Harvest Numbers 2006-2018

[scn]

Sort of sounds like somebody is backtracking after consistently saying turkey hunter numbers are going down in a bunch of posts.

 

[Goodtimekiller]

Sort of sounds like somebody is backtracking after consistently saying turkey hunter numbers are going down in a bunch of posts.

no one has backtracked a step, from my first post i said i was waiting on a call from a guy who could get me the numbers.


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[scn]

OK, it will be interesting to see those numbers and hear how they came up with them after I was told they don't exist by the program leader.

Anyway, like you, headed to bed. I head up to IL early in the morning to do some work for a farmer that lets me hunt up there a little.

 

[Goodtimekiller]

OK, it will be interesting to see those numbers and hear how they came up with them after I was told they don't exist by the program leader.

Anyway, like you, headed to bed. I head up to IL early in the morning to do some work for a farmer that lets me hunt up there a little.

good luck


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[megalomaniac]

the whole argument regarding more turkey hunters (as well as improved techniques leading to greatly increased success) is that we are removing a larger percentage of the standing gobbler population each year.

Just for the sake of argument, if techniques aren't more effective, and there are fewer hunters now, I still don't think that can explain the precipitious drop in this year's kill. I could chalk up 10% decline to weather, but not a drop this dramatic.

All I know is what I see... I spent approx 130 hours this year afield in TN. Most years I average around 100 hours. Another 20 or so hours on the roads in the surrounding counties and between my farms. Number of hens is significantly fewer the past 2 years, but especially this year. Gobbler populations locally were still average, due to the incredible hatch we had 3 years ago. But the hatch 2 years ago and last year were abysmal. That's one of the reasons I predicted before season opened this year would be the lowest statewide harvest since restoration completed. Even if we have a great hatch this year, next year will be even worse for gobbler hunting, since last years hatch was so poor.

I hope I'm wrong.. maybe hunters are leaving more birds standing at the end of this year. But everything I'm seeing and hearing is pointing the opposite direction.

 

[woodsman04]

I bet goodtimekiller argues with himself.

I swear if I said I agreed with everything he said he'd change his mind just to argue.


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[woodsman04]

I think your naive to think that turkey hunters are going down. There maybe a fewer hunters total, but that's because the old school quail and rabbit hunters are going away. Squirrel with dogs too.

Everybody that deer and duck hunts used to only deer and duck hunt, now with all the easy advances with decoys and blinds they turkey hunt now. I'm not popular and do not know many folks. But I could count about ten people that used to piss on turkey hunting until tv and decoys made it so popular. They never hunted until then, and now they happen to kill one or two here or there.

I took a guy this spring, and he had his fancy decoy, and he had only been hunting for four or five years maybe? I told him to leave his decoy in his truck. He was amazed that we called up and killed a turkey without his decoy. He's never even tried it.



What everybody is saying is that, basically, there are more turkey hunters now, and it's caused by tv, Facebook, Twitter, instagram, my space, NWTF convention, cell phones, duck dynasty, and probably a few more reasons. Lots of people didn't want to go through the learning curve of calling up turkeys, they just wanted to be successful as quick as possible. Deer hunters plant a food plot and sit in a shooting house, duck hunters throw 5,000 decoys out and sit in a blind, now turkey hunters throw out 3 70$ a piece decoys and sit in a Blind.


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[Goodtimekiller]

I bet goodtimekiller argues with himself.

I swear if I said I agreed with everything he said he'd change his mind just to argue.


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Thats not true [emoji6]


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[AT Hiker]

I too hunt Stewart and Montgomery and I can assure you the bird numbers (although still good in most of the areas here) are nothing like they were.
With that said, it appears most of them are residing on one farm ...about 330 of them.
Used to be everywhere here had birds, now it seems more concentrated.


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[Goodtimekiller]

I too hunt Stewart and Montgomery and I can assure you the bird numbers (although still good in most of the areas here) are nothing like they were.
With that said, it appears most of them are residing on one farm ...about 330 of them.
Used to be everywhere here had birds, now it seems more concentrated.


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Well then you must have overhunted your birds because all of my farms are on on a 20 year high. I guess you dont understand that what you just said is exactly what i've been agreeing with, micropopulations. And if you too do not believe it about the 330 birds im sorry, let me lie to you to make it more believable. Ive got too little time to come on here and write lies.


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[AT Hiker]

Easy sir, I'm not disagreeing with you. So yes, I agree fully with the pockets of turkeys.

Funny you want to label me as over killing my farms, I haven't even killed this year. We even gave one a free pass at LBL this year, felt guilty about shooting the only bird we had gobble. But the farms that have traditionally provided ample opportunity for me are getting fewer every year. I know guys that have slaughtered them this year, they put the work in to find the farms that hold the birds.
I also suspect a few farms that are holding these large amounts of turkeys have some nice enticement for the turkeys to come over on and "feed" during the day. And before you get bent all out of shape, I'm not saying you or your farms are baited. But all that corn from Walmart is going somewhere.


