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Washington Wild Turkey Status and Trends Report
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Statewide
MICK COPE, Upland Game Section Manager
DINAH DEMERS, Regional Program Manager
TOM McCALL, Wildlife Biologist
JEFF BERNATOWICZ, District Wildlife Biologist
RUTH MILNER, District Wildlife Biologist
JEFF LEWIS, Wildlife Biologist
BRYAN L. MURPHIE, Wildlife Biologist

Population objectives and guidelines
Turkeys have been released in Washington over a period of 70 years. The primary objective of these releases was to provide additional hunting recreation. In the past 12 years, an aggressive release project has been conducted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Three subspecies of turkeys were introduced or reintroduced throughout Washington. Merriam’s turkeys were released in Ferry, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, and Stevens counties; Rio Grande turkeys were released in Chelan, Kittitas, Yakima, Walla Walla, Garfield, Columbia, Asotin, Lincoln, Whitman, and Okanogan counties; and the eastern subspecies was introduced in Pacific, Cowlitz, Thurston, Lewis, and Grays Harbor counties. Current operations are focused on translocation of turkeys as a landowner incentive to enhance wildlife habitat and to provide additional opportunities on public lands (e.g., Wildlife Areas). This activity is being implemented through the Upland Wildlife Restoration Program.

Hunting seasons and harvest trends

Estimated harvest of wild turkeys is based on successful hunter report card returns. Successful hunters are required to submit a harvest report card with date, location, sex, and age of harvested birds. Reporting rate is estimated at 70 percent so harvest is projected by expanding reported harvest by 43 percent. Hunting seasons for wild turkeys have varied from a 2-day, fall season in 1965 to the current 31-day spring season statewide and 5-day fall, permit-only seasons in selected counties beginning in 2000. The statewide, April 15 to May 15, spring season was established in 1994. The shortfall season has existed since 1965. The fall season was moved to late November in 1990. In 2000, fall hunting was changed from a general season to a permit-only hunt by drawing. Fall hunt dates were moved from late November to early October to avoid overlapping other seasons.  Beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000, hunters could kill one bearded turkey per day from each of three subspecies for a total of three per year. Subspecies are defined by county of kill. Multiple tags could only be purchased prior to the spring hunting season. After the spring season starts, only one turkey tag may be purchased. Starting with the 2001 spring season, hunters can harvest 2 bearded turkeys in most eastern Washington counties and purchase tags throughout the season. Turkey hunting is open to shotgun and archery hunting only, use of dogs is not allowed, decoys are legal, and hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Current regulations are considered relatively conservative. Spring season timing results in harvest of gobblers after peak breeding. The season ends before most nests hatch, so disturbance is minimized. Statewide harvest has increased each year as have hunter numbers (Figure 1). In 1998, 1,000 turkeys were taken and 6,659 tags were purchased. Prior to turkey augmentation activity in the late 1980s, hunter numbers fell to a low of 428 (1987) and turkey harvests averaged 65-birds/ year (1983-1987). 1,550 wild turkeys were harvested in Region 1 during the general and permit seasons in 2000.  Region 1 harvest accounts for 86.5% of the statewide turkey harvest (Table 1). The spring season is extremely popular with hunters, and some hunting areas have become so popular that hunter crowding and safety are becoming a concern on opening day and weekends. In Region 2, annual turkey harvest from 1992 to 1999 fluctuated between 10 and 22 birds. In 2000, turkey harvest increased to 32 (Table 1). This increase was most likely the result of the previous mild winter that translated into good over-winter turkey survival, as well as the release of 93 turkeys that year. The vast majority (97% in 2000) of turkey harvest in Region 2 takes place in Okanogan County, usually on or near the WDFW Chiliwist Wildlife Area. Only 5 birds have been harvested in Region 3 in the last 5 years. Severe winters in 1992-93 and 1996-97 have nearly eliminated the population. Three birds were harvested in 1999. Turkey harvest started slowly in Klickitat County in the 1960s but built to a harvest of 98 turkeys in 1970. Harvest was relatively stable through the 1970s and early 1980s. By 1986, harvest had dropped to <50 turkeys. Harvest reported for Klickitat County has increased substantially since supplemental releases in 1988-89 and exceeded 120 since the 1996 season (Table 1). The 1997 and 1999 releases may have contributed to the 38% increase in turkey harvest from 1998 to 1999. Turkey harvest in western Region 5 has increased over the last 7 years as a result of the recent releases and increasing hunter effort, although harvest in Lewis, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties is small. Turkey harvest in Lewis and Cowlitz counties remains at a very low level, and although much suitable habitat exists, population expansion has been slower than in some parts of Washington.