Zak Danks, Wild Turkey & Ruffed Grouse Program Coordinator
Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources
August 15, 2019
POPULATION STATUS
Kentuckians are fortunate to have wild turkeys present
throughout the Commonwealth to hunt and enjoy. A precise estimate
of Kentucky’s turkey population would be very difficult
(expensive) to obtain, but a crude estimate is 250,000 to
400,000. Regardless of the actual number, turkeys are plentiful
enough to offer hunting opportunities rivaling any state.
SPRING TURKEY HARVEST
The reported harvest during Kentucky’s 2019 spring season
was 29,495 bearded birds. This total, which includes harvest during
youth weekend (April 7-8) and the regular season (April 13-
May 5), was 8% higher than last spring, 3% lower than the
5-year average, and 7% lower than the 10-year average. Youth
harvest was up 38%. Better weather boosted harvest during
opening weekend, which helped account for the overall increase.
Harvest increased in 80 counties, decreased in 35, and was
the same in 5 counties. Harvest ranged from 66-679 per county,
with 6 counties topping 500. Logan County led in total harvest
while Green County led in harvest per square mile. Harvest increased
5-17% in 7 of 9 Commission Districts and 1-16% in the
5 Wildlife Division Regions. Most of the increase in harvest was
in the western two-thirds of the state, where for example, harvests
in the 1st and 2nd Districts were up 15% and 17%, respectively.
Ten public areas had harvests of over 26 birds.
FALL TURKEY HARVEST
Fall turkey hunting last year included an archery season
(September 3–January 16), two week-long shotgun seasons (October
22–28 and December 3–11), and 2 crossbow seasons (October
1–16 and November 12–December 31). The total reported
fall harvest of 2,369 was up 27% compared to 2017-18, which
likely reflected a better hatch in 2018 compared to 2019’s record
low. Most (1,398) turkeys were harvested by shotgun (59%), although
the bow harvest continues to account for a greater proportion
of the fall harvest (19% in 2009 to 29% in 2018).
Despite last fall’s uptick, fall turkey harvest has declined; for
example, 5,700 birds were harvested in 2009. This has been disconcerting
to some hunters, and rightfully so given that turkey
biologists in past years
cautioned against harvesting
too many hens in the
fall. However, a closer look
at the data indicates that
fewer hunters pursue
turkeys. Resident and nonresident
fall turkey permit
sales declined by 66% and
22%, respectively, from
2009-10. Some of the loss
was offset by the 25% increase in the resident Sportsman’s license,
which includes a fall turkey permit. But harvest data show
that over time fewer hunters are accounting for more of the fallharvested
birds, which likely means fewer hunters pursuing
turkeys. In 2001 (first statewide fall season) 5% of successful
hunters harvested more than one turkey. Over the past decade
this figure has increased to an average of 17%. Also, less than
2% harvest 3 turkeys and less than 1% harvest the full bag limit
of 4. This signals a decline in interest in fall hunting and that fall
harvest currently is not excessive. Trends are similar in neighboring
Missouri, and recent research there has shown fall harvests
of less than 4%. Perhaps hunters are busy chasing Boone
and Crockett bucks. With so many deer hunters hunting over bait
these days, more areas are technically off-limits to turkey hunting
anyway.
REPRODUCTION
The Kentucky Department
of Fish and
Wildlife Resources (KDFWR)
has conducted a
summer brood survey
since 1984. Staff and volunteers
record all turkeys
seen during routine travels
in July and August.
We calculate a poult per
hen (PPH) ratio to indicate overall productivity, the percentage
of hens with poults to indicate nesting success, and a poults per
brood (PPB) ratio to index poult survival. In 2018 we made available
a mobile phone app and website to report turkey observations
along with traditional paper forms.
For the 2018 survey we received 789 observations of
turkeys, 64% of which were collected via the app. Encouragingly,
indices for overall productivity, nesting success, and poult survival
increased compared to 2017. The statewide PPH ratio of 2.0 was
66% higher than in 2017 and 17% higher than the 5-year average
(1.7). The percentage of hens with a brood (69%) was 35%
higher than in 2017. The statewide PPB of 3.7 was 11% higher
than in 2017. Based on past trends, the better reproduction observed
over most of the state in summer 2018 (see below) could
lead to an even higher spring harvest in 2020.
The 2019 brood survey season began on July 1st and will
conclude on August 31st. So far, data logged by participants using
the mobile phone app indicate a PPH ratio overall 2.0, which is
encouraging in light of heavy rain during early June over much
of the state. Time and further analysis will tell, but so far news
is encouraging.
EMERGING OR EVOLVING ISSUES
In 2018 we collected 36 male turkeys from hunters in Crittenden
and Livingston Counties. Our hope was to gather baseline
information on the health of these birds. Carcasses sent to the
Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease laboratory at the University
of Georgia for necropies did not reveal any significant
conditions, which was certainly encouraging. Lymphoproliferative
disease virus (LPDV) was detected in 39% of the turkeys, which
is consistent with recent findings in other states. Although LPDV
can cause tumors in organs of wild turkeys, none were observed
in our turkeys. Also, internal and external parasites found were
expected based on previous investigations outside of Kentucky.
A full report of findings can be found on the KDFWR website. We
encourage hunters to report turkeys found dead or appearing
strange.