Tennesee’s Wild Side Weekly Article

The Volunteer Flock

Randy Huskey, TWRA

It is once again time to head to the Tennessee turkey woods. When Tennessee's spring wild turkey season begins on April 1, 2006, hunters are likely to encounter fewer juvenile birds. Wild turkey populations experience high mortality rates from year to year; 50% of the total population may die during any given year. Turkeys are very susceptible to changes in weather conditions and food availability during the brood-rearing period. When turkeys experience food shortages and lower reproduction rates the population will decrease.

During the last three springs, the weather during the brood rearing period has deviated from normal patterns. Above average monthly rainfall in June, July and August may greatly affect the poults survivability. This is reflected in TWRA's annual brood survey. A brood survey is a population index which is widely used by many state wildlife agencies to measure productivity. The brood survey is conducted from June to August by TWRA personnel and provides such information as poult-per-hen ratio, brood size, number of broods, and hens without poults. In 2003 and 2005 the brood survey indicated a poult-per-hen ratio below 2.7 which is necessary to maintain current population levels.

The low poult-per-hen ratio and the slight drop in harvest in 2005, indicates that wild turkey populations have stabilized throughout the state. The rapid rates of population growth experienced in the 90's are over. The turkey population has reached maximum density levels in most areas of Tennessee; however, there are areas in the state where the population continues to expand.

Turkey populations are going to experience yearly fluctuations and currently the declines that we are experiencing are not that statistically significant. However, the agency is keeping a close eye on our turkey flocks and harvest levels. Most of the surrounding southern states are experiencing the same decrease in the poult-per-hen ratio.

The Volunteer flock numbers around 300,000 birds and hopefully last fall's good mast crop combined with a mild winter have put hens in peak condition heading into the spring breeding season. If weather conditions are good during brood rearing period our turkey population will rebound.

Turkey hunter numbers in Tennessee have increased in recent years. Ten years ago an estimated 32,481 hunters hunted turkey, last spring over 90,231 hunters in Tennessee pursued the wild turkey. Despite the increase in hunter numbers, the success rate of turkey hunters has not dropped. In spring 2005 32% of turkey hunters were successful in harvesting a wild turkey. Tennessee's wild turkey hunters are becoming more selective, the harvest of juvenile birds has steadily declined since 2000. Turkey hunters are passing up younger birds and harvesting more three and four year old birds.

The harvest in 2005 dropped slightly from the previous years all time record. In 2005 32,127 turkeys were harvested, the harvest in 2004 was 32,461 turkeys.

The 2006 spring season begins on April 1, 2006 and ends on May 14, 2006. Hunters may harvest up to four bearded turkeys during the spring season.

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