Fall turkey hunters saw improved success in 2012 over the previous year. The DNR reports preliminary figures for the fall harvest of 1,233 birds killed during the season. It’s a four-percent increase over the fall numbers in 2011 and three-percent ahead of the five year average.
“Fall wild turkey harvests are highly influenced by hunter participation, annual recruitment of young turkeys and hard mast conditions,” said DNR Wildlife Chief Curtis Taylor. “The above-average but scattered acorn crop of 2012 concentrated birds in areas of abundant mast, making those birds somewhat more susceptible to harvest, especially in our non-traditional, fall hunting counties.”
Greenbrier County had the highest turkey harvest in the autumn months where 139 birds were killed. Hunters in Nicholas County ranked second with 98 birds. Randolph County was third with 91 and Monore with 89 and Summers with 71 round out the top five counties.
Biologists note the traditional fall turkey hunting region in mountains and eastern panhandle counties accounted for 56% of the fall turkey harvest.