The numbers are in on the 2021 spring turkey hunting season and though they didn’t match 2020’s statistics, aided by more time to spend outside, they did show that the peninsula is one of the state’s best areas to harvest a gobbler. Zone 2, which holds Door County and Kewaunee County, had the second most birds registered with 9,302. Zone 3 in the central part of the state was the highest total with 9,847 turkeys harvested. 

The 2021 stats showed a 17 percent decrease from the nearly 45,000 birds taken in the spring of 2020. This spring, turkey hunters logged 37,179 birds. There were 16,215 fewer over-the-counter tags sold in the state in spring 2021. 

In a press release, DNR Assistant Upland Wildlife Ecologist Alaina Gerrits credited last year’s Safer at Home order from Governor Tony Evers for people having more time to enjoy the outdoors. She says levels are now what was experienced before the pandemic started. 

Contrary to overall statistics, youth tags filled were up 15 percent from last year. The weather was not considered a deterrent to this spring’s season totals.