Hunters reported taking 67 wild turkeys during the 2022 winter turkey season, which was open statewide Jan. 20-22. This year’s harvest was 24% lower than the 2021 winter total of 89 turkeys.
St. Mary’s, Baltimore, and Caroline counties reported the highest harvests respectively, although turkeys were reported from most counties across the state. Adult males, or toms, comprised 30% of the harvest with the remainder being females and juveniles. Eighty-one percent were taken with a shotgun, but some hunters harvested their bird with a crossbow or vertical bow.
The winter turkey season was established in 2015 to provide hunters with an additional hunting opportunity while minimizing conflicts with other hunting seasons. Turkey populations at one time were limited in Maryland. In the 1980s and 1990s, an extensive program to trap and relocate wild flocks successfully established populations in every county.
Maryland’s spring turkey season, which provides the largest annual harvest runs from April 18 to May 23. Statewide, the spring season bag limit is 1 bearded turkey per day and 2 bearded turkeys per season. Spring Turkey Season daily shooting hours for April 18 through May 9 are one-half hour before sunrise to noon and shooting hours for May 10 through May 23 are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Hunting Devices for Spring Turkey Season are only shotguns (loaded with #4 shot or smaller), crossbows, vertical bows or air guns that shoot arrows or bolts. Click here for more information.