The first three days (Oct. 19-21) for antlered/antlerless deer muzzleloading deer season (statewide, except antlered-only on Region A public lands) started out slow but ended well. Doug Hotton, Department of Natural Resources deer project leader, indicates that the either-sex harvest on those three days is similar to last season.
“Preliminarily, we are looking at a take that is pretty much the same as last year,” he said.
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With the same regulations last year, the first three days showed approximately 4,400 antlered deer and 5,000 antlerless deer. It is too early to have any data on Region B antlerless-only Oct. 23-28 muzzleloading.
The third chance for muzzleloading deer will come Dec. 16-30, book-ended between the two parts of the Region B split firearms season, Nov. 25 to Dec. 9 and Jan. 5-6. Hotton suggests checking county success rates of last season to get the best muzzleloading prospects.
Remaining options for fall turkey, open as of last Saturday and continuing through Nov. 4, are moderately good or slightly down, depending upon your viewpoint. It is too early for field harvest data yet, but Bob Long, DNR turkey project leader, expects “average” results.
That means that the harvest should be similar to that of last fall, when the kill was 137 birds, either sex, in the three western counties where fall hunting is allowed.
But fall turkey hunting is related to previous reproduction.
“A lot of success in the fall depends upon how well birds reproduced during the past spring and summer,” Long noted, of the ups and downs.
One year won?t affect things, but a couple of off years will. Thus, the fall take of 2003 and 2004 was, respectively, 164 and 207, better than last year?s 137. That relates to the very good spring reproduction in 2004, which was a little off in 2005 and this past spring/summer.
An unknown factor this year is the availability of mast or food, since low mast will cause turkeys to forage more widely and make more of them more available to hunters. DNR biologists have just not been able to collect the usual mast survey data.
For best results in any turkey trot this fall, look for a mix of habitat.
“Turkeys thrive in a 50/50 mix of open fields and woodlands,” Long insisted.
That also tells you where the best turkey hunting is located, since more of this type of habitat can be found in Washington County, followed in order by Allegany and Garrett counties. For public hunting, check out Allegany County Green Ridge State Forest and Savage River State Forest in Garrett County.
Now you know. The turkeys might not like it, but you will this Thanksgiving.
C. Boyd Pfeiffer is an internationally known sportsman and award-winning writer on fishing, hunting, and the outdoors, and is currently working on his 25th book. He can be reached at [email protected].
