RUMFORD – Maine’s spring turkey hunt starts Monday in all but the northern part of the state. It runs five weeks, ending June 2. A special youth hunting day will be held Saturday.

After three successive years of cold, wet and long springs, ending in 2006, bird numbers may be down. “Unfortunately for wild turkeys, these unpleasant conditions equal poor reproductive success, and can also influence turkey hunter success,” wildlife biologist Michael L. Schummer said Wednesday in a state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife report.

Last spring, 20,089 hunters harvested 5,931 turkeys. That’s down from 6,235 turkeys registered in 2005. Schummer said the drop was likely caused by poor nesting conditions reflected in a lower-than-normal ratio of one jake for every three toms harvested. Jakes are year-old males while toms are adult males.

Department staff and volunteers reporting last year indicated there were a large number of hens spotted with no or very small young turkeys, Schummer wrote.

“It seems that the long, cold and wet spring resulted in fewer than normal wild turkeys produced last year,” he said.

Rumford hunter Stacy Carter said Wednesday night that he hasn’t seen any gobblers in the area, which is unusual.

“Absolutely zilch,” said Bruce Hanson, another Rumford hunter echoing Carter on Thursday. “I’ve been up and down Route 232 where they’ve been before and on Canton Flats and I haven’t seen any. That’s not a good thing from our point of view.”

“It totally surprised me,” Hanson added. “It’s hard to believe. I traveled all over Maine and New Hampshire and I haven’t seen hardly any. The birds are scarce all the way to Bangor.”

Several wild turkeys have been seen in Bethel and Newry, and in newly opened Wildlife Management District 7, which is comprised of northern Oxford and Franklin counties.

“The turkey population has expanded in areas throughout the state, but in District 7 it’s gotten to the point where the population needs to be managed through hunting instead of having uncontrolled population growth,” department spokesman Mark Latti said Thursday.

Schummer said he believes the number of jakes may be limited this spring, but the over-winter survival of large, mature toms is nearly 100 percent.

“Turkey hunters will still be graced with many thrilling gobbles, plenty of exciting hunts and, hopefully, the opportunity to harvest their Maine longbeard,” he said.

For the third year, and on the 30th anniversary of the reintroduction of wild turkeys to Maine, turkey permits will be unlimited. Hunting hours are half an hour before sunrise until noon.

The youth day is open to junior hunting license-holders ages 10 through 15 who also have a spring turkey hunt permit. They can hunt for one bearded turkey with firearms or bow and arrow. They must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or qualified adult who cannot possess a firearm that day and must hold a valid Maine hunting license or have completed a hunter safety course.