Georgia wildlife officials report decline in wild turkeys
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - State agencies and researchers across the Southeast are reporting an alarming decline in the number of wild turkeys.
Wild turkeys are a game species. You can find wild turkeys ready for hunting in every county in Georgia.
Turkey season starts in March. Hunters raid it’s one of the more exciting seasons, but some of that excitement has been replaced with frustration. Hunters are harvesting fewer turkeys.
According to a report from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Division, statewide an estimated 37,568 hunters hunted wild turkey in 2022; down 31% from 2021. These hunters harvested an estimated 10,970 gobblers in 2022, a 40% decrease from 2021
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Emily Rushton is the turkey expert for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Rushton said right now the population isn’t sustainable.
“The number of poults they see, which is their young, is a big marker in how our population is doing is how many poults a hen raises,” said Rushton.
DNR reports each hen raised an average of 1.5 poults. They need to raise two to break even.
Some of the factors contributing to the declining number of turkeys include reproduction, hunting pressure, and loss of habitat. Turkeys are the only game birds hunted during their mating season.
Two years ago, Georgia pushed back the date to give the birds more time to mate.
“We’re going to wait and see how this goes to see if goes the way that we want,” said Rushton.
About 93% of turkeys in Georgia live on private land. They’re hoping people who might have turkeys in their neighborhoods can help by giving them a safe environment to lay their eggs.
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