Maine’s 2001 wild turkey hunt proved there are more of the birds here than in years past, and a lot more happy hunters stalking them.

Of the 7,000 hunters who were awarded permits, 2,517 bagged a turkey, according to preliminary state figures. The success rate of 36 percent is exceptional, given the challenge in the hunt, which requires hunters to remain concealed and to call the cautious bird for hours.

“It’s an excellent harvest. It shows the population is doing as well as we think it is,” state bird biologist Brad Allen said. “They’re starting to hatch in what we think are excellent nesting conditions. We have beautiful weather, there is no rain, and there are lots of acorns still in the woods from last fall. Things are looking good.”

The turkey population in Maine has grown from 41 in 1977 to an estimated 15,000 birds.

The hunt was introduced in 1986 with a success rate of 1.8 percent. By 1996, 20 percent of hunters were successful. The rate has risen to above 30 percent the past two years.

Last year, there were 1,559 birds tagged with 4,000 permits given out, for a success rate of 39 percent. This year’s rate was just as impressive, said Gene Dumont, DIF&W regional management supervisor.

“Any time it is over 30 percent it is exceptional,” Dumont said. “Out of 19,000 applicants, more than a third got a permit. We don’t know if those are the 7,000 best turkey hunters.”

DIF&W changed the hunt this year by splitting the season and putting 3,500 hunters in the field during the first and fourth week of May, and another 3,500 in the field the second and third week. As a result, hunters had less time to hunt than last year, but Allen said the majority probably hunt only about five days.

Dumont said preliminary figures show there were 1,526 adult toms, 989 juveniles and two females killed. It is only legal to shoot male birds, which can be identified by their brightly colored crown and wattle.

Allen said the majority of the birds – about 1,300 – came out of Lincoln, Knox, Kennebec and Waldo counties (DIF&W Region B).

In southern Maine’s Region A, which is York and Cumberland counties and parts of Androscoggin and Oxford, Allen said about 1,000 birds were taken.

Only about 200 birds were taken in newly opened hunting regions east of Bucksport and in part of Oxford County.

The wild bird, which was rare in Maine after overhunting in the early 1800s, was reintroduced in York County in 1977.

“I always thought Region B had better turkey habitat than southern Maine,” Allen said of the area that is less developed and has more farmland, which the bird prefers. “The numbers are starting to substantiate that.”

No hunting accidents were reported. In other states, turkey season is among the most dangerous. In the 16 years the hunt has been in Maine there has not been a fatality.

Dumont emphasized that safety remains a concern.

While there were more hunters in the field overall this year, there were less at any given time than there were last year, when 4,000 stalked turkeys during the entire month of May in a smaller area.

Deirdre Fleming covers outdoor sports and recreation. She can be reached at 990-8250 or at dfleming@bangordailynews.net.