Montgomery County hunters harvested 206 wild turkeys during the 2023 spring regular and junior turkey season, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Throughout Maryland, hunters harvested 5,356 wild turkeys, which is 27% more than the 2022 harvest.
“A combination of high turkey populations, good weather and additional hunting opportunities set the stage for the large increase in harvest,” said Wildlife and Heritage Service Acting Director Karina Stonesifer. “It is an exciting time to be a Maryland turkey hunter, particularly in regions of the state that historically did not produce many birds.”
Montgomery County’s count was the highest in at least three years. In 2022, 264 turkeys were harvested. In 2021, 154 were, according to the state DNR.
According to the DNR, much of the increase can be attributed to the Brood X cicada emergence in the summer of 2021, which provided abundant food and increased survival of newly-hatched turkeys in a large part of the state.
