Did you know that wild turkey season was not always available in Doddridge County? It’s true. Many people assume the wild turkey have always been plentiful here, but they have not been in the past.
Though true, wild turkey are native to West Virginia. Prior to 1961, the turkey population had dwindled to an alarming number. So much so that in 1921, only 106 birds were harvested in the entire state and hunting was only legal in some counties.
Then from 1933 to 1940, the WV Conservation Commission attempted to correct the dwindling population by releasing 3,075 farm-raised wild turkeys in areas of prime turkey habitat. Lacking the necessary survival instincts for living in the wild, the turkeys never became established.
By 1950 the number had reached just 7,000 statewide, most of which were concentrated in the Eastern mountains. Most WV Counties had no turkey at all.
Wayne Bailey, game biologist for the WV Conservation Commission, found a more logical solution to the problem by trapping wild turkeys in other areas of the state where they were more abundant and move them to other areas that held a sustainable habitat for them.
In 1950, Bailey trapped 15 birds and put six of them in Coopers Rock State Forest and nine in the Bluestone Wildlife Management Area. The transplant was successful.
Then in the 1970s, the DNR realized that stocking 50 birds at a time instead of the mere 15 would give them a much better result, and that practice began at an accelerated rate.
Flocks of turkey in areas that hadn’t seen turkeys for decades were being talked about throughout the state. By 1989, wild turkey was populated throughout all 55 counties.
Today, the population of the largest wild bird in WV, the wild turkey, is estimated to be 90,000. There are 64,000 licenses sold annually in West Virginia. Spring Gobbler Turkey Season statewide is open for 4 weeks. Hunters may harvest one bearded bird per day with a season bag limit of two birds. A one-day youth season is usually held on the Saturday before the regular season begins.
According to the WV Division of Natural Resources, Fall Turkey Season 2020 in WV will begin on October 12th for one week in all counties. All hunters must be out of the woods by 1 p.m. and are not allowed to use dogs to assist them with their hunting.
Doddridge County’s Turkey Story
According to Walt Lesser, a game biologist, the transplant was an effort to restore the population and bring back the once popular turkey hunting season. Some Doddridge County hunters may remember this article published in the April 6, 1961 Herald Record:
“In an effort to restore a wild turkey population in Doddridge County, eight wild turkeys have recently been released in the Bluestone-Arnold’s Creek area of the county by the Game Management Division of the State Conservation Commission. The transplant consisted of three adult males and five females-three adults and five juveniles.
Prior to the release, this area was carefully studied to determine its suitability for wild turkeys. The fact that there is approximately fifteen thousand acres of woodland in the Bluestone-Arnold’s Creek area, a good portion of which is mature timber, makes this area appear favorable for wild turkey habitation.
In the absence of human disturbances, wild turkeys in new range usually expand at an amazing rate. For example, with a favorable nesting season this spring and summer, the wild turkey population in the county should number from 40 to 50 birds this coming fall.
According to regulations specified in the federal aid for wildlife restoration act (Pittman-Robertson Act) there will be no hunting for wild turkeys in this area until five years after the initial release. This five-year period of protection will allow the wild turkeys to expand their numbers and fill all the suitable habitat. If a turkey population is established in the Bluestone-Arnold’s Creek area, the Game Division has plans to live-trap some turkeys within this area to restock other suitable areas within easy driving distance of Doddridge County. The few turkeys removed for such purposes will not adversely affect the Bluestone-Arnold’s Creek wild turkey population.
Wild turkey restoration has met with tremendous success in West Virginia in past years. To cite a few examples – in 1948 four females and two male turkeys were transplanted to Cooper’s Rock State Forest in Monongalia and Preston Counties. A good turkey population now exists on this area and hunting has been permitted during the past two seasons. This was the first wild turkey restoration effort in West Virginia. On Cabwaylingo State Forest (in Wayne County), four females and five male turkeys were released in February 1960. The present wild turkey population here is estimated to be 40 birds.
The most outstanding example occurred on Camp Creek State Forest in Mercer County. Seven females and three males were transplanted here in the springs of 1956 and 1957. A seven-day hunting season was permitted in 1960 when 33 wild turkeys were harvested on this area. This is the highest ever recorded in WV. The history of these releases had demonstrated that we can provide public hunting on areas much smaller than we thought fifteen to twenty years ago.
Without a doubt, the question of success of the restoration of the wild turkey in Doddridge County is entirely dependent upon the cooperation of the public. The Game Division has done everything possible to establish a turkey population in the Bluestone-Arnold’s Creek areas… the success of the project is now up to the public. If the breeding stock released in this area is molested in any way, success cannot be achieved. It is absolutely necessary that these birds be protected for a five-year period. We ask that citizens please cooperate and report any known illegal hunting in this area. A $25 reward is being offered by the Doddridge County Rifle and Pistol Club for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone killing a wild turkey.
In releasing the turkeys, the Game Division was assisted by J. M. “Bud” Henderson and Paul McCutchan who donated their time and the use of their vehicles. Assistance was also provided by Richard Barton, County Conservation Officer.
Let’s all help to make this restoration effort a success.”
As we all know, Turkey Season is one of the most anticipated seasons in WV, possibly exceeded only by Deer Season. Hunting is predominantly a solitary sport and therefore considered to be safe even in this COVID-19 world we find ourselves in today.
I hope you enjoyed this little walk back in time. If you should decide to take a walk through one of the many wooded areas in Doddridge County with the permission of the landowner or an abandoned dirt road, be warned. You might find an unexpected smile on your face. It’s alright and quite natural. You might even feel a sense of peace such as you have never known. That’s natural too. Enjoy it!
God Bless and Stay Well
Patricia Richards Harris