WI Harvest numbers down this year

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State wildlife officials say hunters took fewer turkeys this spring.

The Department of Natural Resources says hunters registered 47,359 birds. That’s down 9.6 percent from 52,581 turkeys last year.

The agency issued 217,444 permits for the spring hunt, nearly 700 fewer permits than last spring. Hunters’ overall success rate was 22 percent, down from 24 percent last year.

DNR ecologists say a wet spring in 2008 and a cool summer in 2009 led to below-average brood production.

Not sure about everyone else, but I heard more toms this year than I did last year. I’m thinking next year should be a great year!

” Not sure about everyone else, but I heard more toms this year than I did last “

Not me in the Richland Center area both seasons I was out (3&4) very very low on the gobbling compared to last year, hardly heard a bird. They had some deep crusty snow over the winter and I’m wondering if that was the cause for the low bird numbers ?

That probably had something to do with it Garvi. I think with our very “early” spring it helped the birds out around here. I still can’t wait to do it all over again next spring. I see the other day that the toms and jakes are friends again as I saw a group of about 10 of them together.