Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release : December 14, 2006

Hoy Murphy, Public Information Officer (304) 558-3381 hoymurphy@wvdnr.gov

Contact: Paul Johansen, Wildlife Resources Section (304) 558-2771 wildlife@wvdnr.gov

2006 Fall Wild Turkey Harvest

The unofficial fall wild turkey harvest in 2006 was 1,010, according to Paul R. Johansen, Assistant Chief of Game Management in the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The kill was 11 percent lower than the 1,130 reported in 2005 and was the lowest fall harvest since 1967.

  The top five counties during the fall season were Preston (136), Greenbrier (123), Randolph (97), Monroe (80), and Pocahontas (64). Of the five Division of Natural Resources (DNR) districts open to fall hunting, District 2 in the Eastern Panhandle had the highest kill with 313 birds reported, followed by District 3 in the mountains with reports totaling 238. District 1 (in the northwest) and District 4 (the southern part of the state) each reported 203 birds checked, and the lowest harvest report was District 6 in the western part of West Virginia with 53 birds reported from the two counties open to fall hunting. Of the five districts open to fall hunting, the kill was up 20 percent in District 1, with lower kills reported in the remainder of the state.

  “We have observed a 5-year decline in our fall harvests in West Virginia,” said Johansen. “The primary cause for the decline in harvest this year was due to having fewer counties open to fall hunting and the abundant oak mast in many areas, which made it more difficult for hunters to locate birds.”

  When the harvest is compared to last year in counties that were open both years, the kill declined 10 percent. A lower number of counties were open this fall because poor brood years have lowered the base population in many areas of the state. Although brood production was better this year (12 percent above last year and slightly above the 5-year average) than the preceding years, the best production was in southern West Virginia, where most counties were closed to fall hunting. Poor brood years and severe winter weather, especially during the winter of 2002-2003, have reduced the base wild turkey population in the higher mountain counties.

  The Division of Natural Resources is presently researching the gobbler population to find answers to better regulate the wild turkey resource. A five year harvest chart by county follows.