Hunters will be gearing up for Georgia’s wild turkey season in the upcoming weeks, and a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources is providing an outlook for this year’s season.

“The outlook for the spring 2022 turkey population will be fair, based on poult production estimates from 2020,” says Emily Rushton, state wild turkey biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. “Statewide poult production was slightly below average, and harvest generally tracks poult production from two years prior, as these poults are entering the adult population. Harvest may look different this spring as well since significant changes to statewide turkey regulations will take effect for the 2022 season.”

Rushton says that the Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain regions in central Georgia did not experience a production decrease two years ago, so hunters in those regions might see more turkeys this spring. The mountains, however, experienced low production in 2020, which might translate into fewer birds.

Rushton adds that hunters should double-check regulations to ensure they’re up to speed about new season dates and bag limits.

Statewide turkey season is shifted to open one week later on April 2, 2022. On WMAs, VPAs, and National Forests, the turkey season opens 2 weeks later on April 9, 2022. The season still closes on May 15. The statewide bag limit has been reduced to 2 gobblers per season with a 1 gobbler daily bag limit. Additionally, the bag limit on WMAs, VPAs, and National Forest lands (outside WMAs) is 1 gobbler per area.