Report Nr. 3111 Hunting Results, Michigan Spring Turkey Season, 1989

An estimated 22,199 individuals hunted during the 1989 Spring Turkey Season; 26 percent more hunters than in 1988. Hunting effort increased to 87,235 hunter-days, whereas days hunted per hunter remained unchanged (3.9 days afield). There were 6,195 turkeys harvested in 1989 compared to 4,567 in 1988. Hunter success increased from 26 to 28 percent. Two out of three hunters rated their spring turkey hunting experience as good or very good. In the Upper Peninsula Unit, the number of areas open to hunting was increased from two to four. As a result, 51 percent more hunters (1,656) harvested 80 percent more birds (709). Hunter success was 43 percent. More area was also open to hunting in the Northern Unit. For 17 management areas, hunter numbers increased 21 percent to 19,558. Their harvest of 5,352 birds was 29 percent more than the previous year. In the Southern Unit, turkey hunting was expanded to three areas. There were twice as many hunters (985) as in 1988. Their harvest of 134 turkeys was a three-fold increase from last season. Hunter success, in this unit, increased from 9 to 14 percent.