Wildlife - Wild Turkeys

Spring Gobbler Bag Limits in South Carolina

Figure 1. Summer wild turkey recruitment ratio in South Carolina 1982-2012.  Note declining trend since 1988 and very poor recruitment 8 out of the last 11 years.  Average recruitment prior to 1988 = 3.5.  Average recruitment since 1988 = 2.3.  This represents a 34 percent decrease.

Recruitment Ratio - Figure 1

Figure 2. Spring wild turkey harvest in South Carolina 1982-2012.  Note that harvest increased between 1982 and 2002 as a result of increasing turkey population following restoration efforts.  However, average harvest since 2002 has declined 25 percent following multiple years of poor recruitment.   

Figure 2

Figure 3. Number of turkey hunters in South Carolina 1982-2012.  Note increasing trend throughout period.  There are approximately 24 percent more turkey hunters today than in 1995.

Figure 3

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