Maryland?s turkey hunters reported a decline in wild turkeys taken during the 2007 spring turkey season, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
In 2007, 2,455 wild turkeys were harvested, compared with 3,008 in 2006, an 18 percent decrease.
Annual DNR surveys indicated that reproductive success was below average during the summers of 2005 and 2006.
The lack of 1- and 2-year-old gobblers was also evident in the harvest.
An unusually high percentage of gobblers taken in the last two spring seasons were adults, according to the DNR.
Junior hunters harvested 102 turkeys during the one-day youth hunt April 14, down from last year?s youth day total of 168.
Counties leading the state in harvests were Garrett with 303, Washington with 269 and Allegany with 259.
In the Baltimore region, Anne Arundel declined from 65 in 2006 to 47 in 2007, Baltimore County fell slightly from 28 in 2006 to 27 in 2007, Carroll dropped by nearly half from 24 in 2006 to 15 in 2007, Harford declined from 59 in 2006 to 37 in 2007, and Howard saw a significant drop from 7 in 2006 to 1 in 2007.
Turkeys were taken from private land and public hunting areas.
