Brandon Township resident Jeremy Skibo, 38, has hunting in the northern Oakland County area for more than 20 years. For the past five years Skibo has hunted turkey on private land in the township.
‘Four birds in the past five years,? said Skibo.
‘The 2010 year has been slow so far. I’ve been hunting since April 19 and had a few hens come by, but no toms thus far. Opening morning there was a lot of action’toms were gobbling, but since then there’s been only a few responses.
‘Other years the birds had come right in to me.?
State wildlife officials are confident that Skibo and thousands of other hunters seeking that spring gobbler luck should change during the spring turkey season, which opened by permit in late April.
Al Stewart, upland game bird specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the spring turkey hunt is anticipated to be similar to last year due to a mild winter and the even distribution of birds across Genesee-Oakland counties over both state and public lands.
‘Hunter success should be similar to last year. It was not a very hard winter,? said Stewart. ‘From Muskegon to Bay City, the southern section of the state, there are a decent number of birds to hunt. The spring hunt days will stay the same, however, the DNR right now is looking at expanding the fall season.?
The application period for the fall hunt is from July 1 to Aug. 1. Stewart said that in 2009, of the 50,000 fall turkey permits available for Michigan residents, 16,000 were purchased.
‘Not as many hunt during the fall due to deer season and other small game available. By making the fall season two weeks longer we are hoping to attract more hunters then. Traditionally, fall was the most popular time to hunt (turkey),? said Stewart.
Despite some fluctuation in population changes last year, about 39,000 turkey were harvested statewide, reported Stewart. Prior to 1980 there were no wild turkey in the area. Stewart says that 200 years ago the wild turkey were plentiful statewide, but due to over-hunting they were just about all gone by 1900. The last turkey was reported shot in Van Buren County in 1897. The DNR reintroduced turkeys in the 1980s just east of Holly, and since then their numbers have grown.
‘Michigan currently ranks sixth in United States with regard to the number of turkeys harvested,? added Stewart.