Hunters kill 38K turkeys during spring hunt

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Department of Natural Resources says hunters killed about the same number of turkeys during the spring season as they did last year.

DNR officials say a preliminary count shows hunters killed 38,556 turkeys this spring. They took 38,885 birds last spring. The agency authorized 213,078 hunters, up slightly from 212,781 in 2018. Southwestern Wisconsin’s Zone 1 yielded the most turkeys, with hunters taking 10,334 birds.

Mark Witecha is a DNR wildlife ecologist. He says toms were less responsive to calls in the early and middle portions of the season this year.