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Fall W.Va. turkey harvest drops

PARKERSBURG — The 2017 fall turkey harvest in West Virginia was down more than half from last year, the Division of Natural Resources said on Wednesday.

Hunters killed 948 turkeys this year, 54 percent fewer than in 2016 and 23 percent below the five-year average, the division said.

“As predicted in the 2017 Mast Survey and Hunter Outlook, we expected this fall’s harvest to be down from a year ago,” said Mike Peters, game bird project leader.

Last year’s turkey population was aided by the emergence of the 17-year cicada that are eaten by young turkeys, he said.

“Last season also was the first year all 55 counties had at least a one-week season,” Peters said. “Both factors resulted in an above-average fall harvest in 2016.”

The 2017 season is more on par with a typical season, Peters said. Brood production was down from last year, and mast conditions are good, meaning birds are more dispersed.

The conditions made it more difficult for hunters to kill a turkey, he said.

The most turkeys were killed in Greenbrier County, 64, followed by Preston with 55, Monroe with 51, Randolph with 38 and Nicholas with 36. The top five counties had a four-week season, except Preston County, which had a two-week season.

Hunters in District 6, which includes Wood and surrounding counties, killed 147 turkeys. There were 212 turkeys harvested in District 4, 200 in District 1, 173 in District 3, 134 in District 2 and 82 in District 5.

Fourteen counties in the central mountains with a four-week season accounted for 39 percent of the state’s fall turkey harvest.

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