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[Goodtimekiller]

Easy sir, I'm not disagreeing with you. So yes, I agree fully with the pockets of turkeys.

Funny you want to label me as over killing my farms, I haven't even killed this year. We even gave one a free pass at LBL this year, felt guilty about shooting the only bird we had gobble. But the farms that have traditionally provided ample opportunity for me are getting fewer every year. I know guys that have slaughtered them this year, they put the work in to find the farms that hold the birds.
I also suspect a few farms that are holding these large amounts of turkeys have some nice enticement for the turkeys to come over on and "feed" during the day. And before you get bent all out of shape, I'm not saying you or your farms are baited. But all that corn from Walmart is going somewhere.


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I was saying you must be overkilling in jest, because it seemed like you were calling me a liar. I can't help what i've been seeing on the farms i hunt. i thought if i posted here (this forum in general, not just this thread) that what i was seeing was not what everyone else was seeing that some people might think differently. But no, everyone wants to say im a liar and what im saying cant be true.

I still havent got much feedback from those guys that are claiming gloom and doom but who have posted multiple pics of themselves with turkeys this year.


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[Setterman]

I find this ironic. Back when the few remaining grouse hunters were taking about their numbers dwindling I was adamant that they were fine because I was still finding birds. However, it eventually found me what they had been saying. Now I can't hardly find a bird for my dogs. They were right and had been doing it longer than me and knew more. Goodtimekiller would be wise to listen rather than always talk...

 

[Goodtimekiller]

I find this ironic. Back when the few remaining grouse hunters were taking about their numbers dwindling I was adamant that they were fine because I was still finding birds. However, it eventually found me what they had been saying. Now I can't hardly find a bird for my dogs. They were right and had been doing it longer than me and knew more. Goodtimekiller would be wise to listen rather than always talk...

I have listened and agreed with a lot that has been said. But it seems like you are a pretty good talker yourself. I invite any of you to come hunt with me. Then you can see what i am saying and and agree or disagree and we could talk face to face on the topic. But i doubt any of you will take me up on this.

All i have said was i agree with some bird decline, but i do not see it on the farms where i am hunting, its not everywhere, so there has to be a common denominator(s) where it is happening. I also stated that, from what i've heard from those at the state and from what i've seen, turkey hunters do not seem to be on the rise.


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[Roost 1]

GTK, let me ask one more question. Are you hunting cattle farms or ??

 

[Setterman]

I find this ironic. Back when the few remaining grouse hunters were taking about their numbers dwindling I was adamant that they were fine because I was still finding birds. However, it eventually found me what they had been saying. Now I can't hardly find a bird for my dogs. They were right and had been doing it longer than me and knew more. Goodtimekiller would be wise to listen rather than always talk...

I have listened and agreed with a lot that has been said. But it seems like you are a pretty good talker yourself. I invite any of you to come hunt with me. Then you can see what i am saying and and agree or disagree and we could talk face to face on the topic. But i doubt any of you will take me up on this.

All i have said was i agree with some bird decline, but i do not see it on the farms where i am hunting, its not everywhere, so there has to be a common denominator(s) where it is happening. I also stated that, from what i've heard from those at the state and from what i've seen, turkey hunters do not seem to be on the rise.


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Well I guess I'm able to back up that talk, which makes us vastly different

 

[Goodtimekiller]

GTK, let me ask one more question. Are you hunting cattle farms or ??

Mostly, 1-2 are not


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[Goodtimekiller]

I find this ironic. Back when the few remaining grouse hunters were taking about their numbers dwindling I was adamant that they were fine because I was still finding birds. However, it eventually found me what they had been saying. Now I can't hardly find a bird for my dogs. They were right and had been doing it longer than me and knew more. Goodtimekiller would be wise to listen rather than always talk...

I have listened and agreed with a lot that has been said. But it seems like you are a pretty good talker yourself. I invite any of you to come hunt with me. Then you can see what i am saying and and agree or disagree and we could talk face to face on the topic. But i doubt any of you will take me up on this.

All i have said was i agree with some bird decline, but i do not see it on the farms where i am hunting, its not everywhere, so there has to be a common denominator(s) where it is happening. I also stated that, from what i've heard from those at the state and from what i've seen, turkey hunters do not seem to be on the rise.


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Well I guess I'm able to back up that talk, which makes us vastly different

All youve stated has been subjective opinion, which is neither right or wrong. Come hunt with me and ill back it up.


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[Roost 1]

GTK, I'm off Friday and I'll be ready to roll. You tell when and where.

 

[Goodtimekiller]

GTK, I'm off Friday and I'll be ready to roll. You tell when and where.

Unfortunately i have to be at work at 8am friday, we can go before if you want, just not for long. I will be off saturday if you would rather go then.


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