Statewide licenses for the fall turkey season are down, according to Stan Kohn, upland game biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. However, licenses available in the eastern third of the state remain steady.
"The big decrease in turkey numbers and licenses was from the center part of the state west," he said. "The eastern part of the state remained steady for turkey numbers and so the licenses will stay steady."
Kohn blamed the decreases in turkey numbers on poor reproduction due to wet and cold spring weather.
"We know that statewide the weather hasn't been very good in the spring," he said. "But the west seems to be hit the hardest."
Game and Fish no longer stocks turkeys in the state. It relies on natural reproduction.
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"We're pretty confident we have wild turkeys in all the places that can support populations now," he said. "They are primarily a wooded-drainage-area-type species so we mostly find them in areas like along the James River where there are trees and cover."
And, at least in one local area, they reproduce too well.
"Every couple of years we have to remove birds from the (North Dakota) State Hospital grounds," he said. "During the winter we live trap them and relocate them to other places in the state."
Stutsman, Foster, Eddy, Wells, Sheridan and Kidder counties make up hunting unit 47 for the North Dakota fall turkey season. The unit has 140 available licenses this year. It also had 140 available licenses in 2009 but only 112 were applied for.
"The spring season is catching on," Kohn said. "Maybe because there isn't much for other hunting opportunities then. There is not as much interest in the fall season. Some people pick up a license to use if they stumble on a turkey while hunting pheasant or other upland game."
The deadline for applying for a fall turkey licenses is June 30. The season will run from Oct. 9 to Jan. 9. The license costs $8.
Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at
(701) 952-8452 or by e-mail at knorman@jamestownsun.com
