Arkansas Sees Record Turkey Harvest, Boosting Hunting Enthusiasm
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) – Arkansas’s turkey hunting season concluded with an impressive haul of 11,332 turkeys, marking a significant 22% increase from 2024 and the most successful season since 2016. David Moscicki, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) Turkey Program coordinator, attributes this surge to favorable weather conditions and a growing turkey population, a trend sustained for five consecutive years.
Moscicki explained that most turkeys harvested this year were hatched at least two years ago, a result of strong hatch rates in recent years. “Two years ago was a good hatch, and last year’s was excellent across many areas,” he noted. The favorable conditions during the hunting season—characterized by minimal rain and mild temperatures—enhanced bird activity and increased hunter participation.
Data gathering efforts, including the Spring Turkey Hunter Survey, will further illuminate trends in turkey activity. Automated gobbling recorders will help provide insights into gobbling patterns, which can vary yearly based on weather.
While the harvest of juvenile turkeys, or jakes, remains low due to the “no jakes” rule implemented in 2011, Moscicki reassured that the focus on mature gobblers is effectively bolstering the population. In contrast to the record harvest year of 2003, where 4,610 jakes were collected, only 440 were taken this year.
As Arkansas enters a critical nesting period for turkeys, Moscicki highlighted the necessity of monitoring hatch success, emphasizing the pivotal role of weather in ensuring the survival of new poults. With peak nest initiation expected around April 18, this period will be crucial for the state’s turkey population’s continued growth.
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