2003 SPRING TURKEY SEASON PROSPECTS
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of
Fish and Wildlife reminds hunters that the 2003 Spring Gobbler Season is
scheduled to begin, Monday, April 14 and will continue for six weeks
(note that a special youth day is scheduled for Saturday, April 12).
This year, New Jersey will host one of the longest spring gobbler
seasons in the Northeast.
THIS YEAR'S OUTLOOK
The outlook for the season is excellent with biologists estimating this
year's wild turkey population at 25,000 birds.
As of this writing, the winter survival rate has been good throughout
the state. Winter snows have not remained too deep or too soft for any
length of time, so the birds were able to move around and find food. In
many cases, a crust quickly formed over the snow enabling the birds to
walk uninhibited.
Initial wild turkey reproduction during 2002 was poor due to wet
conditions in mid-May, however, overall production turned out to be good
thanks to drier weather as the summer progressed allowing hens to
re-nest successfully.
HARVEST
The harvest last spring was 3,778 gobblers. This total eclipsed the
former record by more than 500 turkeys. The 2002 total represented a
16.2% increase over the 2001 harvest and the success rate among permit
holders was an exceptional 18%.
PERMITS
This year, the upcoming spring season quota will again be 29,250
permits. Leftover permits will be available for over-the-counter sale on Saturday, April 5, 2003, between 9 a.m. and 12 noon at five Division field offices. As
long as the supply lasts, they will continue to be sold Monday through
Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 - 4 p.m. at the same five Division
field offices and the Trenton office beginning Monday, April 7, 2003.
Hunters can call the Division's Permit Hotline at 609-292-9192 after
March 24 for information on leftover permit sales.
RESTORATION EFFORTS
The Division's Turkey Restoration Project represents one of the
greatest wildlife management success stories in the history of the
state. In the mid-1800s, turkeys had disappeared in New Jersey due to
habitat changes and over-exploitation. However, in 1979 biologists and
technicians began to live-trap and re-locate birds to establish
populations in 20 New Jersey counties. To date, nearly 1,700 birds have
been trapped and re-located, resulting in an abundance of wild turkeys
throughout the state. Even in South Jersey (parts of Atlantic,
Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester counties) where
wild turkeys had been struggling just a few years ago, intensive
restoration efforts have improved population numbers significantly.
Spring gobbler hunting in New Jersey was initiated in 1981. The season
was three weeks long with 900 permits available and hunting was limited
to portions of Sussex and Warren counties. In 1985, the season length
was increased to five weeks. In 1997, the entire state was opened to
spring gobbler hunting. Since the beginning, several record gobbler
harvests have been taken in each season indicating continued growth in
turkey numbers.
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS TO TRY
Division Wildlife Management Areas (WMA's) offer excellent hunting opportunities throughout the state. Public land hunters may want to try
Hamburg Mountain, Wanaque and Sparta Mountain WMAs in the north;
Assunpink in the center of the state; and Peaslee and Bevans down south.
Other good areas include the Newark Watershed, Stokes State Forest and
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. For a statewide list of public land open for turkey hunting, check the 2003 NJ Wild Turkey Hunting Season Information and Permit Application booklet available at license agents and Division offices or visit the Division's website at www.njfishandwildlife.com/njregs.htm.
CHECKING YOUR GOBBLER IS MANDATORY
All harvested gobblers must be tagged immediately with a completed
transportation tag. Turkey must be taken by the person who killed it,
on the day killed to the nearest turkey check station before 3 p.m.
during the spring gobbler season. Staff at the check station will issue
a legal possession tag. Consult the 2003 NJ Wild Turkey Hunting Season
Information and Permit Application booklet for a listing of official
turkey check stations to locate one nearest your hunting area.
OUTSTANDING GARDEN STATE GOBBLER RECORDS PROGRAM
The Outstanding Garden State Gobbler Records Program is administered by the New Jersey Chapter of the Wild Turkey Federation. For more information, contact your local or state chapter representative at 973-627-1601 or 856-785-0455.
WEATHER PLAYS A ROLE
Often hunters are curious about how the weather can affect turkey
hunting success. Indeed, windy and rainy weather diminishes hunter
success rates for the simple fact that many individuals don't like to
hunt under these conditions. In addition, this type of weather affects
turkey behavior and causes the birds to become more wary and less
vocal.
CURRENT RESEARCH
A research project designed to provide information on wild turkey
gobbler survival in the northwestern part of the state was initiated
during the winter of 2000 and will continue through 2004. The purpose of
the study is to determine through radio-tracking, factors that are
affecting the survival of gobblers in the study area.
That first winter, 51 gobblers were radio-tagged and tracked throughout
the year. This winter, the Division will tag several more birds to
maintain a sample size of approximately 50 birds.
Preliminary results of the study indicate that predation and hunting
are both significant mortality sources for gobblers with predation being
slightly higher than hunting (last year, 23-percent of the birds were
lost to predation). In the spring of 2001 and 2002, 22-percent of the
birds were lost to hunters. A rate of 25-percent is considered
acceptable, so anything below that ensures that increases in hunting
structure and permit quotas have not had detrimental effects on the
population.
SAFETY
Remember to put safety first. Turkey hunting safety tips courtesy of
the National Wild Turkey Federation include:
Before the hunt:
*Check with your doctor if you have any medical concerns.
*Hunt within your physical limitations.
*Let your hunting partners know if you have physical limitations.
*Let someone know where you are hunting and when you expect to return.
*Work to have a basic understanding of first aid.
During the hunt:
*Set up against a tree that is greater in diameter than the width of
your shoulders and taller than your head whenever possible for maximum
safety.
*Should you see other hunters (especially close to your line of sight)
call out to them in a loud, clear voice. Their presence has already
compromised your location and a soft call may only confuse them instead
of alerting them to your presence.
KNOW YOUR BIRD
Before you shoot, be sure the bird is a gobbler. Don't depend on the
beard to determine the turkey's sex since some hens do have beards. The
beard of a wild turkey is a group of hair-like feathers ranging from 2
to 12 inches in length located on the center of the breast. Bearded
hens are not legal game during the spring season.
During the spring breeding season, toms or gobblers are not difficult
to distinguish from hens. Look closely at the head of the bird as it
comes to your calling. Gobblers' heads are naked and very colorful.
Their heads are a brilliant red, white and blue. The head of a wild
turkey hen is blue-gray in color and may have a line of feathers up the
back of the neck. Hens are not as colorful as gobblers.
After checking the head color, look at the color of the breast
feathers. Dark black feathers indicate a tom, while the hen appears to
be dark brown. If the head of the turkey is naked and colorful, the
breast is black and the bird has a beard, you may be confident it is a
gobbler. If you have any doubts, simply don't shoot.
REGULATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION
Hunters should familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations
for spring turkey hunting in the Garden State. New Jersey spring
gobbler hunters are limited to the use of shotguns or bows and arrows.
Hunting hours run from a half-hour prior to sunrise until 12 noon. One
male wild turkey may be taken with each permit but only one turkey may
be taken in a given day. Helpful turkey hunting information and tips
can be accessed through the hunting page on the Division's website at
the above address. Additional turkey hunting regulations and other
information can be found in the 2003 NJ Wild Turkey Hunting Season
Information and Permit Application booklet.
