Ohio's 2019 spring turkey kill drops 16 percent; figure likely becomes new normal

Ohio’s 2019 spring wild turkey hunting statistic saw a 16-percent decline from its 2018 counterpart, which itself had experienced an increase from the 2017 combined spring seasons total.

In all, preliminary data shows that a combined 19,088 bearded wild turkeys were taken during Ohio’s youth season, and the Southern and Northeast Ohio zones. This figure is very close to the state’s 10-year average spring kill of 19,244 birds.

For comparison, in 2018 combined spring turkey kill figure was 22,635, or the third highest spring wild turkey kill on record for the state. Further comparison shows the combined spring wild turkey kill (or harvest) for 2017 was 21,042 birds; for 2016 the figure was 17,793 birds; and for 2015 the figure was 16,049 birds.

Mark Wiley – the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s lead forest game biologist – believes the decline from 2018 to this year really is more of a leveling off. In effect, the new normal.

The reason is because the 2018 figure represented a huge swelling in the state’s wild turkey population the year before due to the cyclic 17-year emergence of cicadas.

Cicada’s provide a high-protein diet for wild turkey adults and – especially - their young, called poults. Such factors often lead to a much greater survival rate and overall better conditioning of turkeys.

“In 2018 we saw turkey harvest in some counties jump 20 to 40 percent, and then decline this year by similar numbers,” Wiley said. “Such a large cicada emergence represents a significant event.”

Other statistical examination shows that of Ohio’s 88 counties, 28 of them saw gains. These increases were in a seemingly checkerboard, random pattern though a concentration of some of the highest gainers were in southwest Ohio and near the Indiana line.

The counties which saw the most marked decline were largely in southeast Ohio, or those that saw the biggest jump in their respective kills in 2018.

“This region had an extremely high reproductive index (as measured by poults-per-hen) in 2016. This cohort contributed to a regional spike in spring harvest in 2018,” Wiley said. “Fewer birds from the 2016 cohort were available during the 2019 season and harvest in southeast counties fell to more typical levels.”

Wiley did say an emergence of cicadas is expected this year but for a much smaller section of Ohio; and this being confined largely to a sliver in Northeast Ohio near the Pennsylvania state line.

“It should be enough to be seen in next year’s totals but very locally some hunters may see more birds,” Wiley said.

Of concern is whether this wet and cool spring has thus far impacted turkey poult production and whether any continuation of this weather pattern will hamper egg-laying and hatching along with survival of young birds, Wiley said.

The Wildlife Division won’t have an answer to that question until September and after brood counts are conducted in June, July and August, including those by citizens who voluntarily report their sightings.

As for next year, the spring season dates will appear abnormal. This will come about because the spring season opener for the South Zone is established as being the Monday closest to April 20^th while for the five-county Northeast Zone the opening date is the Monday closest to May 1st.

Thus, the opener will be April 21st for the South Zone but not until May 4th for the Northeast Zone; or two weeks later.

“It’s strictly a function of the calendar,” Wiley said.

Here are the county-by-county 2019 spring wild turkey kill numbers with their respective 2018 numbers in paranthesis. Note that kill – or harvest - numbers are raw data and subject to change.

Adams: 417 (398); Allen: 73 (71); Ashland: 216 (294); Ashtabula: 558 (574); Athens: 462 (575); Auglaize: 42 (42); Belmont: 565 (738); Brown: 411 (384); Butler: 190 (209); Carroll: 386 (509); Champaign: 97 (89); Clark: 17 (21); Clermont: 334 (347); Clinton: 74 (63); Columbiana: 327 (351); Coshocton: 548 (805); Crawford: 67 (63); Cuyahoga: 8 (11); Darke: 61 (49); Defiance: 197 (223); Delaware: 114 (105); Erie: 51 (48); Fairfield: 118 (128); Fayette: 13 (14); Franklin: 21 (20); Fulton: 116 (109); Gallia: 400 (455); Geauga: 259 (261); Greene: 26 (16); Guernsey: 527 (805); Hamilton: 108 (93); Hancock: 34 (38); Hardin: 95 (86); Harrison: 476 (699); Henry: 62 (69); Highland: 388 (378); Hocking: 280 (444); Holmes: 282 (401); Huron: 118 (163); Jackson: 392 (495); Jefferson: 415 (498); Knox: 349 (461); Lake: 73 (65); Lawrence: 234 (256); Licking: 364 (459); Logan: 113 (120); Lorain: 141 (146); Lucas: 69 (75); Madison: 10 (13); Mahoning: 186 (218); Marion: 30 (31); Medina: 148 (169); Meigs: 554 (674); Mercer: 17 (19); Miami: 24 (14); Monroe: 648 (809); Montgomery: 27 (21); Morgan: 399 (548); Morrow: 142 (160); Muskingum: 585 (796); Noble: 484 (585); Ottawa: 5 (0); Paulding: 69 (71); Perry: 309 (441); Pickaway: 23 (25); Pike: 241 (262); Portage: 259 (275); Preble: 136 (112); Putnam: 64 (58); Richland: 318 (340); Ross: 295 (365); Sandusky: 19 (18); Scioto: 284 (289); Seneca: 154 (151); Shelby: 38 (38); Stark: 298 (329); Summit: 80 (76); Trumbull: 430 (375); Tuscarawas: 569 (815); Union: 58 (49); Van Wert: 20 (23); Vinton: 329 (468); Warren: 102 (115); Washington: 591 (699); Wayne: 124 (123); Williams: 226 (232); Wood: 21 (19); Wyandot: 84 (87). Total: 19,088 (22,635).

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net