• Help Support TNDeer:

Harvest Report Data!

I was actually just going through some of the statewide numbers yesterday. Using the same time range (first 17 days of regular season plus juvenile weekend):

2022 - 20,389 turkeys killed
2021 - 23,598 turkeys killed

We are currently about 13.6% down from last year in total kill numbers. Not terribly surprising given recent trends. But we will probably still kill > 30,000 by year end, so those who measure population health only by kill numbers will insist that there is nothing to worry about.

One thing that concerns me (among several) is the jake kill numbers. Although the total kill numbers have decreased by more than 13%, the jake kill numbers have increased by more than 30% (3012 vs 2308 this time last year).
 
Southern Sportsman said:
I was actually just going through some of the statewide numbers yesterday. Using the same time range (first 17 days of regular season plus juvenile weekend):

2022 - 20,389 turkeys killed
2021 - 23,598 turkeys killed

We are currently about 13.6% down from last year in total kill numbers. Not terribly surprising given recent trends. But we will probably still kill > 30,000 by year end, so those who measure population health only by kill numbers will insist that there is nothing to worry about.

One thing that concerns me (among several) is the jake kill numbers. Although the total kill numbers have decreased by more than 13%, the jake kill numbers have increased by more than 30% (3012 vs 2308 this time last year).
Click to expand...
Folks are slamming jakes this year for some reason.

If that's because there are so many jakes from a population explosion last year, maybe we'll be ok...

but in prior years with excellent prior year's hatch, Jake harvest has never been over 17% in my counties... This year it's up to 27% IIRC. That's a major problem.

Jakes need to be off limits to everyone except kids for sustainable (my future grandkids) harvest
 
megalomaniac said:
Folks are slamming jakes this year for some reason.

If that's because there are so many jakes from a population explosion last year, maybe we'll be ok...

but in prior years with excellent prior year's hatch, Jake harvest has never been over 17% in my counties... This year it's up to 27% IIRC. That's a major problem.

Jakes need to be off limits to everyone except kids for sustainable (my future grandkids) harvest
Click to expand...
There's been a 73% increase in the jake harvest on WMA's through the first 3 weekends of the regular season.
 
Last edited:
Southern Sportsman said:
One thing that concerns me (among several) is the jake kill numbers.
Click to expand...
I've referenced the turkey busts in MO and AR in the past but in both cases, the jake harvest exploded. In retrospect, it was a leading indicator of fewer adult toms available to kill and folks simply didn't want to eat a tag. Not sure if that's what's happening here or not but it for sure happened in those 2 states.

Most hunters aren't gonna kill a jake if there's available toms to kill.
 
Levee Jumper said:
I think we will have a statewide opener the 3rd Saturday in April with a limit of 2 turkeys within the next 5 years.

Just hate that it will be 8-10 years later than it should have been.
Click to expand...
I'd love this! Except I think we could go back to a 4 bird limit with opening dates after hens have been bred if we outlawed jake killing. I don't need or want to kill 4 birds in TN... but it might pacify the killers who wouldn't want to give up the end of March/ first of April start dates.

Give folks a choice. 1 bird limit if u kill before April 15th. Or 4 bird limit if u wait to kill until after April 15th. Earn an additional tag for every 10 coons removed.
 
Boll Weevil said:
I've referenced the turkey busts in MO and AR in the past but in both cases, the jake harvest exploded. In retrospect, it was a leading indicator of fewer adult toms available to kill and folks simply didn't want to eat a tag. Not sure if that's what's happening here or not but it for sure happened in those 2 states.

Most hunters aren't gonna kill a jake if there's available toms to kill.
Click to expand...
I've talked to several younger folks who say they don't really care if it's a jake or longbeard. A turkey is a turkey to them.

Granted, that's a small sample size based on one man's encounters, but it does seem to match up with today's societal traits of lack of patience and self control.
 
Levee Jumper said:
I think we will have a statewide opener the 3rd Saturday in April with a limit of 2 turkeys within the next 5 years.

Just hate that it will be 8-10 years later than it should have been.
Click to expand...
Obviously a lot can happen between now and then, but in 2024 that would be the 20th of April. That would be a hard sell to the majority of hunters.
 
The Jake harvest is probably due to the number of Jakes this year. I've seen more than I ever have, they are everywhere. I think maybe some are getting shot because hunters have seen the high numbers and aren't worried about knocking one off. Then there is probably some hunters killing one that normally wouldn't be able to get an adult. I just wish the dang jakes would stop harassing the gobblers I'm trying to work.
 
paboom said:
I've talked to several younger folks who say they don't really care if it's a jake or longbeard. A turkey is a turkey to them.
Click to expand...

My 80 yr old dad and 84 yr old friend, who I take every chance I can, feel the same way.

They actually think I'm crazy when I don't shoot a Jake if given the opportunity. The friend says they taste better :D !
 
