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Bird Report

Had a conversation about this the other day with a buddy here in Hickman co. I can't remember the last turkey I saw around the house and haven't heared any this year. He said he had talked to another friend who had this discussion with our game warden and he said that TWRA dosent know what is going on, but that there is a drastic issue going on. Since our conversation I've been driving by and checking areas that I usua see large numbers and I haven't seen the first turkey. I hope maybe I'm just missing them. But everyone I bring this up to says now that I think about it I haven't been seeing them like I usually do.
 
turk870":211z1jiv said:
Had a conversation about this the other day with a buddy here in Hickman co. I can't remember the last turkey I saw around the house and haven't heared any this year. He said he had talked to another friend who had this discussion with our game warden and he said that TWRA dosent know what is going on, but that there is a drastic issue going on. Since our conversation I've been driving by and checking areas that I usua see large numbers and I haven't seen the first turkey. I hope maybe I'm just missing them. But everyone I bring this up to says now that I think about it I haven't been seeing them like I usually do.
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Totally agree with you, especially for the areas in and around western Hickman, northern Perry and southern Humphreys county where I used to hunt a lot, but more importantly used to ride miles and miles and gawk at all the hens and strutters I would see on private farms that received little to no hunting. It's sad to say, but I am lucky to see a few hens and one strutter making those same rounds today. To make the issue more interesting, I'm 99% sure the areas I speak of cannot be blamed on chicken litter, as many of the areas have little to no farming, and the areas that do, I have never seen any chicken litter piled up on the field entrances/edges. The land cover is primarily hardwoods, cut over timber (various phases or regrowth), cow pastures, set aside (CRP) and some farming, but not that much in the big picture. Turkeys were super abundant and visible 1998-2008, somewhat visible in select areas 2009-2015, and rapidly disappearing 2016 - present.
 
Andy S.":gj79746f said:
TheLBLman":gj79746f said:
......but the turkeys seem to be adapting as well,
by not coming out into fields as much, at least in some locations.
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My dreams are finally coming true. Coming from a hunter who loves and promotes woods hunting...... :tu:
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X2. Sometimes I want to put scarecrows in every field on every farm I can hunt.
 
Not as many birds as it used to be in the areas I hunt in KY or TN.
Birds are still in winter flocks, which makes it hard to see but when you find that spot you will see a bunch.
I've been watching a flock of 30 hens in the same field for a week, one day they moved a mile. Now I'm watching them on another farm.
It's still too early for them to be in fields much. When you start seeing birds in most fields, it's time to
hunt.
I do lots of scouting every year and have for years. Warmer Feb and March causes the birds to
bust up sooner and always makes the hunting better at beginning of season.

I'll repeat I do not have the number of birds in my areas as I did 10yrs ago....guys that either haven't been hunting
long or who don't scout much may disageee. My thoughts are based on years of observation.
This doesn't mean I won't kill my limits, hopefully I will, but just simply stating the obvious about overall population in my areas.
 
you guys are getting me worried... haven't been up since December. Too wet to put down clover seed on my pastures from mid Feb on so I couldn't justify a trip up to run cameras. From the time I spent on the farms in Oct, Nov, and Dec, it seemed like we had an average number of birds on 3/4 farms based on what I saw in person and what was on trail cams. Saw a slightly better than long term average of poults. Talked to my dad who lives on one of the farms yesterday, he hasn't seen a bird anywhere recently (but he doesn't pay attention to them, only notices them if one basically walks in front of him). The big winter flocks should be split into subflocks by now, jakes should be getting pushed out by the bachelor groups of toms just getting with the hens. Final split into breeding groups of a dominant tom with his harem won't happen for another 10-14 days if the pattern holds, that's when the birds are usually most visible from the road.
 
Friend who lives outside of Linden saw a tom mating a hen yesterday. Heard three different birds gobbling this morning, but all together.
 
poorhunter":31ptva2q said:
Friend who lives outside of Linden saw a tom mating a hen yesterday.
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I heard a similar report also from last week, which is a good thing in my book.

I got pics of 6 jakes, and was thrilled because all of the pics I had been getting are hens.
 
It's the breeding season for the Eastern wild turkeys in these East Tn mountains. Been going on for a few weeks and will continue on into June. ;) Looking forward to hunting 42 days straight of that breeding season, 45 counting my jump start on Chuck Swan this week. Sure hope my luck changes :)
 

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