From my article that ran in The News Journal on April 7, 2011.
Although wild turkeys were once abundant throughout the region, there were few, if any, wild turkeys in Delaware in the early 1980s. With assistance from the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and local volunteers, Delaware’s wild turkey population has grown to more than 4,000 birds over the past several decades.
Gary Showalter, a volunteer Delaware district director for the National Wild Turkey Federation, assisted with turkey re-stocking efforts in 1984. “We’ve come a long way from 1984 with the initial release of 34 birds from Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New Jersey,” says Showalter. “Those birds were released at Milford Neck Wildlife Area and the Burnt Swamp in Sussex County. We have trapped and transferred birds within the state, as well as additional birds brought in from South Carolina, Virginia, and New York.” Additional birds have since been released throughout the state, including some around Brandywine Creek State Park and near Delaware City.
The overall Delaware wild turkey population is difficult to estimate, so the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife is conducting volunteer-based turkey counts and is working with the University of Delaware to conduct a turkey hen survival and productivity study in parts of the state. According to Delaware Wildlife Biologist for Migratory and Upland Game Birds Matthew DiBona, “Preliminary first year results from last spring suggest that the hard winter may have had a negative impact on hen survival going into nesting season. We are entering the second year of this study now, which will provide additional data on survival and nest success.”
Turkey sightings are more common in Sussex and Kent Counties than in New Castle County, and the majority of wild turkeys are harvested by hunters in the lower two-thirds of the state. Delaware has had consecutive record harvests since the 2005 season, with 368 birds harvested in 2010. Approximately 57% of the wild turkeys were harvested in Sussex County, 37% in Kent County, and 6% in New Castle County – all south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
DiBona believes that the expansion of wild turkeys into the northernmost parts of Delaware is limited because suburban and urban development has fragmented suitable habitat to the extent that is unclear if turkeys could thrive and maintain a self-sustaining population. However, the newly formed Northern Delaware Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is using volunteer resources to raise awareness of turkeys in northern Delaware and to increase wild turkey numbers in New Castle County.
Daniel Fitzgerald, president of the Northern Delaware Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, intends to positively affect the northern Delaware wild turkey population through conservation, education, fund raising, and additional stocking efforts. “We have a lot of turkey hunters in northern Delaware who travel to Pennsylvania and New Jersey to hunt turkeys, mainly because few turkey hunting opportunities exist in northern New Castle County,” Fitzgerald states. “We know there are some turkeys here, but most of them are on private, unhuntable ground. Our goal is to educate the public and work with the State to reintroduce wild turkeys to northern Delaware public wildlife management areas in order to create strong, sustainable flocks.”
Fitzgerald and National Wild Turkey Federation Regional Director Patty Foster point out that it costs over $500 per bird for trapping and relocating wild turkeys from one state to another, and that public support is necessary for successful restocking efforts. “Since 1985, Delaware NWTF chapters have raised and spent nearly $250,000 on wild-turkey-related projects within the state, including turkey restoration, habitat enhancement, and hunter safety programs,” says Foster. “Funds, typically raised by chapter banquets, donations, and community events, also help support other programs like Wheelin’ Sportsmen [helps people with disabilities enjoy hunting, fishing and shooting], JAKES [give children opportunities to explore the outdoors], and Women in the Outdoors.”
Delaware’s wild turkey conservation efforts have proven successful, and as a result, the number of Delaware turkey hunters is increasing. Delaware has added an additional week to the turkey hunting season, so it looks like 2011 could be another record year for turkey harvests.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Delaware Wild Turkey Season
Delaware’s 2011 spring wild turkey hunting season runs from April 9, 2011 to May 7, 2011 (no Sunday hunting). Private land hunters may hunt all 25 days of the season. Public land permits can only be used on the property and during the season segment for which they are issued.
Season segments are:
- A – April 9 – 15
- B – April 16 – 22
- C – April 23 – April 29
- D – April 30 – May 7
First Annual NWTF Northern Delaware Chapter Hunting Heritage Banquet
April 30, 2011, 5:30 PM
Holloway Terrace Fire Hall, New Castle, DE
Contact: danieltfitzgerald@hotmail.com
www.nwtf.org/in_your_state/banquet.php
Steven Kendus’ Hunter’s Journal appears monthly in The News Journal. Kendus is the author of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting. Follow his blog and podcast at www.HuntingTheFirstState.com. Contact him at skendus@HuntingTheFirstState.com.