Halifax County saw the third highest number of turkeys harvested during the 2024 season, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

Halifax and Northampton were also in the top five for turkeys harvested per square mile, the commission’s 2024 Wild Turkey Summary shows.

Duplin led all counties in North Carolina with 872, Pender 694, Halifax 612, Columbus 598 and Brunswick 589.

Northampton had a total of 516.

Across the state hunters recorded 24,074 birds harvested, including 2,372 birds taken during the youth season. Hunters harvested 15 fewer turkeys than last year’s record total, making the 2024 Spring Turkey season the second-highest year on record. 

Both the mountain and coastal ecoregions reported increases in harvest numbers compared to the 2023 season, particularly in the coastal region. 

“Turkey hunting continues to be very popular in North Carolina, with this year’s total harvest statewide being 8 percent higher than the average of the previous three years,” said Hannah Plumpton, NCWRC’s upland game bird biologist.  

To put this year’s wild turkey harvest in perspective, Plumpton compared this year’s harvest to the average harvest of the last three years. 

Each season was five weeks, including one week for youth hunters under the age of 18. 

The results concluded: 

Harvest during the week-long youth season increased by 11 percent

Harvest in the coastal region increased by 13 percent

Harvest in the Mountains increased by 8 percent 

Harvest in the piedmont increased by 2 percent

Harvest on game lands increased by 5 percent 

Number of adult gobblers harvested increased by 11 percent

Number of jakes harvested decreased by 10 percent 

Jakes comprised 10 percent of the harvest, a 1 percent decrease.