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Fewer turkeys- debate- over a decade of harvest numbers....

I would venture to say you could add at least 25% ( probably more) to the kill for the ones that were never checked out with our present checking system. Imo.
 
Need to delay the opener by a week to let the hens get bred. Close it a week early to allow the hens whose nests were destroyed to breed again. Can't kill bearded hens at all. 1 jake only - killing jakes = eating your seed corn. Nonresidents allowed 1 bird only.
 
I don't know the answers to all of these questions, but count me in as one of those hunters who is seeing the bottom drop out in Missouri. My first MO hunt was in 1991 and, with a couple of exceptions, have hunted our family farm there every year since. This past year was the absolute worst we've seen. No birds gobbled on the roost, no birds were in the fields strutting, no birds gobbling mid-morning, etc.

I don't know what has caused MO's decline, but it is real. Never would I have believed that the acres I hunt in Texas County, MO would be all but devoid of turkeys......but that is the case.
 
Speedwell-Hunter said:
Are numbers truly decreasing, since 2006 the number taken has actually gone UP (at least in 2020), otherwise remained stable...for all the folks here saying turkeys have disappeared what is your debate for this graphic from the TRWA:

View attachment 133237
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I'm sure it has been said, but in order for this data to have context we need to know how many turkey hunters there are now vs. then. We can't because there is no way to discern it.

I am going to bet there are more now than in 2006. Also 2020 was the Covid year and I personally was awarded 5-7 furlough days from work to cut labor costs, that I spent in woods. I was not alone.
 
Bgoodman30 said:
I don't know if yall have seen this on the NWTF page estimated 53,669 that's almost double the next best states...?

Tennessee

https://www.tnwildlife.org
WILD TURKEY POPULATION: N/A
2021 HARVEST DATA: Based on post-season hunter survey, an estimated 53,669 turkeys (47,895 ± 4,837 adult gobblers, 5,153 ± 1,682 jakes, and 621 ± 394 bearded hens) were harvested during the 2021 spring season.
SEASON DATES: Statewide (excluding the MAV Unit* and Giles, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Wayne Counties) Young Sportsman: March 26-27, Shotgun/Archery: April 2 to May 15
MAV Unit* and Giles, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Wayne Counties - Young Sportsman: April 9-10, Shotgun/Archery: April 16 to May 15
*The new Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) Unit consists of Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton counties
BAG LIMIT: One bearded turkey per day, not to exceed three per season, except the season limit in the MAV Unit shall not exceed two bearded turkeys, which count toward the statewide season limit
LICENSE COST: Resident (at a minimum, must have): Hunting/Fishing Combo (Type 01) $33, AND AT LEAST ONE Annual Big Game Gun, Archery or Muzzleloader (Type 09, 10, or 11) $33. Nonresident: 7-Day All Game (Type 74) $214, or Annual All Game (Type 73) $305
Note: To hunt on public Wildlife Management Areas, both residents and nonresidents also must purchase a WMA permit (Type 94) for $24, or a Cherokee WMA permit (Type 95, good only on Cherokee WMA), for $18
NEED TO KNOW: All deer and turkey must be reported, prior to moving the harvested animal, on public or private land. In the absence of the ability to report in the field via smart phone, a temporary transportation tag must be affixed to the harvested animal until it is reported online or at a physical check station and a confirmation number is received.


To me the numbers just don't add up. Our harvest data does not correlate with MO data which includes a clear decline in birds.. I checked some of my spots in Maury yesterday and the flocks look good as ever some fields having 10+ strutters in them.. Heard some midday gobbling birds in the usual spots.. Disease is the only reason that some flocks could be wiped out like in neighboring Giles IMO.
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question.

1. Is this suggesting we killed ~54K birds this season?

Comment: Maury county has the best turkey population in the state IMO. Not a good county to decide if the population is declining or not.
 
