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After the first week of wild turkey hunting in 2005, harvest numbers indicate the Bluegrass State is on pace to have another excellent spring turkey season.
According to the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department (KDFWR), hunters have reported 13,800 birds taken since opening of the season on April 15. The season continues through May 5.
"I’m very pleased with the harvest so far," said Jim Lane, KDFWR’s wild turkey program biologist.
"We’ve had very good years in 2002, 2003 and 2004, with a record season two years ago," Lane said.
"This year appears to be comparable to the last few excellent seasons."
As of April 21, 11 Kentucky counties had harvests topping 200 birds, two of which had already eclipsed 300. Ohio and Muhlenberg counties are leading the way, with 324 and 316 birds taken, followed by Owen with 293, Pendleton 284, Crittenden 264, Grayson 230, Hardin 229, Pulaski 222, Hopkins 221, Hart 217 and Cumberland County with 204 birds reported.
Lane notes that 21 percent of the gobblers taken so far have been juveniles, commonly called "jakes". These are birds from last year’s spring hatch. The remainder of the harvest has been adult birds, sometimes called longbeards, toms or gobblers. Adult gobblers are those male turkeys with beards longer than six inches, indicating age of at least two years old.
The Kentucky turkey population prior to the hunting season was estimated at about 230,000 birds. Hunter success usually runs between 30 and 35 percent by the close of the season.
Turkey hunting is one of Kentucky’s most challenging outdoor activities, and attracts thousands of participants. In 1978, there were only 2,000 birds in the Commonwealth. Restoration by the KDFWR has returned the flock to a healthy number and provides countless hours of outdoor recreation for modern-day sportsmen and women each year.
Bow, crossbow and shotgun hunters enjoy attempting to call a tom into range, which is about 40 yards. Turkeys are perhaps the most wary of Kentucky game species, having superb eyesight and hearing as natural defenses against predators. They are very difficult to stalk or slip up on, so most hunters use calling to bring the birds close enough for a clean kill shot.
So far, bowhunters in Kentucky have taken 82 birds, crossbow hunters have taken nine, and modern and muzzle loading shotgun hunters have harvested 13,710 turkeys. Lane estimates that 50 percent of the total number of turkeys that will be taken this year have already been harvested in the first week of hunting.
The spring turkey season limit is two male turkeys, or turkeys with visible beards. A very small percentage of hen turkeys have beards like toms do, and may be harvested if the hunter sees the beard. Otherwise, taking hens is prohibited in spring.
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