KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There will be no fall turkey hunting season this year in Kansas as wildlife officials express concern over declining turkey populations.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Commission made the announcement Friday morning, calling the decision “difficult.”
“We’ve documented consistent declines in turkey populations over the past 15 years, largely due to reduced population levels,” Kent Frick, KDWP small game biologist said in Friday’s announcement.
Kansas’ spring turkey season usually draws more hunters than the fall season, KDWP said.
“The estimated statewide fall harvest of turkey was less than 500 birds in 2022,” Fricke said. “While this is a small proportion of the statewide population, fall harvest is an additive source of mortality for turkeys, especially when hens are harvested.”
KDWP says it’s worked to restore turkey populations through several measures, including trimming the length of the fall season in 2019 from 123 days down to 41 days. Officials also changed the limit from four turkeys to just one bird in 2017.
“These trends are not unique to Kansas,” Fricke said. “States across the Midwest and Southeast have experienced similar patterns in turkey populations.
Additional information about turkey hunting in Kansas is available online.
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