• Help Support TNDeer:

Turkey Harvest Through Yesterday Last 7 Years

Andy S.

Andy S.

Well-Known Member
TNDeer Supporter
Joined
Jul 26, 1999
Messages
24,273
Reaction score
8,976
Location
Atoka, TN
By no means am I implying anything with this data, just thought it would be fun to calculate and share as food for thought. I realize we are just reaching the 1/3 mark of the regular season (day 14 of 44 (32%)) and we still have 2/3 of the season left. The 2010 spring season was our record year in TN with 37,101 birds harvested in spring (source: online harvest data). As of yesterday in 2010, we had killed 61.16% of our total 2010 spring harvest. If you apply that same math to this years numbers (which we have had a great start thus far numbers wise), we will end up right around the 36-37K mark. This estimate is merely a projection of this years data at this point based on the trend line of 2010 data, nothing more, nothing less. I am anxious to see if we can keep the steam that we have had with the number of kills thus far, or will it fall off, or will it increase. At this point (Thursday of second full week) we had killed this percentage of our total spring harvest in these years: 57% in 2006, 63% in 2007, 52% in 2008, 57% in 2009, 61% in 2010, 60% in 2011 and to be determined for this year (can be calculated once final harvest numbers are known). I realize harvest data does not paint the entire picture as it can be skewed by many things such as weather and hunter participation. Hunter participation is often impacted by scheduling conflicts for hunters such as crappie season, baseball/softball season, spring festivals, graduations, vacations, etc. I realize the data below does not tell us anything concrete at this point, however, I thought it would be worth sharing with the group here. Enjoy!

2012 Juvenile week Mar 24 - March 30 = 1754
2012 First week March 31 - April 6 = 15,456
2012 Second week April 7 - April 12 (Thurs) = 5,274
Total - 22,484 through Thurs

2011 Juvenile week Mar 26 - April 1 = 1221
2011 First week April 2 - April 8 = 12,679
2011 Second week April 9 - April 14 (Thurs) = 6,433
Total = 20,333 through Thurs

2010 Juvenile week Mar 27 - April 2 = 1,361
2010 First week April 3 - April 9 = 14,237
2010 Second week April 10 - April 15 (Thurs) = 7,092
Total = 22,690 through Thurs

2009 Juvenile week Mar 21 - Mar 27 = 1,089
2009 First week March 28 - April 3 = 10,564
2009 Second week April 4 - April 9 (Thurs) = 6,564
Total = 18,217 through Thurs

2008 Juvenile week Mar 22 - Mar 28 = 1,068
2008 First week Mar 29 - April 4 = 9,420
2008 Second week April 5 - April 10 (Thurs) = 5,390
Total = 15,878 through Thurs

2007 Juvenile week Mar 24 - Mar 30 = 1,237
2007 First week Mar 31 - Apr 6 = 14,079
2007 Second week April 7 - April 12 (Thurs) = 4,303
Total = 19,619 through Thurs

2006 Juvenile week Mar 25 - Mar 31 = 919
2006 First week Apr 1 - Apr 7 = 13,594
2006 Second week April 8 - April 13 (Thurs) = 6,042
Total = 20,555 through Thurs
 
I probably saw more birds last year, but then again I probably hunted more than I have this year.
It's been a good season though, i've seen plenty of birds and been successful on two ocassions. Now all I have to do is get the wife on one and I will consider this year a huge success.
Our turkey population exploded a couple of years ago, heck 5 years ago it was rare to even see a turkey, now they have almost got to the point where they are a pest. They sure can work on a freshly planted food plot. I do wish and hope we get a Fall season this year here in East Tn.

Good data BTW. Thanks for taking the time to compile it.
 
Weather has been great this season so far. That makes a big difference. Second part of the season slows big time due to the legal hunters having their limits, others just getting their fill of it, and it just gets tougher later in the season. I do not think we will set any records but that's just my opinion.
 
If you don't like the way that things are going this season, just quit hunting!
Good stuff. Thanks for the effort. You must be some sort of stat man in your profession?
 
4onaside said:
You must be some sort of stat man in your profession?
Click to expand...
Not so much. I do thoroughly enjoy hunting and looking at any and all data to see how things are shaping up, or not. I took stats in undergrad and grad school but nowadays I rarely use it in my day job. I think the bottom line is I am just craving to be in the turkey woods so bad that I will do anything to scratch that itch, thus the compilation of data above, lol. :D
 
CAMARO12 said:
If you'll notice, this year's youth weekend harvest betters the closest preceding years by at least 400 burds. As does the harvest of the first full week.
Click to expand...
Yep, I noticed that right off the bat as well. The birds in west and middle TN were on FIRE juvenile weekend from the reports I got and also from what I saw while in the woods listening and scouting. The good weather was a bonus as well. The harvest records tell the same story.

CAMARO12 said:
I also don't expect a record harvest this spring due to those factors.
Click to expand...
We'll know here in a few weeks. As of yesterday (18th day of regular season) we have killed 26,127, whereas in 2010 we had killed 27,503. Time will tell.
 
If anyone around me(NE Decatur county) has killed any the better part of the past two weeks, they have shot them with silencers! No longer gobbling in my area, period. I saw a good gobbler this morning, and all he was interested in was striping seed heads off the tall grass. No interest at all in the hen within sight of him.
 
The pace has slowed considerably (expected for second part of the season). As of yesterday (27th day of regular season), we have killed 29,671, whereas in 2010 we had killed 32,247.
 
My county was down a few birds. 2012 was 221. 2011 was 238 and 2010 was 284. So off approximately somewhere around 20% in 3 years but up from before then if numbers online are correct and up to date. Prior to that though the reported numbers are lower than 2012 numbers, though I only have access to 2006 and up. Unfortunately for me, its the traditional turkey areas that have taken the big hits in numbers.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top