Turkey season might be great or "only fair" this year, depending on which side of the Savannah River you're hunting.
At least, that's what Georgia and South Carolina biologists predicted in divergent forecasts last week.
Georgia's opening day is Saturday and state turkey project coordinator Kevin Lowrey expects a good season with harvests comparable to recent years.
"There should be many vocal 2-year old gobblers available for harvest this year thanks to the high reproduction rate in the summer of 2008," he said.
During the 2009 season, 56,113 Georgia resident hunters bagged 27,323 turkeys. During 2008, an estimated 49,237 hunters bagged 24,297 turkeys. The bird to hunter ratio (harvest rate) for 2009 was .49 birds per hunter -- the same as in 2007 and 2008.
Georgia hunters have a bag limit of three gobblers per season, which runs through May 15.
In South Carolina, which has about 50,000 turkey hunters, gobbler season opens Monday only in Game Zone 6 that includes 12 counties from Allendale south. The season in the rest of the state is April 1 to May 1.
The outlook for the 2010 spring season is "only fair," according to Charles Ruth, the state's deer and turkey project supervisor. Turkey reproduction was less than desirable in many regions based on the annual brood survey conducted last summer.
"With poor reproduction the last few years the number of mature gobblers will likely be lower across much of the state. Not only is the number of adult gobblers expected to be down in 2010, the survey results indicate that the number of jakes (immature gobblers) will be lower as well.
The summer brood survey has documented poor reproduction the last few years, with a net reduction in harvest of about 35 percent since 2002, he said.
FATAL SHOOTING: Last weekend's fatal shooting of a federal game warden by a coyote hunter in Jasper County remains under investigation.
Christopher Upton, 37, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service officer, was shot and killed around 11 p.m. March 5 by a hunter who mistook him for a coyote. The incident occurred in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest when Norman Clinton Hale, 40, fired a .223 caliber rifle equipped with night-vision equipment.
Upton died instantly. Hale told authorities he thought he was firing at a coyote.
The tragedy was among five fatalities across the state in just four days involving hunters and fishermen.
Two anglers drowned in Middle Georgia's Lake Tobesofkee and another died after his boat capsized in the Chattahoochee River. And a 15-year-old boy died of hypothermia after he became lost while hog hunting in the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area near Darien.
So many accidents in such a short time is rare in Georgia, especially this time of year. Be careful.
CHEROKEE PARK: Lincoln County has leased Cherokee Park from the Army Corps of Engineers and will operate the boat ramp and day use areas under a five-year lease.
The park's new operator will honor the corps annual day-use passes until July 1. Groups or individuals wanting to schedule special events, purchase a Lincoln County annual park pass, or rent group shelters at Cherokee Park should contact the Lincoln County Planning and Zoning Office at (706) 359-5523.
The annual Lincoln County pass costs $40 and daily passes are $4.
COOKIN FOR KIDS: It's almost time for the annual Cookin for Kids event that will bring some of the best wild game and fish chefs to Daniel Field on March 27.
Past menu items have included everything from ostrich to alligator, in addition to traditional duck and venison dishes.
In addition to competitive cooking, this year's lineup includes Georgia Southern's Raptor Program exhibits, clowns, karaoke, games and lots more, said Dan Hillman, executive director of Child Enrichment and the Child Advocacy Center -- the event's main beneficiaries. Admission is $5 for ages 13 and over; $3 for ages 3 to 12; and free for kids 2 and under.
There is also an Oyster Roast on March 26, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission is $35 per person or $60 per couple. Visit www.cookinforkids.com for more details.
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