Wild turkey hunting season third-best on record in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – The early arrival of spring led to another productive wild turkey hunting season in Kentucky, totaling 33,460 birds overall, the third-highest harvest on record for the state and 9 percent higher than Kentucky’s five-year average.

“It was a good harvest across the board this year,” stated Zak Danks, the wild turkey and grouse program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The season opened the weekend of April 6-7 for youth hunters while the general season ran April 13 through May 5. The spring harvest limit is two legal turkeys, which are males and bearded hens. Between the two seasons, this year’s total is just short of the 2023 season’s exceptional harvest of 35,655 birds.

“Based on data about our 2022 turkey brood hatch, which wasn’t as strong as in 2021, I expected 2024 to be good but a bit lower than 2023. That’s how it panned out,” Danks said.

The season began with a positive start when youth hunters hit the woods. Danks noted an especially successful youth harvest of 2,309 turkeys, which is up 25 percent from last year and 36 percent above the 5-year average.

“This year, good weather meant a big hunter turnout, which is important because opening weekend typically accounts for about a third of the overall season total harvest,” Danks said. Kentucky hunters took 11,713 birds during the general season opening weekend.

The number of juvenile male turkeys, called jakes, can also affect harvest rates each year.  

“Following opening weekend, once I saw the percentage of jakes in the harvest was just under 10%, I knew we were likely in for a strong overall harvest,” he explained. “That’s because in recent years, a lower jake percentage indicates more 2-year-old gobblers in the population for hunters to take.”

As is typical, most of Kentucky’s turkey harvest was taken by shotgun, falling at 33,062 birds, followed by 221 birds taken with archery equipment, 124 birds taken with crossbows and 53 birds taken with muzzleloading shotguns.

He pointed out, “Among Kentucky’s 120 counties, harvests were up in 44, stable in 49 and down only in 27 counties. Top counties include Graves (678 turkeys), Hart (649 turkeys) and Logan (615 turkeys).

Kentucky’s fall turkey hunting season begins Sept. 7, with archery hunting. Before going afield, hunters should always consult the current season’s state hunting guide.