DNR releases spring turkey harvest figures

ANTIGO — During this spring’s roughly month and a half long turkey hunting season, 380 turkeys were harvested in Langlade County, a 43 percent increase from the 266 harvested in the spring 2023 season, according to Alissa Kakatsch, an assistant turkey and pheasant ecologist with the Wisconsin DNR.

Statewide, Wisconsin turkey hunters registered 50,435 birds, the fourth-highest spring harvest on record and a 22% increase from the five-year average.

While Kakatsch could not provide harvest data regarding the five-year average on a county-by-county basis, she said favorable weather conditions perhaps played the largest role in the jump across the state and in Langlade County.

“In the last few years, we’ve experienced some pretty mild winters and also pretty decent springs, so we’ve had really good nesting conditions, and that will help with the turkey population and survivability in general to have a healthy and active turkey population, which would ultimately result in ample hunter opportunity and good hunter success rate,” Kakatsch said. “Also, the weather during the actual hunting season goes into play as well, and we’ve had a pretty mild season so far.”

Hunters in the county harvested the most turkeys during the first two weeks of the season, with 92 and 78 being recorded, respectively.

Kakatsch said harvest totals are typically higher in the spring than in the fall.

“In the fall, turkey hunting doesn’t necessarily become a big priority to hunters because so many other seasons occur in the fall, like deer season and migratory waterfowl seasons. So turkey hunting in the fall just becomes more of an opportunistic type of hunting versus your main targeted goal,” she said. “I think there are very enthusiastic and passionate turkey hunters where that’s what they truly like to do versus other types of hunting,” she said. “But also, with spring turkey hunting, it is a great hunting opportunity that’s still active. So after your fall and winter hunting seasons conclude, it’s one of the earlier opportunities for hunters to actually get back out into the field and pursue game that way.”