2005 Spring Harvest Results

2005 Spring Gobbler Season Preliminary Harvest Data
The 2005 spring wild turkey hunting season ran from Saturday, April 16
(Youth Turkey Hunting Day) through Friday, May 27 with a total harvest of
3,112 male wild turkeys. While this harvest is not a record (the highest
harvest was 3,779 turkeys taken in 2002), it is the third-highest harvest
in New Jersey since the first season in 1981.
An increase of 2% over the 2004 harvest was measured and this correlates
with turkey productivity in 2004 being higher than in 2003. The harvest
data, which is currently being processed, should demonstrate that juvenile
birds made up a substantial percentage of the harvest as compared to 2004
and 2003.

Turkey hunting areas in northern parts of the state were more affected by
poor productivity conditions during the past few years and most of these
areas showed slight decreases in harvest. Most turkey hunting areas in
southern New Jersey, however, showed marked increases in harvest, probably
due to better productivity in those areas.

See the Wild Turkey in New Jersey page for more information.

2005 Spring Gobbler Season Preliminary Harvest


THA 2005 Harvest 2004 Harvest
1 88 96
2 101 132
3 36 48
4 129 128
5 206 203
6 119 134
7 104 137
8 246 229
9 160 151
10 73 60
11 204 259
12 95 73
14 109 91
15 216 163
16 121 89
20 541 564
21 424 377
22 140 117
TOTAL 3,112 3,051