Post by "BIGTYME" on Jan 12, 2005 0:26:20 GMT -5
Winter Turkey Season Opens Jan. 17
The winter wild turkey season opens January 17 in selected counties.
Upland game bird biologist, Mike Seamster
Media: Hi-res versions of these images may be downloaded here. Please credit the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 7, 2005) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open a six-day winter turkey season, Jan. 17-22, on private lands in Alleghany, Ashe, Caswell, Granville, Person, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes counties. Winter turkey hunting on public lands will be limited to Jan. 20-22 at the Caswell Game Land in Caswell County through a permit draw.
“North Carolina had a good wild turkey hatch this past summer,” said Mike Seamster, the Wildlife Commission’s upland game bird biologist. “This is especially good news because the hatch in 2003 was the poorest on record. The bulk of a winter turkey harvest is usually made up of young birds from the previous summer's hatch, and there should be a good number of young birds out there for this winter’s turkey season.”
The winter season will be an either-sex hunt, meaning both male and female turkeys are fair game. The spring turkey season, which will begin in April, allows only bearded males to be harvested. The bag limit for the winter season and spring season combined will be two birds, only one of which can be taken during the winter season. The regulations allow the use of dogs, but baiting and the use of rifles are prohibited.
Hunters should register their harvests online or by calling toll-free (800) 446-8663. To reduce costs and streamline the harvest-recording process, the Commission is not allowing hunters to register turkey harvests in person with cooperator agents.
“Hunter participation in last year’s winter season was lower than anticipated, and the harvest was minimal,” Seamster said. “We'll continue monitoring the effects of winter turkey hunting and the impacts of environmental factors on turkeys. This conservative six-day season did not have a negative impact last year and should not adversely affect the turkey population in the future.”
The winter wild turkey season opens January 17 in selected counties.
Upland game bird biologist, Mike Seamster
Media: Hi-res versions of these images may be downloaded here. Please credit the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 7, 2005) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open a six-day winter turkey season, Jan. 17-22, on private lands in Alleghany, Ashe, Caswell, Granville, Person, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes counties. Winter turkey hunting on public lands will be limited to Jan. 20-22 at the Caswell Game Land in Caswell County through a permit draw.
“North Carolina had a good wild turkey hatch this past summer,” said Mike Seamster, the Wildlife Commission’s upland game bird biologist. “This is especially good news because the hatch in 2003 was the poorest on record. The bulk of a winter turkey harvest is usually made up of young birds from the previous summer's hatch, and there should be a good number of young birds out there for this winter’s turkey season.”
The winter season will be an either-sex hunt, meaning both male and female turkeys are fair game. The spring turkey season, which will begin in April, allows only bearded males to be harvested. The bag limit for the winter season and spring season combined will be two birds, only one of which can be taken during the winter season. The regulations allow the use of dogs, but baiting and the use of rifles are prohibited.
Hunters should register their harvests online or by calling toll-free (800) 446-8663. To reduce costs and streamline the harvest-recording process, the Commission is not allowing hunters to register turkey harvests in person with cooperator agents.
“Hunter participation in last year’s winter season was lower than anticipated, and the harvest was minimal,” Seamster said. “We'll continue monitoring the effects of winter turkey hunting and the impacts of environmental factors on turkeys. This conservative six-day season did not have a negative impact last year and should not adversely affect the turkey population in the future.”
