I was curious what the harvest is so far so I looked this morning. 2021-12569, 2020-17986. Almost 5500 bird difference in the first six days of the season. My county (Hickman) it's 317-237. I've been off all week and have heard one gobble on the roost. I haven't stayed hunting on some of the farms I hunt past 630 since there hasn't been any roost gobbling so maybe they are gobbling on the ground, but I haven't heard the first one in my Holler and I've been out all day every day this week working on projects. So far it's even worse than 2017. I have killed one bird in 4 years and called in two to the gun for friends and that's it. The three years prior I killed 12 on these same farms. Tough times for sure...
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TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I've yet to hear a mid-morning "free" gobble, and have been afield until at least past 12N five of the past 7 days. I am hearing a fair amount of roost gobbling, but very little to none after fly-down.
You do realize part of the state is not even allowed to hunt yet? Might have something to do with the numbers being down a little. Also I imagine that most people are back at work and not covid hunting like last year. Remember we set a state record last year at over 40,000 birds.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Across the street from us, we heard 5-6 this morning on the roost, but they got quiet at fly down. Still haven't heard a gobble on our place the last 3 weeks!
They gobbled better on the ground today than they did on roost. I just had to contend with a road and a bluff wall haha seems normal to me out there. Not as many birds as there was 10 years ago but definitely enough to kill
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I'm amazed kill has been that high this year honestly. Shows how resilient these birds can be. We are always careful not to overharvest, so we have carryover birds from prior hatches, but next spring is looking terrible at my farms... very very few jakes seen so far. Hopefully they are out there and I've just missed seeing them.
As far as gobbling goes, it's been good... real good. Birds have been very vocal, and have been nice enough to at least shock gobble back mid day, even if they have no intentions of leaving their hens. I've even had birds gobble back to me mid day 600yds away the next timbered hill over.
But of course this is on relatively unpressured private land.
I will say that I have seen more pressure on the surrounding properties this year than even last year. Several from as far away as Ohio. And more hunters mid week than ever. Maybe just a coincidence, but I'm getting tired of all the squawking on locator calls all around me.
As far as gobbling goes, it's been good... real good. Birds have been very vocal, and have been nice enough to at least shock gobble back mid day, even if they have no intentions of leaving their hens. I've even had birds gobble back to me mid day 600yds away the next timbered hill over.
But of course this is on relatively unpressured private land.
I will say that I have seen more pressure on the surrounding properties this year than even last year. Several from as far away as Ohio. And more hunters mid week than ever. Maybe just a coincidence, but I'm getting tired of all the squawking on locator calls all around me.
We've had some pretty consistent mornings in my neck of the woods. Solid turkey hunting weather IMO. Most longbeards I'm seeing/encountering are with hens, which is fine with me. I hope every hen is bred ASAP.
One thing to add about the hunters in the 9 counties with a delayed opening date. Most of us diehards are still hunting, just traveling to counties that are open to hunt. We're up and on the road at 3:30 to 4 most mornings. Also, we have Federal quota hunt opportunities that are still open, even though statewide is closed.
One thing to add about the hunters in the 9 counties with a delayed opening date. Most of us diehards are still hunting, just traveling to counties that are open to hunt. We're up and on the road at 3:30 to 4 most mornings. Also, we have Federal quota hunt opportunities that are still open, even though statewide is closed.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
As to the 2020 season, covid restrictions also "restricted" a lot of non-resident hunters from traveling to TN, and most of their travels are typically during the 1st week or two of our season (which is a week or two or three earlier than theirs). Travel restrictions also caused a lot of TN residents to do more of their turkey hunting in TN, since they either couldn't or were advised against traveling to other states for non-resident turkey hunting.
I have a friend who lives in KY only about an hour north of where we both hunt in TN. He bought a non-resident license for TN last year (as he has annually for decades), but 2020 was the first year in memory he didn't turkey hunt at all out-of-state.
Why?
He was afraid he'd be caught traveling, and would lose his job. The State of Kentucky imposed a mandatory quarantine for anyone caught with a KY license plate driving across the TN line back into KY. Being caught, he had a high chance of losing his job, and couldn't afford that risk.
My take is our high turkey kill last year had more to do with resident than non-resident hunters, but make no mistake, we killed a higher percentage of what was living. "Luck" in the 2020 turkey reproduction is not a sustainable plan for managing our turkey population.
Different story this year, the KY hunters are back in force for TN's early turkey season. This is particularly the case along the TN-KY state line counties.
I have a friend who lives in KY only about an hour north of where we both hunt in TN. He bought a non-resident license for TN last year (as he has annually for decades), but 2020 was the first year in memory he didn't turkey hunt at all out-of-state.
Why?
He was afraid he'd be caught traveling, and would lose his job. The State of Kentucky imposed a mandatory quarantine for anyone caught with a KY license plate driving across the TN line back into KY. Being caught, he had a high chance of losing his job, and couldn't afford that risk.
My take is our high turkey kill last year had more to do with resident than non-resident hunters, but make no mistake, we killed a higher percentage of what was living. "Luck" in the 2020 turkey reproduction is not a sustainable plan for managing our turkey population.
