Hunters eager to watch turkeys strut their stuff

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Turkey hunting is trending upward in Arkansas, and because of two years of good gobbler carryover adult gobblers should be plentiful this spring.

Our 16-day turkey season will run April 19 through May 4, and we can expect a late opener for the foreseeable future. Hunters complained when the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission started shortening seasons and pushing back opening days in 2007, but they have mostly reconciled to the new reality now that they are starting to see positive results.

Hunters killed 9,122 turkeys in 2013, a 1 percent increase over the 8,928 killed in 2012. Opening day, April 20, was definitely the best day to hunt. Hunters killed almost 2,250 birds, nearly a quarter of the season total. April 21 produced the next-highest total, about 1,190 gobblers. From April 23-May 5, the daily kill never exceeded 500birds. From April 29-May 3, the daily kill never exceeded 100 birds.

As usual, the Ozarks were the best place to hunt last year. Hunters killed the most gobblers in Sharp County (341), followed by Fulton County (313), Van Buren County (264), Newton County (261), Izard County (253), Stone County (230) and Searcy County (214). Those seven counties produced 21 percent of the state’s turkey harvest.

Union County was our third-best county with 278 birds. Clark County, also in the Gulf Coastal Plain, was eighth with 228 birds.

Our best public areas for turkey hunting last year were Muddy Creek Wildlife Management Area (79 gobblers) and the Ozark National Forest (70). Sylamore WMA produced 50, and White Rock WMA produced 47. Hunters killed 63 birds on Winona WMA and 60 at Mount Magazine WMA.

“The 2011 brood survey indicated the second-lowest number of poults per hen in recent years, but the additional carryover of jakes appeared to somewhat make up for those dismal numbers,” said Jason Honey, turkey biologist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “It is also possible that excellent weather and hunting conditions enabled hunters to take a larger percentage of the population than usual during the 2013 season.” REGIONAL OUTLOOKS

We had a phenomenal hatch in 2012, and male turkeys hatched that year are adult gobblers this spring. We also had a great hatch in 2010. The no-jakes rule went into effect in 2011, which allowed many gobblers to reach adulthood in 2011.

Despite poor weather for much of the nesting and brood-rearing season in 2013, reproduction was actually pretty decent in most of the state. According to the AGFC’s 2013 Wild Turkey Population Summer Survey, the statewide poult-to-hen index was 1.82. Honey said that a PPH index of 2 indicates a growing population. He added that 49 percent of hens were observed with poults in 2013.

Of course, the PPH index is an average. Reproduction in some areas was better than in others, but the bad areas, specifically the Delta, dragged down the overall index.

Also, according to the survey, observers reported seeing 569 gobblers in 2013, compared to 502 in 2012.

Observers in the Gulf Coastal Plain returned 64 turkey brood surveys to Honey in 2013. They observed 81 gobblers and 64 hens with a total of 401 poults. They also observed 90 hens without poults. The PPH index there was 2.6, which indicates a thriving population. It was the best in the state.

Gobbler carryover in the Gulf Coastal Plain was listed as “good.” The gobbler/hen index was .52. Honey said the ideal is 1:1.

Paper companies and timber companies own much of the Gulf Coastal Plain, and they lease hunting rights to clubs and individuals. They have been clearcutting a lot of timber over the past three years, creating miles of excellent nesting and brood-rearing habitat.

“I hope they continue to clearcut and keep those [timber] rotations going,” Honey said.

Turkey production was also good in the Ouachitas, where the poult/hen index was 2.5. Observers returned 89 brood surveys, which showed 90 gobblers and 108 hens, 117 broods and 660 poults. The gobbler/hen index was only .34.

Reproduction in the Ozarks was spotty in 2013. Observers returned 91 surveys that showed 126 hens with poults, 136 broods and 657 poults. However, observers also noted 324 gobblers, and the gobbler/hen index was .79. The poult/hen index was just 1.6.

Gobbler carryover in the Ozark National Forest was good. It was above average in the northern Ozarks and average in the eastern Ozarks. Reproduction was poor in the eastern Ozarks.

In 63 brood surveys from the Delta, observers noted only 29 hens with poults and just 103 poults. The poult/hen index was just .59.

Sports, Pages 30 on 02/16/2014