Map of spring hunting season start dates

[PNWturkey]

Too early of a spring hunting season start date is one hypothesis for declining turkey populations across some portions of the eastern U.S., the thought being that harvesting too many mature gobblers before all the hens are bred can result in lower nesting success and reduced poult recruitment.  (Other hypotheses for declining turkey numbers include increased predation due to reduced furbearer trapping, land management not favorable to turkeys, overharvest of gobblers in general, too many bearded hens harvested in spring, too many hens harvested in fall, etc.)

Anyway, in trying to think more about the "season start date" issue I made a quick map of 2021 spring start dates across the east/midwest.  Some states are split into zones, in these cases I used the earliest start date and/or the date applicable to the majority of the state.

Wanted to share the map as a "food for thought" exercise...

[davisd9]

This map represents when hunting dates start?

[PNWturkey]

This map represents when hunting dates start?

Yes, spring hunting season start dates.  Edited title/post to try to make more clear, thanks!

[dublelung]

Lets hope the powers that be will change the color of that Mississippi map to orange.  Too much padding for their pockets though so I doubt it will happen.

[Parrot Head]

Wonder how much more MS made this year than in passed years.

[davisd9]

This map represents when hunting dates start?

Yes, spring hunting season start dates.  Edited title/post to try to make more clear, thanks!

South Carolina is wrong then. Part of the state starts 3/22 and part starts 4/1

[PNWturkey]

This map represents when hunting dates start?

Yes, spring hunting season start dates.  Edited title/post to try to make more clear, thanks!

South Carolina is wrong then. Part of the state starts 3/22 and part starts 4/1

Thanks for the feedback, I edited the map/legend to show more nuance on the gradation of the starting dates.

Ideally I could break up the states with multiple start dates into their different zones, might try that next.  For now, if I state has different zones I am using the earliest for the whole state (except for FL, which only the very southern tip has an earlier start date).

Thanks!

[Parrot Head]

I think it would neat to do if when we find our dates have moved we list them with the date from this year for example I will use Alaska since no turkeys there
Alaska
2021 opened April 1
2022 opening April 10th

[Loyalist84]

Good work! Interesting to note that immediately north of the New York border, the season can start a full week earlier and our Ministry of Natural Resources states that it is in line with peak nesting dates. This was an early spring for us, however; and I've never come across nesting hens in the first two weeks the way I have this season, not to mention the number of raccoons hit on the road or spotted on the ride to morning hunts this spring. Makes a hash of the whole thing, really. I do know that this year was the toughest in years, due to unresponsive birds that seemed "bred out" by the time the season started, much like deer by the time December hits.

[PNWturkey]

I think it would neat to do if when we find our dates have moved we list them with the date from this year for example I will use Alaska since no turkeys there
Alaska
2021 opened April 1
2022 opening April 10th

That is an interesting idea!

For example, Arkansas shotgun opened April 8, 2019 but for 2021 moved back to April 19.  Arkansas claims that April 19 coincides with average peak nesting initiation:

http://www.magnoliareporter.com/sports/outdoors/article_793e00be-ae08-11ea-8d7b-97c05fa88fef.html

[PNWturkey]

Good work! Interesting to note that immediately north of the New York border, the season can start a full week earlier and our Ministry of Natural Resources states that it is in line with peak nesting dates. This was an early spring for us, however; and I've never come across nesting hens in the first two weeks the way I have this season, not to mention the number of raccoons hit on the road or spotted on the ride to morning hunts this spring. Makes a hash of the whole thing, really. I do know that this year was the toughest in years, due to unresponsive birds that seemed "bred out" by the time the season started, much like deer by the time December hits.

It's tough to make sense of the peak breeding predictions.

Some biologists claim it's strictly a daylength phenomenon.

But then your experience this year with all the early hens on nests and bred-out gobblers would seem to contradict that?  (I have experienced similar years myself.)

If it's truly daylength, then regulations could be adjusted accordingly to protect breeding hens and/or ensure that they are getting bred before the onslaught of hunters.

But if weather, etc also affect peak nesting to a large extent, then it's more of a hash as you suggest...

[quavers59]

Looking at your Map-- Mississippi  sticks out like a Big Red TARGET.
  obviously- Mississippi  should not open at 3/15 next Spring and go to 3/22 instead.
    I know-I know-- it is all about the Money- however a increasing Army of Arkansas Turkey Killers  arriving in Mississippi  on 3/15 will serve to continue to lower the Mississippi  Gobbler numbers.

[arkrem870]

They will be there on 3/22 just the same

[Meleagris gallopavo]

It's a known fact that day length is the factor responsible for turkey breeding season.  Temperature and other factors influence breeding activity within the breeding season. 

I hunt in the yellow states of Virginia and North Carolina and I think our seasons are just about right, but what do I know.  I do think that Mississippi AND Illinois stand out as having spring gobbler season start oddly early compared to their neighboring states. 

Ideally, if the hunting season was dictated solely by day length,  your map would have states with similar median latitudes all the same color. 


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[Hobbes]

Illinois has two zones, north and south. The north is a week behind the south on start date.  The southern zone starts on the Monday of the first full week in April.

I'd love for them to push MT back a week.