OVERTIME OUTDOORS: State biologist reports turkey harvest slumps in 2021 season

Published 5:45 am Sunday, May 23, 2021

Several of the Teche Area’s ardent turkey hunters talked excitedly, heck, breathlessly, this past season about harvesting at least one tom but came up empty-handed in 2021.

They weren’t the only outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen to scratch, according to a recent report from the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Cody Cedotol, the state agency’s Small Game Program Manager, said the state’s turkey harvest plummeted nearly 11 percent from 2020, mostly because of the heavy spring rains that hit the Sportsman’s Paradise.

Cedotal reported 1,886 turkeys were killed during the season, based on turkey tag validation data, down from 2,117 in 2020. Since 2009, the average harvest per season and been 2,006.

“Unfavorable weather conditions for much of the season likely affected the overall success of turkey hunters in 2021,” Cedotal said May 13. “We had good weather for the Good Friday opener (April 2) and it stayed favorable for much of the first week of the season. During this first week, with the good hunting conditions that existed, the harvest was slightly higher compared to the first week of the 2020 season.”

The weather didn’t hold up for the final three weeks of the season, which ended May 2. Harvest numbers declined for those weeks compared to the same period last spring.

Cedotal also pointed out that hunter effort and harvest probably were elevated in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic as many more hunters entered the woods with additional time on their hands.

Season assessments from turkey hunters ranged from very good to poor. Many indicated increased encounters with jakes, which indicates moderate to good reproduction, Cedotal said. Similar reports were noted in 2020.

The heavy rains since the season ended concern the veteran biologist.

“These rain events will likely have a negative impact on reproduction this year causing nest failures and increased mortality of young wild turkey poults. Hopefully, we can begin to see some dry weather soon, which will improve nesting and brood rearing conditions.”

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At least one local turkey hunter has enjoyed success out-of-state.

Saint Schwing of New Iberia, who celebrated his 23rd birthday Thursday, took his father turkey hunting on Wildlife Management Areas in Oklahoma the second week of April and called in a big tom for 55-year-old Armond Schwing. That Rio Grande turkey was the first turkey ever killed by the veteran waterfowler from New Iberia.

Saint, a Catholic High School graduate who has killed eight turkeys since he started hunting them in 2018, continued his out-of-state turkey hunting success a few weeks ago in Colorado.

Read all about that trip on these pages Sunday, May 30.

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The Wednesday Night Hawg Fights Bass Tournament Series tournament #5 was postponed this past week after being scheduled for Lake Fausse Pointe out of Marsh Field Boat Landing. The tournament was rescheduled to be held Wednesday night out of Marsh Field Boat Landing.

The WN Hawg Fights BTS board members said they took the lake’s high and rising water level, which spilled over into the parking lot in front of the two boat ramps, and the forecast for more inclement weather into consideration. The decision was unanimous among the five board members, including veteran tournament director Mike Sinitiere of New Iberia.

Through four tournaments, St. Martinville neighbors and fishing buddies Braxton Resweber and Austin Theriot are ahead in the standings with 363 points, followed closely by Blaine Miller and Brandon Sellers with 357.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.