By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter
Despite the drought and heat this summer, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is forecasting an average fall turkey season for Texas hunters.
“We didn’t get much production this year,” Jason Hardin, TPWD wild turkey program leader, said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “The drought and extreme temperatures for 50-plus days really took a toll on the birds. I don’t think we’re going to see many young birds out on the landscape, but we had good carryover with juvenile hens and adult hens this year. So, there are going to be a lot of birds out there in the two-year-old age range, which makes for great hunting.”
Fortunately, the state saw good turkey production last year. Hunters will likely see some of the jakes from last spring, that have become more mature, out on the landscape this fall.
“If it’s places where you’ve turkey hunted in the past, and you regularly see birds, they should still be there,” Hardin said.
Some of the areas that saw turkeys in 2015 and 2016 as a result of birds expanding into new areas may not see those turkeys again this year.
“I would imagine those birds have moved out of those locations or have become more restricted back to those primary roosting locations along the major rivers and creeks throughout the Rio Grande (turkey) range,” Hardin said. “If you have access to a creek bottom with big, tall trees or a river bottom, that’s where a lot of those turkeys are going to be. That’s where you should concentrate your efforts.”
Those who hunt in the eastern Rolling Plains from Canadian south to Paducah may not see as many turkeys this year.
“That area still has a lot of wild turkeys, but they’re just not meeting the numbers we historically saw,” Hardin said. “A turkey roost that may have at one time had 300 birds on it today has probably 75 birds on it. There’s still a lot of birds on that landscape, but when you’re from there, and you’ve hunted there in the past, it’s just not the same number you historically would have seen. We’re keeping close tabs on that.”
The archery-only fall Rio Grande turkey hunting season is open now through Nov. 4.
The general season for the north and south zones, as well as the Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy County zone, opens Nov. 5.
There is no fall turkey hunting season for eastern turkeys.
Hunters are reminded that the bag limit is an annual limit. Hunters who fulfill their bag in the fall will have no remaining tags for the spring.
Hunters are encouraged to check the Outdoor Annual, the Outdoor Annual app or OutdoorAnnual.com to ensure their county has a fall season before hunting.