State Turkeys Tough Birds

[Skunk]

State Turkeys Tough Birds

Posted: Jun. 24, 2009

by Paul Smith, Outdoors Editor, JSOnline

The Wisconsin wild turkey has added another feather to its cap.

Not that the well-plumaged birds need it. But the 2009 spring hunting season has further enhanced the turkey's hardy reputation.

On the heels of two consecutive years of abnormally tough breeding conditions that featured everything from wet, cool spring weather, multiple 100-year floods and one very challenging winter, the turkey has once again proved its moxie.

Hunters registered 52,581 turkeys this spring, just 233 short of the record harvest of 2008.

With the wily birds spread across the entire state, population estimates are difficult and wildlife managers rely heavily on the harvest results to gauge the size and composition of the flock.

"We are very pleased with what we've seen from the spring harvest," said Scott Hull, upland game ecologist with the Department of Natural Resources. "Despite some intense weather events the past couple years and concerns about increased mortality, Wisconsin's turkey population has once again proved that it is strong, stable and resilient."

Hunter success was 24% this spring, down 1% from 2008 but on par with historical levels.

The department issued a record 218,133 permits this spring, up 9,161 from 2008.

Hull said that although the increased number of permits obviously helped push up the harvest, the turkey population was the key.

"We know production was off some last spring," said Hull. "But there are a lot of birds on the landscape. Without having a high population, we'd never come close to this level of harvest."

The 2009 spring harvest data reinforce lower turkey brood counts the last two years. When there is high survival of young turkeys one year, the next spring typically shows a higher proportion of jakes (1-year-old male turkeys) in the harvest.

When reproduction is down, the jake harvest falls.

The 2009 spring harvest comprised 86% adult gobblers and 13% jakes, according to DNR data. That compares to 81% and 18% in 2008 and 75% and 24% in 2007.

Jakes make up 25% to 28% of the spring harvest in "normal" times, said Sharon Fandel, assistant upland ecologist for the DNR.

Although the jake harvest has fallen for two consecutive years, the population of adult hens and toms is high and, weather permitting, there is reason to expect another good reproduction year soon, said Fandel.

"We usually see the turkey population bounce back within two to three years of a dip," said Fandel.

Although this year's harvest declined by about 200 birds from last year's record, there have been precious few drops associated with the Wisconsin wild turkey reintroduction.

Native to the state, the turkey was extirpated in the 1800s by unregulated hunting and loss of habitat. It was restored to Wisconsin in the 1970s. In a trap-and-trade program, Wisconsin exchanged ruffed grouse for wild turkeys from Missouri.

DNR biologists first released turkeys in the Bad Axe River watershed of western Wisconsin. The population of the wild birds blossomed and is now found in all 72 counties.

"It's the greatest wildlife story in our state's history," said Dean Hamilton of Waunakee, president of the Wisconsin chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The first turkey hunting season was held in 1983. The department issued 1,200 permits; hunters registered 182 turkeys.

While participation in waterfowl hunting and deer hunting has dropped from historical highs, the ranks of turkey hunters continue to grow.

"A lot of hunters really like the opportunity to hunt in spring," said Hamilton. "It adds a whole new dimension to our hunting."

The Wisconsin turkey harvest is a perennial top-10 on the national hunting landscape. Although figures are still being tallied, Wisconsin could top all states this spring.

Missouri, another top turkey-hunting destination, recorded a 2009 spring harvest of 44,713, according to preliminary reports.

Alabama, which reported a 2008 harvest of 65,000 birds, has yet to release information on this year's hunt.

Pennsylvania, another leading turkey hunting state, is also still compiling 2009 numbers. But in 2008 hunters there killed 40,500 birds; the Keystone State record was 49,200 turkeys in the spring of 2001, said Jerry Feaser of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Pennsylvania has about 225,000 to 250,000 spring turkey hunters.

Wisconsin has long been considered a national leader in deer, ruffed grouse and waterfowl hunting. But none of those species needed to be reintroduced.

Thanks partly to a game bird with supreme survival instincts and partly to well-executed wildlife management plan, now Wisconsin has to be mentioned in any discussion of American turkey hunting.

Fall hunt: The fall 2009 wild turkey season will run from Sept. 12 to Nov. 19, with the likelihood of an extended season pending legislative review. If approved, the extended season dates will include Nov. 30 to Dec. 31. The Journal Sentinel will publish information of any change in a future edition.

The deadline for applying for a fall permit through the lottery process is Aug. 1. Applications cost $3 and can be purchased over the Internet through the Online Licensing Center; at automated license issuance system sales locations; or by calling toll-free (877) 945-4236.

Send e-mail to psmith@journalsentinel.com

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/49047266.html

[buck460XVR]

never saw so many hens as I did this year.......but ain't seen a jake while hunting the last two years even tho I have seen plenty of Toms. Hope they have a good hatch this year and extend the fall season to knock down some hens.