“Safer At Home” For Everyone, Except Turkeys

It was a spring not many will forget, with hundreds of thousands of residents in the state forced to spend more time at home during the Safer At Home orders. But not everyone stayed home. Many took the woods to enjoy the spring Turkey hunt. 

The preliminary Spring Registration numbers are out, showing Wisconsin turkey hunters registered 44,963 birds during the 2020 spring turkey hunting season, up almost 17% from the 38,576 birds registered in the 2019 season. The 2020 youth season resulted in a total of 2,880 birds registered, up 47% from 1,953 in 2019. The Harvest totals rose significantly across all zones and time periods compared to 2019 levels.

According to Mark Witecha, DNR upland wildlife ecologist,  “Good weather and enhanced opportunity for hunters this season likely contributed some to increased harvest, but ultimately we continue to have one of the healthiest turkey flocks in the nation here in Wisconsin.”