Buzzard Breath said:
There's been a 73% increase in the jake harvest on WMA's through the first 3 weekends of the regular season.
Click to expand...
I'm willing to make a bet that the increase in Jake kills are coming from out of state hunters. It's tough spending a bunch of money to hunt away from home only to go home empty handed. It would be nice for TWRA to show that data!
 
Top Pin said:
I'm willing to make a bet that the increase in Jake kills are coming from out of state hunters. It's tough spending a bunch of money to hunt away from home only to go home empty handed. It would be nice for TWRA to show that data!
Click to expand...
Non-res license sales were WAY up last year but that didn't increase the jake kill. Maybe I'm being Chicken Little — I hope that's the case — but I'm guessing the increased jake kill is due largely to the lack of available gobblers. Many people only hunt one or two farms. If they go to those farms, hear a few gobblers, and feel like they'll kill one soon, the jakes aren't as tempting. If they go 2-3 times and listen to silent sunrises, then call up a pack of jakes . . . Out-of-staters likely do the same thing in that scenario, but it's not unique to them.

I have a good family friend who is an accomplished deer hunter and a good woodsman, but has never claimed to be a "real" turkey hunter (his word). I say that only to point out that he doesn't keep up with population trends or public sentiment regarding turkeys. Several years back he bought a good deer farm in Carroll County. It had plenty of turkeys, he was there a lot anyway, so he started hunting them and killed a couple every spring. I had lunch with him today. The subject of turkeys came up and he told me "I don't know what it is, but the turkeys up there just don't gobble anymore."

Sadly, I know of a few farms where they just don't gobble anymore.
 
Top Pin said:
I'm willing to make a bet that the increase in Jake kills are coming from out of state hunters. It's tough spending a bunch of money to hunt away from home only to go home empty handed. It would be nice for TWRA to show that data!
Click to expand...
I seen a younger guy on Facebook from Pennsylvania couple weeks ago he was talking about how his group
Came down and limited out first week of season. 8/9 was jakes come to find out Had to fill them tags….
 
TnKen said:
The Jake harvest is probably due to the number of Jakes this year. I've seen more than I ever have, they are everywhere. I think maybe some are getting shot because hunters have seen the high numbers and aren't worried about knocking one off. Then there is probably some hunters killing one that normally wouldn't be able to get an adult. I just wish the dang jakes would stop harassing the gobblers I'm trying to work.
Click to expand...

I am hoping its only because its a target rich environment and not because hunters are getting desperate...
 
drake799 said:
I seen a younger guy on Facebook from Pennsylvania couple weeks ago he was talking about how his group
Came down and limited out first week of season. 8/9 was jakes come to find out Had to fill them tags….
Click to expand...
Saw that say they do it every year...
 
Levee Jumper said:
I think we will have a statewide opener the 3rd Saturday in April with a limit of 2 turkeys within the next 5 years. I do hate that it will be 8-10 years later than it should have been.
Click to expand...
paboom said:
Obviously a lot can happen between now and then, but in 2024 that would be the 20th of April. That would be a hard sell to the
Click to expand...

megalomaniac said:
I'd love this! Except I think we could go back to a 4 bird limit with opening dates after hens have been bred if we outlawed jake killing. I don't need or want to kill 4 birds in TN... but it might pacify the killers who wouldn't want to give up the end of March/ first of April start dates.

Give folks a choice. 1 bird limit if u kill before April 15th. Or 4 bird limit if u wait to kill until after April 15th. Earn an additional tag for every 10 coons removed.
Click to expand...
You are probably right but protecting jakes would be hard because it's obviously too difficult to tell the difference in a mature tom and a jake or even a hen based on how the current regs are written.
 
Levee Jumper said:
I think we will have a statewide opener the 3rd Saturday in April with a limit of 2 turkeys within the next 5 years.

Just hate that it will be 8-10 years later than it should have been.
Click to expand...
I am all for pushing the season back; even if it is just one week. Think it would help a ton on the NR pressure on public lands.
 
Southern Sportsman said:
I was actually just going through some of the statewide numbers yesterday. Using the same time range (first 17 days of regular season plus juvenile weekend):

2022 - 20,389 turkeys killed
2021 - 23,598 turkeys killed

We are currently about 13.6% down from last year in total kill numbers. Not terribly surprising given recent trends. But we will probably still kill > 30,000 by year end, so those who measure population health only by kill numbers will insist that there is nothing to worry about.

One thing that concerns me (among several) is the jake kill numbers. Although the total kill numbers have decreased by more than 13%, the jake kill numbers have increased by more than 30% (3012 vs 2308 this time last year).
Click to expand...
Yep they're whacking them where I hunt. called in 7-8 first day of season. Just from what I heard and knowing the gobbles I heard were jake gobbles, I think 3 have been limb lifted, but I haven't seen any in that area since weekend #2, so they may have wiped them all out.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top