Wisconsin 2013 Spring Turkey Harvest – first 3 periods

Update May 28, 2013  Total 2013 Wisconsin spring turkey kill

Wisconsin’s 2013 spring turkey hunt  has been one for the history books with all of the record setting cold and snow.  Even during the first week of May we experienced an unprecedented, never before recorded May snowstorm that dumped 20+ inches in some areas.  Over all it has been one tough hunt this year.

How the spring turkey hunters faired? 

Here the preliminary turkey harvest numbers for the first 3 seasons.

Time Period A, 4/10 through 4/16

Zone               Harvest

1                      2,232

2                      1,602

3                      1,946

4                      770

5                      380

6                      136

7                      66

Total             7,132

 

Time Period B, 4/17 through 4/23

Zone               Harvest

1                      1,995

2                      1,479

3                      1,765

4                      720

5                      359

6                      91

7                      61

Total          6,470

 

Time Period C, 4/24 through 4/30

Zone               Harvest

1                      2,342

2                      1,495

3                      1,904

4                      967

5                      352

6                      117

7                      77

Total             5,544

Looks like Wisconsin’s wild turkey harvest is on track to be 30% lower than last year’s.  We don’t have the registration for season D which will reflect May’s historic blizzard.  Unless more hunters go afield during seasons E & F the kill could be down 45% or more from 2012.  At least the hunter kill will be down.  But what about those turkeys that nature killed?  Most likely, as is usually the case more turkeys die of natural causes than by hunters.  Hunter only harvest about 10% of the total turkey population each year.