Hunters harvested a total of 5,719 turkeys in New Hampshire during the 2020 spring turkey hunt which was a new record since the department has been keeping track.
The results reflect an increase of 643 turkeys (12.7%) over the 2019 season. The youth hunt weekend resulted in a total harvest of 500 turkeys, a notable increase from the 76 birds harvested during the same weekend in 2019. The youth hunt accounted for 8.7% of this spring season’s total.
Large gobblers were abundant this spring. The heaviest birds recorded this season were between 24 and 29 pounds and a total of 61 gobblers weighing either 24 or 25 pounds were checked in.
On opening day May 1, 589 gobblers were registered (10.3%), and during the first weekend, May 2–3, 1,408 gobblers were registered (24.6%). The total turkey harvest was comprised of 1,217 jakes (21.4%) and 4,477 toms (78.6%), representing a juvenile-to-adult gobbler harvest ratio of 0.27 jakes per tom.
Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) J2 logged the largest spring harvest again this year with 977 birds, followed by WMU K with 765 birds and WMU M with 733 birds.
Some towns with notable numbers of turkeys harvested included 84 in Weare, 77 in Concord, 75 each in Gilmanton and Claremont, and 73 in Belmont. A total of 24 towns recorded 50 or more birds harvested.
Most turkey eggs typically hatch from late May to mid-June. NH Fish and Game asks for the public’s help in monitoring observations of turkey broods through its annual turkey brood survey which runs through Aug. 31.
For additional information on the survey and to participate in the survey, click here.