Turkey numbers could be fewer for W.Va. spring gobbler season

ELKINS, W.Va. — The best gauge West Virginia Division of Natural Resources can go by tell us the number of spring gobblers killed in the state this year should be down. The four-week season opens on Monday statewide.

Biologist Keith Krantz says the late opening date in April means the average gobbler taken by West Virginia hunters is a two year old bird. Therefore, he looked to the 2013 brood report to determine what hunters might expect.

“The brood reporting two years earlier is a good indicator of that two year old age class,” said Krantz.  “In that year they were off about 30 percent from the five-year average.  That would tell us on a statewide basis it may be less than last year.”

However, Krantz is also careful to point out the brood reports from 2013 also had a higher number of birds in the mountain counties and the western counties of the state.  He expected hunters in those areas to find more activity.  The eastern panhandle and southern coalfields could be where fewer birds are ranging.

During the 1990’s soon after the DNR’s trap and transfer program turkeys were in high abundance.   The harvest each year for several years was setting a new record.  However, as predicted eventually the number of birds leveled off and the harvest became more and more dependent on other environmental factors like mast, off season reproduction success, and hunter participation.

“Between 1993 and 2002 we averaged a kill of 14,410 birds,” Krantz said. “From 2003 to 2014 we’re down to 10, 285.  That’s a significant decline in harvest.”

Krantz said the population of turkeys built steadily as birds were reintroduced to new areas which tremendous habitat.   Eventually, it all evened out and the overall numbers of turkeys came back down.  He added however, they saw a lot more hunter participation in those years because of the higher chances of success.  As the prospects for success became more challenging, many gave up and stopped hunting. He said that also has a significant impact.

“This is very dependent on hunter participation and hunter effort,” Krantz said. “If we don’t have the same level of hunter participation from one year to the next, these harvest numbers can fluctuate just based on that.  It’s kind of up to the hunters to begin with.”

Some complain West Virginia’s season arrives too late.  But Krantz said for many years the season was set deliberately late to insure those numbers stay at a health level.

“We’re one of the states that’s actually tried to set it closer to the peak of incubation,” he explained. “When at least half of the hens are setting on a nest.  Because the more hens setting on a next the fewer hens are running around with gobblers and a hunter mistakes them for a gobbler and shoots one.”





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