Arkansas Turkey Harvest Reaches Highest Level Since 2006

Arkansas turkey hunters recorded their most successful spring season in nearly two decades this year, with more than 13,500 birds checked statewide during the 2026 spring turkey hunt.

According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, hunters checked a total of 13,591 turkeys before the season officially ended. The total marks the state’s highest spring turkey harvest since 2006.

Wildlife officials say several factors likely contributed to the increase, including strong populations of mature gobblers, favorable weather conditions throughout much of the season, and adjustments to the state’s hunting season structure.

AGFC Assistant Chief of Wildlife Management Allison Fowler said conservative hunting regulations implemented in recent years have helped more mature gobblers survive and reach hunting age. She also pointed to improved habitat conditions and good weather as key reasons for this season’s success.

Despite this year’s strong numbers, Arkansas’s all-time record turkey harvest remains the 2003 season, when hunters checked nearly 20,000 birds statewide. Officials noted that hunting regulations were significantly different at that time, allowing hunters to harvest immature gobblers, commonly called jakes, as well as bearded hens.

This season, youth hunters accounted for just over 300 jakes, representing less than three percent of the total harvest. Wildlife officials say limiting the harvest of younger birds should help maintain healthy gobbler populations heading into next year.

The AGFC also continues to evaluate the effects of this year’s split-season hunting format, which allowed hunters to participate in opening weekends across different hunting zones in the state.

While biologists remain optimistic about the state’s turkey population overall, Fowler said next year’s harvest numbers could see a slight decline because of lower turkey reproduction rates recorded in 2025.