Photo courtesy of Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Arkansas’s young hunters had a successful weekend with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) reporting 1,068 turkeys were harvested during the state’s two-day youth hunt. This marks the first time the harvest has exceeded 1,000 since 2016 and represents a 19% increase from last year’s harvest of 887.
Jeremy Wood, AGFC turkey program coordinator, attributed the increase to improved reproduction from the previous year and excellent weather during the hunt. The majority of the turkeys were mature gobblers, which is promising for future harvests.
Despite some complaints about the hunt occurring on Easter weekend, the decline in harvest on the second day is common during youth hunts. The youth hunt is scheduled nine days before the regular season to allow the birds time to rest before hunting disturbance begins.
The youth hunt is an essential tool for recruiting young hunters and allowing them to get some success early in their hunting careers. Wood noted the youth hunt typically accounts for 10% of the overall season harvest, and a successful youth hunt may indicate increased harvest throughout the regular season, weather permitting.
Although a handful of birds may still be recorded from late checks, the majority of the checked harvest has been tallied. Overall, the weekend was a success for Arkansas’s young hunters and their receptive feathered prey.
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