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Spring Turkey Hunters Harvest 3,861 Gobblers

Five Counties Report Record Harvests

Photo of turkey in field of buttercups

Photo by Erik Yetter

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that hunters reported harvesting 3,861 wild turkeys during the 2018 regular spring and junior hunt turkey seasons. This year’s harvest was 8 percent lower than the record 2017 harvest, but well above the 10-year average of 3,406.

“Turkey populations continue to grow in a few areas of the state, but several years of below-average reproduction has reduced numbers in most regions,” Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto said.

Washington County reported the highest harvest this year with 459 turkeys, followed by Garrett County with 412. Rounding out the top five were Charles County with 336, Frederick County with 313, and Allegany County with 250. Record harvests were reported in Baltimore, Charles, Howard, Montgomery and Washington counties this year.

Hunters in 10 counties were able to hunt on Sundays this year, which lead to a harvest of 327 turkeys.

Youth hunters kicked-off the spring turkey season with the Junior Turkey Hunt April 14 statewide and April 15 in select counties, reporting 239 wild turkeys harvested.

Reported Spring Turkey Harvest, 2013-2018

County

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Allegany

269

258

298

256

293

250

Anne Arundel

82

54

62

45

58

49

Baltimore

37

32

35

52

51

55

Calvert

57

59

69

73

59

76

Caroline

142

141

159

172

149

135

Carroll

33

45

62

76

103

103

Cecil

55

57

67

69

87

69

Charles

270

254

253

265

320

336

Dorchester

245

239

252

274

303

212

Frederick

215

193

256

299

332

313

Garrett

386

383

421

387

429

412

Harford

110

97

102

110

127

105

Howard

16

10

16

34

24

36

Kent

118

150

164

181

174

168

Montgomery

82

68

97

94

135

149

Prince George’s

78

79

87

87

91

76

Queen Anne’s

159

165

183

190

160

115

Somerset

124

120

169

150

163

145

St. Mary’s

127

173

193

188

202

191

Talbot

103

83

68

88

94

80

Washington

309

343

392

355

426

459

Wicomico

124

146

138

206

175

139

Worcester

203

176

224

223

220

188

     Total

3,344

3,325

3,767

3,874

4,175

3,861

The turkey season ended May 23.


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