Maryland hunters reported harvesting 4,303 wild turkeys during the 2020 regular spring and junior hunt turkey seasons, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced. This year’s harvest surpassed the previous high of 4,175, set in 2017, and was 8% higher than the 2019 harvest of 4,002 turkeys.
“This year’s harvest suggests that many hunters took advantage of abundant turkey populations in much of the state,” Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto said.
The percentage of juvenile turkeys or “jakes” reported in the harvest (24%) was at its highest level since the 2012 spring season. This supports other survey data showing that the summer of 2019 was an excellent year for turkey production and boosted populations significantly.
Turkey numbers have also grown and expanded in many areas where they have not traditionally been abundant. Record-high harvests were reported in nine counties – Baltimore, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Frederick, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s.
Washington County reported the highest harvest this year with 439 turkeys, followed by Garrett County with 387 and Charles County with 369.
Youth hunters kicked off the spring turkey season statewide on April 11 with the Junior Turkey Hunt. An additional junior hunting opportunity occurred on April 12 in select counties. In total, junior hunters harvested 248 wild turkeys, a 22% increase from last year’s junior hunt weekend.
Total harvests by county are below:
County
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Allegany
256
293
250
278
286
Anne Arundel
45
58
49
74
81
Baltimore
52
51
55
56
65
Calvert
73
59
76
68
82
Caroline
172
149
135
152
180
Carroll
76
103
103
73
93
Cecil
69
87
69
89
94
Charles
265
320
336
348
369
Dorchester
274
303
212
221
211
Frederick
299
332
313
304
348
Garrett
387
429
412
429
387
Harford
110
127
105
124
88
Howard
34
24
36
33
34
Kent
181
174
168
166
206
Montgomery
94
135
149
135
162
Prince George’s
87
91
76
105
109
Queen Anne’s
190
160
115
145
144
Somerset
150
163
145
129
171
St. Mary’s
188
202
191
188
226
Talbot
88
94
80
87
95
Washington
355
426
459
414
439
Wicomico
206
175
139
155
193
Worcester
223
220
188
229
240
Statewide
3,874
4,175
3,861
4,002
4,303
https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2020/06/04/spring-hunters-harvest-a-record-4303-wild-turkeys/
