2025 Virginia Spring Gobbler Harvest Recap

RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) announced a harvest of 20,565 turkeys during the 2025 spring turkey season. This season represents the fourth highest spring turkey harvest in Virginia. Ryan Brown, DWR Executive Director, stated “Even with annual fluctuations based on the hatch, weather, and food conditions, turkey populations continue to provide great recreational opportunities across the Commonwealth.”
 
A slight decrease in the harvest from the previous two years was anticipated by DWR biologists, and this season reflected a 6% decrease from the prior season. The 2023 and 2024 harvests represented the two highest spring turkey harvests in Virginia (24,447 and 21,988 respectively). These harvests were likely higher than average due to excellent nesting conditions and improved turkey brood success in 2021. The Department’s annual brood survey measures productivity and recruitment within Virginia’s turkey population. In 2022 and 2023, the survey indicated below average recruitment of turkey poults across much of the state. This decrease in recruitment means that there were likely fewer adult turkeys on the landscape, which would explain the drop in the overall harvest this season. This reduction in adults is also indicated by a slight uptick in the percentage of juveniles (commonly called jakes) in the harvest. In 2024, jakes made up 7% of the total harvest, while this season they made up 11% of the total harvest.
 
As in previous years, more birds were harvested east of the Blue Ridge (69%) than west of the Blue Ridge (31%). Adult gobblers (as defined in harvest records as those with a beard at least 7” in length) made up 89% of the total harvest, while juvenile gobblers, known as “jakes” (beard less than 7” in length), accounted for 11% of the harvest. Turkey harvests occurred overwhelmingly in the morning (93%) versus the afternoon (7%).
 
The majority of the spring turkey harvest took place on private lands (93%).  Public land hunters (both federal and state) accounted for 7% of the total spring harvest, very similar to last season. National Forest lands accounted for the majority of public land harvests.
 
While the harvest across the Commonwealth continues to be very robust, there are areas of the state where turkey population metrics are falling below the objectives set in DWR’s Wild Turkey Management Plan. Habitat improvements that enhance brood and nesting success will be the key to sustaining robust turkey populations. Additional information about the turkey harvest and turkey management in Virginia, can be found at: https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/turkey.