one turkey.
| Maryland's reported wild turkey harvest, 2003-2009. | |||||||
|
County |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|
Allegany |
332 |
337 |
328 |
331 |
259 |
345 |
342 |
|
Anne Arundel |
59 |
75 |
70 |
65 |
47 |
61 |
39 |
|
Baltimore |
20 |
21 |
24 |
28 |
27 |
34 |
19 |
|
Calvert |
110 |
64 |
53 |
59 |
40 |
53 |
49 |
|
Caroline |
50 |
47 |
66 |
75 |
79 |
107 |
105 |
|
Carroll |
13 |
10 |
28 |
24 |
15 |
20 |
27 |
|
Cecil |
8 |
10 |
17 |
10 |
24 |
27 |
29 |
|
Charles |
198 |
183 |
213 |
227 |
209 |
193 |
186 |
|
Dorchester |
325 |
289 |
332 |
265 |
205 |
242 |
236 |
|
Frederick |
171 |
136 |
163 |
148 |
115 |
152 |
115 |
|
Garrett |
431 |
325 |
365 |
342 |
303 |
327 |
364 |
|
Harford |
37 |
44 |
47 |
59 |
37 |
61 |
68 |
|
Howard |
2 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
Kent |
39 |
36 |
44 |
50 |
47 |
62 |
85 |
|
Montgomery |
40 |
31 |
56 |
56 |
50 |
37 |
53 |
|
Prince George's |
92 |
78 |
83 |
95 |
55 |
70 |
73 |
|
Queen Anne's |
60 |
59 |
80 |
82 |
73 |
127 |
124 |
|
Somerset |
230 |
169 |
215 |
204 |
137 |
132 |
142 |
|
St. Mary's |
43 |
61 |
96 |
62 |
59 |
59 |
84 |
|
Talbot |
62 |
42 |
49 |
80 |
74 |
102 |
105 |
|
Washington |
325 |
305 |
340 |
322 |
269 |
281 |
308 |
|
Wicomico |
169 |
164 |
180 |
164 |
134 |
133 |
150 |
|
Worcester |
304 |
269 |
284 |
253 |
196 |
206 |
202 |
|
State |
3120 |
2760 |
3136 |
3008 |
2455 |
2833 |
2910 |
| June 3, 2009 |
Contact: Josh Davidsburg |
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 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 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 12 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