Wild turkeys are plentiful in Indiana this year and Brood X cicadas are part of the reason

The swarms of thousands of cicadas that emerged as part of Brood X across most of Indiana two years ago have helped with the abundance of wild turkeys. Albers said many of the wild turkeys killed each season are 2 years old, which means the majority of turkeys taken this year were likely babies, called poults, when the cicadas were present. This past spring's wild turkey season, there were 16,648 turkeys taken, which is the highest number in at least the past eight years.

Now hunters in Indiana participating in the archery and firearms season are finding plenty of wild turkeys in the woodlands and fields. Fall firearms season was Oct. 18-29. The archery season is split in two: Oct. 1-29 and Dec. 2-Jan. 7, so there's still time for bowhunters to take a tom or hen.

Albers said hunters can kill either tom or hen turkeys during Indiana's fall hunting season; only toms can be killed in the spring, which is more popular with hunters.

So far hunters have taken 545 wild turkeys during the fall harvest with another month of hunting to come. Greene County has the second highest total in Indiana so far this year, with 18 turkeys killed. Only LaPorte had more, at 19. Hunters have taken nine turkeys in Monroe County, 10 in Lawrence County, 11 in Owen County and 12 in Brown County.