2010 harvest numbers

[eddie234]

2010 West Virginia Spring Gobbler Harvest Tops 10,000


Preliminary figures indicate West Virginia hunters harvested 10,006 bearded turkeys statewide during the recently completed 2010 spring gobbler season. This year's spring harvest is approximately two percent above the 9,787 birds taken in 2009. It is the first time the spring harvest exceeded 10,000 since 2006.

The top five counties in 2010 were Mason (536), Marshall (316), Putnam (315), Lincoln (278), and Harrison (269). Four of the state's districts had slight declines; however, two districts showed an increase in harvest from last year. Harvests in the western and southwestern portions of the state were higher in 2010. District 5 showed the greatest percentage increase (35), while District 2 had the largest decrease at 12 percent.

"Our biologists predicted a very similar kill in 2010 based on brood reports," said Curtis I. Taylor, Chief of the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. "Normal weather conditions across much of the spring season enabled hunters to have plenty of time afield. In addition, a good carryover of mature toms provided many mornings of recreation for Mountain State hunters."

Biologists had forecast a spring harvest of approximately 10,000 gobblers for 2010 based on past data. The lack of available mast during fall 2009 may have affected gobbling in some regions but the overall population survived the winter in good shape.

With more favorable winter weather conditions and sufficient fall foods, there should be an abundance of gobblers for the 2011 spring season, Taylor predicted.

**DNR**
West Virginia Spring Wild Turkey Harvest , 2006-2010

County 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Barbour 176 177 224 209 157
Brooke 121 101 79 86 91
Hancock 137 117 71 98 109
Harrison 254 237 291 310 269
Marion 190 201 178 175 178
Marshall 306 279 222 214 316
Monongalia 310 260 247 215 256
Ohio 137 77 53 64 94
Preston 400 330 371 378 226
Taylor 101 84 115 101 86
Tucker 98 83 85 68 63
Wetzel 200 204 253 213 199
Dist. I Subtotal 2,430 2,150 2,189 2,131 2,044
Berkeley 107 71 70 83 89
Grant 130 144 115 121 107
Hampshire 220 163 165 194 149
Hardy 226 156 141 172 158
Jefferson 51 46 34 44 27
Mineral 135 114 107 135 116
Morgan 116 87 88 63 69
Pendleton 136 140 101 114 100
Dist. II Subtotal 1,121 921 821 926 815
Braxton 282 211 199 226 197
Clay 82 80 77 89 66
Lewis 258 245 243 241 236
Nicholas 226 188 210 157 157
Pocahontas 128 127 102 117 107
Randolph 176 170 163 198 180
Upshur 258 212 288 298 256
Webster 108 98 98 113 104
Dist. III Subtotal 1,518 1,331 1,380 1,439 1,303
Fayette 261 231 279 255 215
Greenbrier 298 264 292 266 219
McDowell 270 214 250 181 267
Mercer 311 269 253 215 177
Monroe 200 170 142 178 143
Raleigh 264 282 221 227 180
Summers 287 284 258 219 220
Wyoming 243 197 209 227 256
Dist. IV Subtotal 2,134 1,911 1,904 1,768 1,677
Boone 159 132 118 111 185
Cabell 146 125 138 157 250
Kanawha 263 254 247 219 262
Lincoln 223 172 188 183 278
Logan 169 112 157 160 194
Mason 493 407 394 419 536
Mingo 100 80 82 95 107
Putnam 246 178 232 256 315
Wayne 207 164 145 146 239
Dist. V Subtotal 2,006 1,624 1,701 1,746 2,366
Calhoun 193 150 141 129 120
Doddridge 199 117 144 135 150
Gilmer 195 150 139 147 142
Jackson 353 332 310 257 268
Pleasants 97 59 89 63 73
Ritchie 317 244 208 206 232
Roane 293 268 229 219 206
Tyler 198 155 174 167 196
Wirt 272 216 185 175 165
Wood 409 337 315 279 249

Dist. VI Subtotal 2,526 2,028 1,934 1,777 1,801

State Total 11,735 9,965 9,929 9,787 10,006

[rbewilson]

Tenn. set a new record harvest this year with 39,032 beating the old record by also 3,000

[cuttnrun1187]

MD numbers are not nearly as good as what you guys have but I ain't complainin'. Turkeys have been relatively good to me since 2004 when I got serious about them. The following is from MD Department of Natural Resources webpage.





Spring Turkey Hunters Harvest 2,847 Wild Turkeys Annapolis, MD (June 3, 2010) -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports that 2,847 wild turkeys were harvested during the 2010 spring season, a slight 2 percent decline from last year's total of 2,910. Harvest numbers were tallied after the May 24 close of Maryland's spring turkey hunting season.

The 2010 numbers are similar to the 10-year average of 2,927, showing that Maryland's turkey population remains healthy despite the extended inclement weather this past winter.

"Many hunters were concerned that the exceptionally cold temperatures and deep snows this past winter might have harmed the turkey population," stated Bob Long, DNR's Upland Game Bird Biologist. "Based on the harvest numbers, the impacts were minor, even in western Maryland where snowfall amounts were very high."

Only 17 percent of the harvest was comprised of young gobblers, called jakes. This is well below average and supports DNR survey results that documented low reproductive success throughout most of the state last summer.

Junior hunters took advantage of good weather and harvested 147 gobblers during the one-day youth hunt held on April 17. Favorable hunting conditions continued through the early part of the regular season and 44 percent of the total harvest was taken in the first six days of hunting.

The highest harvest once again came from the State's western counties. Garrett County led the State with 345 turkeys, followed by Allegany (327) and Washington (303). Charles (215), Dorchester (213), and Worcester (191) counties also reported high harvests.

Approximately 10,000 hunters pursue turkeys annually during Maryland's spring season and about 25 percent are successful in taking at least one turkey.