I actually passed a bird this year. I had a decent shot but I killed a silent bird opening day and I only heard 3 birds all season including the one I passed. The lack of sign and gobbling I just couldn't bring my self to kill one of the last 3 gobbling birds in the Cherokee National forest. Im sure there's more but I hunt a large area and It felt like the whole national forest. I'll do some scouting next year and if it seems the turkey population hasn't increased I'm probably going to hang it up for awhile.:(
 
timberjack86 said:
I actually passed a bird this year. I had a decent shot but I killed a silent bird opening day and I only heard 3 birds all season including the one I passed. The lack of sign and gobbling I just couldn't bring my self to kill one of the last 3 gobbling birds in the Cherokee National forest. Im sure there's more but I hunt a large area and It felt like the whole national forest. I'll do some scouting next year and if it seems the turkey population hasn't increased I'm probably going to hang it up for awhile.:(
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I also hunt the SC each year. Started in '77. Lots of turkeys and very rarely ever saw another hunter. Then the turkey craze started in the eighties and the woods were full of hunters. Also extensive trapping was taking place. The population went down and has never come back and most likely never will. Same thing with deer. When I started deer hunting in the sixties there was a pretty good population of deer. You were allowed to kill a doe on the quota hunts. A biologist told me if the doe harvesting continued it would decimate the herd and it would never come back and he was correct.
 
timberjack86 said:
I actually passed a bird this year. I had a decent shot but I killed a silent bird opening day and I only heard 3 birds all season including the one I passed. The lack of sign and gobbling I just couldn't bring my self to kill one of the last 3 gobbling birds in the Cherokee National forest. Im sure there's more but I hunt a large area and It felt like the whole national forest. I'll do some scouting next year and if it seems the turkey population hasn't increased I'm probably going to hang it up for awhile.:(
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I grew up hunting NF land in another state that looks almost identical to South Cherokee NF in size and terrain. It's night and day between the two. Deer and turkey sign everywhere back home, almost none on SCNF. The country is rugged but still capable of producing quality game, but it just can't seem to get a hold. Really sad to see.
 
Wrangler95 said:
This could be a reason for the turkey's population to be going down!
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In certain "localized" situations, it has undoubtedly been the largest single reason.

But I believe in most counties, it is just one of many reasons,
and it can synergize some of the other reasons.

IMO, in most TN counties, the single biggest reason for turkeys not thriving is raptor predation.

For those of you running corn feeders for deer/wildlife, you might be surprised how many owls & hawks will be habitually perching themselves nearby, waiting for an easy meal on a young turkey. Owls even do this during daytime, not just a night.

Bobcats are also very astute in figuring out that lying in wait near a feeder is an incredibly high-odds ambush position, and they kill a lot of young deer, not just turkeys. They will drag the deer away, the young deer bones "dissolve" quickly (unlike adult bones), leaving little to no evidence of their predation near the feeder.
 
TheLBLman said:
The only question is to what extent has aflatoxin corn feeding contributed to turkey population declines.

deerassociation.com

Aflatoxin in Corn Harms Deer and Turkeys. These 3 Steps Prevent Trouble. | National Deer Association

deerassociation.com deerassociation.com
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The MSU Deer Lab research team does allot of great work....I enjoy reading their studies and publications....but this particular story forgot to mention that the number ONE thing we can do to prevent aflatoxin and to protect fawns, turkeys and song birds from the toxin is to just stop feeding corn....in our warm humid southern climate it's just a terrible idea... everything in the study supports the fact that it's not a beneficial practice...or at least the risk far outweigh any minimal benefit.

Thanks for sharing the article... hopefully more people will consider the information provided and adjust their management practices to benefit all wildlife.
 
DoubleRidge said:
The MSU Deer Lab research team does allot of great work....I enjoy reading their studies and publications....but this particular story forgot to mention that the number ONE thing we can do to prevent aflatoxin and to protect fawns, turkeys and song birds from the toxin is to just stop feeding corn....in our warm humid southern climate it's just a terrible idea... everything in the study supports the fact that it's not a beneficial practice...or at least the risk far outweigh any minimal benefit.

Thanks for sharing the article... hopefully more people will consider the information provided and adjust their management practices to benefit all wildlife.
Click to expand...

I'm no longer going to put out corn to get deer pics,I've got lots of turkey pics at corn also!I believe the TWRA will have to get involved in making it illegal to put out corn in anyway,feeding deer or to get pics!
 

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