Spring 2026 Turkey Harvest Rose in All Seven Southeast States We Track

IYear over year

Harvest exceeded 2025 in every state

The largest increase belonged to Tennessee. Summing its county reports gives 35,061 turkeys for spring 2026, compared with 29,060 for 2025, an increase of 20.7%. Next were Arkansas at +19.7% and Kentucky at +18.9%. Virginia followed at +17.2%, ahead of Georgia at +14.7%, West Virginia at +12.3% and North Carolina at +10.1%.

The combined increase amounts to 22,806 birds over 2025. Because that sum draws on seven different reporting systems, changes within individual states deserve more weight. This table lists the years covered for each state and places its 2026 result within that history.

IIHighs and lows

Our county histories show new highs for three states

At 36,448, Kentucky exceeded its former peak by 351 birds. That earlier total was 36,097 in 2010. A release from Kentucky Fish and Wildlife likewise describes 2026 as a record, identifying 2010 as the previous record year. North Carolina reported 25,034, surpassing the 24,089 recorded in 2023. Its county harvest summary extends to 1977.

Arkansas requires a precise distinction. Beginning with 2013, our county history for Arkansas tops out at 13,646. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission describes spring 2026 as the strongest since 2006. It lists 19,947 checked birds in 2003 as the all-time peak. Arkansas fits the description "Highest in our records"; calling it a "Record" would be incorrect.

An earlier season still exceeds each of the remaining four states. Virginia reported 24,103, placing it 344 below the 24,447 from 2023. The department's harvest summary places 2026 ahead of all seasons during the preceding decade other than 2023. For West Virginia, 12,006 is 281 below the 12,287 from 2018. Earlier peaks for Tennessee and Georgia occurred in 2020, with respective totals of 40,129 and 14,716. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency places 2026 fourth in its harvest history, referring to "the 2020 COVID record season."

IIIRecent trend

The increase came after two weak spring seasons in five states

Among the six states shown in Figure 2, five had declining reports across successive springs: Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and West Virginia. Their 2025 reports were below 2024, which was itself below 2023. Kentucky's sequence was 35,663 followed by 33,465 and 30,661, before reaching 36,448. For Tennessee, the sequence was 31,844 followed by 31,728 and 29,060, before reaching 35,061.

A lower starting point explains some of the increase for 2026. Switching the comparison year from 2025 to 2024 reduces the increases: West Virginia shows +3.1%, North Carolina +4.0%, Georgia +8.7%, Kentucky +8.9% and Tennessee +10.5%.

Arkansas follows a different pattern. Reports of spring harvest have increased for five consecutive seasons, reaching 13,646 in 2026 from 7,023 in 2021. Compared with 2024, the increase is 46.2%. The figure excludes Virginia because its county history in our data begins with 2021.

IVTop counties

Leading counties reported between 372 and 1,441 birds

With 1,441 reported birds, Maury County, Tennessee, had the highest county total in this group. That was 458 above its 2025 count of 983. Kentucky's leader was Graves County at 778; West Virginia's was Mason County at 523. Those totals agree with releases from Kentucky and West Virginia. North Carolina's leading county, Duplin County, reported 853, just 41 above 2025.

This table ranks counties for a single spring season. County acreage, hunter numbers and public land vary, making one state's leading county a poor yardstick for another state's leader. The Kentucky county paper explores the result of comparing a leaderboard with a county's average over five years.

VStated reasons

Weather appears in four agencies' explanations

Each of the four agencies whose releases for 2026 we reviewed offers an explanation, with some shared themes. Kentucky points to high egg production and strong survival among poults over two years, additional hunters and favorable weather through four consecutive weekends. Tennessee cites favorable weather alongside "relatively good turkey hatches for the past few years". Virginia emphasizes weather, particularly during weekends. Arkansas points to mature gobblers remaining after conservative seasons and to weather. It also says analysis continues into whether the new split opening weekends made a difference.

A table counting reported birds cannot test those explanations. Weather appears in the accounts from all four agencies. Kentucky and Tennessee also point to recent hatches or survival among poults; Arkansas points to gobblers remaining from previous seasons. These explanations are presented as each agency's interpretation of its own season.

VIMethod and limits

County reports add up to these state totals

We calculate every total by adding the county reports within a state for its spring season. Collection methods include required registration, game checks and harvest reporting. Independent cities contribute to Virginia's sum. Because the histories cover different periods, "highest in our records" refers only to the history we hold for the particular state. County reports were obtained from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia and West Virginia.

For five states out of seven, we checked our county sums against statewide figures released by the agencies for 2026. West Virginia agreed exactly: 12,006. Virginia published 24,105, while our sum was 24,103. Kentucky published 36,439, compared with our 36,448; Arkansas published 13,591, compared with our 13,646; Tennessee published 34,990, compared with our 35,061. Tennessee had the widest difference in birds, at 71. Arkansas had the widest percentage difference, at 0.4%. Our search found no statewide figure for 2026 for either North Carolina or Georgia to use in a comparison. Their totals therefore rely solely on county reports.

A harvest total counts reported birds; it does not measure flock size. The number of hunters, the weather and the rules for the season all affect that count. County tables show none of those factors. Oklahoma is excluded from this set because its statewide totals are estimates from hunter surveys that end at 2024, making them a different type of measure. We discuss Oklahoma in a separate paper.

VIIIn the field

Use three spring seasons to assess a state

Assess a state using its three most recent spring seasons rather than just the latest season. Every state among the six shown in Figure 2 reported more birds in 2026 than in either 2025 or 2024. Arkansas alone, however, shows a steady climb over recent years. A decade of fluctuations in Kentucky and Tennessee makes 2026 a strong season, but leaves it too soon to describe that result as a new baseline.

For anyone who passed on a state following a weak 2025, these reports indicate that hunters found turkeys there again. To choose among counties, start with rankings based on their average over five years. Let the most recent spring settle ties.