With the state of the world it’s possible to get feeling down. Instead of getting down, think about turkey season. It will be here before we know it!
The harvest numbers for turkeys for the state of Arkansas in 2021 was 7.013. In the entire state there are an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 turkeys heading into the 2022 year.
2020 saw fantastic reproductive seasons for gobblers, putting many jakes to mature just in time for season. Predictions are favoring a great turkey season for 2022.
Surveys show turkey hunters are dedicated individuals. However there many hours don’t yield a bountiful yield. Years past have shown a success rate of 2.8%.
Those willing to put those odds to the test can do so coming up in April. The youth hunt for zone 1 and 2 is April 9-10, and regular season for zone 1 is April 18-26 and zone 2 April 18-May 8.
The AGFC outlines the following bag limits “Zone 1: One legal turkey, no jakes (see Statewide Turkey Bag Limit for exceptions). Hunters who kill a turkey in this zone must travel to Zone 2 to attempt to harvest a second turkey.
Zone 2: Two legal turkeys, no jakes (see Statewide Turkey Bag Limit for exceptions).” For more information on turkey season and harvest laws visit agfc.com.
A little tidbit about the cover photo- I draft articles often and leave them until I have a photo. I felt a time crunch with this particular article since I wanted to hit publish before the start of turkey season. I happened across a photo of my late uncle holding a turkey he had harvested and decided it was the ideal photo to pair with this article.
