Turkey Forecast 2005

2005 Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania Turkey Forecast

Ohio’s turkey forecast for the 2005 season is basically the same as the 2004 according to Division of Wildlife biologist Dave Swanson.

While 2004 was a good brood year for the turkey, as in the case of West Virginia; this season will reflect poor brood seasons in 2002 and 2003. Dave told us that last year

A total of 16,927 gobblers, 16.9% fewer than in 2003, were harvested during the 2004 Ohio wild turkey season which was held in all 88 counties from April 26 through May 23. Youth hunters harvested 1,520 of these gobblers during the statewide youth hunting season held on April 24 and 25. The 2004 season was the 39th since modern spring turkey hunting was initiated in 1966). Turkey abundance was expected to be somewhat lower than that of the previous year, based on below average reproductive success in 2003.

Ashtabula County, with a reported harvest of 673 gobblers, topped the list of counties. Rounding out the top 5 counties, which collectively accounted for almost 17% of the 2004 harvest, were Belmont (542 birds), Jefferson (532 birds), Knox (529 birds), and Harrison (522 birds). Compared to the 2003 spring turkey season, the harvest increased in 29 counties, decreased in 57, and stayed the same in 2). As expected, most of the harvest (57.6%) occurred during the first week of the season. The balance was divided between the second week (18.9%), third week (12.6%), and fourth week (10.9%).

A mild winter and a good brood in 2004 will make for some great turkey hunting in the 2006 season, according to Swanson, but for this year, much like last, the woods might be a little quiet from the thunderous sounds of those two year old birds.

In Dave’s opinion the earlier season might help hunters in their pursuit of the gobbler, but he still expects the numbers to be around the16,000.

Dave said that there are plenty of birds in Ohio but jakes, not two-year-old birds, will be the most common you call in this season.

Breakdown by county for the past couple years look like this:

Once again this year’s turkey season in the Buckeye State will start on April and run through a full week earlier than the 2004 season. The forecast from biologist Swanson in this year’s season will be about the same as last year.

At Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine’s press time the Pennsylvania Game Commission was not in the position to make a 2005 turkey season forecast. We were able to get some of the figures for the 2004 season.

Mary Jo Casalena, game commission wild turkey biologist, told OVO that we have no harvest numbers yet for fall 2004 (deer harvest data input takes precedence over other species). She did report to the commissioners that the total number of fall turkey harvest report cards received so far are about the same as last year, and 22 percent below fall 2003 for the same time period.

The preliminary spring 2004 total is approximately 41,000. This is down about 5 percent from the previous 10-year average of approximately 43,300. The 2000-2003 average was approximately 48,000.

Most biologists, and hunters for that matter, in the Keystone State agree that the past several years have seen much lower than normal turkey season harvests. Poor mast crops and poor brood seasons have, as in the cases of Ohio and West Virginia, been blamed for the turkey decline.

Also, as in Ohio and West Virginia, most experts agree the 2004 brood year was very good and young birds in the state will make for possible record harvest in the 2006 season.

The Pennsylvania turkey season runs from but for this year expect much of the same as last year in.

Preliminary Spring 2004 Turkey Harvest by WMU:

Preliminary

WMU Harvest WMU Harvest WMU Harvest

1A 2,427 1B 2,959 2A 2,602

2B 1,995 2C 2,251 2D 4,004

2E 971 2F 1,935 2G 2,305

3A 1,200 3B 2,123 3C 2,251

3D 2,015 4A 1,018 4B 1,240

4C 2,629 4D 1,658 4E 2,332

5A 506 5B 553 5C 1,651

5D 128 TOTAL 41,017

West Virginia’s turkey forecast for the 2005 season is basically the same as the 2004 season and quite similar to Ohio’s.

While 2004 was a good brood year for the turkey in the mountain state; this season will reflect pool brood seasons in 2002 and 2003.

In an interview with Ohio Valley Outdoors Jim Peck from the West Virginia Division of Wildlife cited poor mass and the poor brood seasons for the state’s current numbers.

A mild winter and a good brood in 2004 will make for some great turkey hunting in the 2006 season, but for this year hunters can expect to harvest around the same number of birds as the 2004 season. That number is expected to be between 11,000 and 14,000 birds.

Peck said that there are plenty of birds in the state but jakes (two year old birds) will be the most common this season.

While Hancock and Brook counties showed an increase in their harvest, other northern counties showed a decrease.

Hancock County increased from 128 birds in 2003 to 182 in 2004. Brook also increased from 140 to 144.

Ohio dropped from 138 to 116, Marshall went from 363 to 278, Wetzel dropped from 236 to only 200, Tyler 326 to 178, Pleasant 113 to 89, and Wood dropped from 357 birds in 2003 to 229 this past season.

Outlook on the season, according to Peck, is expected to hold about the same or slightly better this year than last year.