Different story this year, the KY hunters are back in force for TN's early turkey season. This is particularly the case along the TN-KY state line counties.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Exactly.
Can't say I can remember the 1st 10 days of any turkey season's weather conditions being as good as 2021 has unfolded. That greatly increases the turkey kill during this period.
As to those 9 counties, I suspect a majority of the most accomplished turkey killers living within, were already doing most their annual turkey killing outside those 9 counties?
Harvest numbers probably do not matter anyway as I get told every year on here harvest numbers are irrelevant to prove anything to do with the current state of our turkey population. Isn't that correct? However I do suspect that not everyone in 9 counties is traveling to hunt nor are near as many people out and about like last year through the week when most were sent home from work. I know I was able to hunt last year but currently sit here on a break at work right now.
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
So far, this has by far been the worst season in recent memory for me.
X-Tennessean
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I guess I'm the odd man out here.
Seems that on my two farms this year tops several in the past!
Killed opening morning on one farm, had two strutters come in but heard 2 other birds.
Sunday hunted farm #2 and had 4 gobbling and called 2 in but they hung up about 70 yards then just walked off then later had 8 jakes hang out for 45 minutes! Monday I hunted the farm #2 again and set up on 7 long beards roosted within 50-60 yards of each other!!
I would share a video but not sure how to post it....(will text to someone if you can post it)
A lone hen carried all 7 away but had one come back around 8 surprising me and I just flat out rushed it MISSING him!!
Crappie fished a few days then back in there this morning and had 5 gobbling scattered....
Had 3 quiet gobblers (coming from opposite direction) easing there way to them outta range then had 3 more jakes walk in to me.
My neighbor killed a silent bird at 10 and I moved spots and sat couple more hours.
Lone gobblers have been quiet and birds with hens have been gobbling their heads off all morning.
Hunted one afternoon (Sunday) and had 2 start gobbling around 4 that came from 3-400 yards away to 60-70 yards and hung up again!
I however am not seeing the number of hens I normally do opening week of season, I know they are there as two weeks ago I had 47 in the field!
I never personally kill more than 2 birds off each farm and have honestly never limited out...
Seems that on my two farms this year tops several in the past!
Killed opening morning on one farm, had two strutters come in but heard 2 other birds.
Sunday hunted farm #2 and had 4 gobbling and called 2 in but they hung up about 70 yards then just walked off then later had 8 jakes hang out for 45 minutes! Monday I hunted the farm #2 again and set up on 7 long beards roosted within 50-60 yards of each other!!
I would share a video but not sure how to post it....(will text to someone if you can post it)
A lone hen carried all 7 away but had one come back around 8 surprising me and I just flat out rushed it MISSING him!!
Crappie fished a few days then back in there this morning and had 5 gobbling scattered....
Had 3 quiet gobblers (coming from opposite direction) easing there way to them outta range then had 3 more jakes walk in to me.
My neighbor killed a silent bird at 10 and I moved spots and sat couple more hours.
Lone gobblers have been quiet and birds with hens have been gobbling their heads off all morning.
Hunted one afternoon (Sunday) and had 2 start gobbling around 4 that came from 3-400 yards away to 60-70 yards and hung up again!
I however am not seeing the number of hens I normally do opening week of season, I know they are there as two weeks ago I had 47 in the field!
I never personally kill more than 2 birds off each farm and have honestly never limited out...
Hate to hear this, and very surprised with the amount of energy and effort you put into your wildlife and habitat. The fact your last few years were great makes it that much harder to comprehend. Hopefully they're just silently breeding a harem of hens and will turn it on when they're done.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Same here. First time in 21 years I haven't heard a gobble on our place opening weekend. This is the 4th week I've been out either scouting or hunting and haven't heard a bird on our property. FWIW, we're talking almost 700 acres. I have 2 gobblers on camera the last 3 weeks. We are all sitting around swatting carpenter bees with racquetball racquets, literally, and having a few beers. Pitiful
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
Oh the birds are there, just still not very workable and in years past my notes show they were more vocal, less bunched up, and coming to the gun more readily by now. Tons of tracks in the roads after the recent rains along with strut drag marks.
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This has been my season so far as well. They have all been flocked up and not gobbling once on the ground yet. I hope to see this change moving forward.
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
Fighting hens is a factor I've had to deal with since the local flock has grown and continues to grow. This year has been even more challenging than in the past. I just walked in for an afternoon sit and crossed 13 sets of these.
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TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Another issue effecting frequency of gobbling seems to be the ratio of 2-yr-old (and older) Toms to the hens. I suspect most areas are way out of whack, with lots of hens per adult male.
Similar to there being more intense rut activity when there is a more natural buck:doe ratio, we may have a less intense turkey "rut" when there are a lot more adult hens per Tom. Ole Tom need not go looking for a hen, vocalizing his location, as he is already hen-pecked.
Many years ago when we had a 2-bird limit, there was incredibly more daily gobbling, day in and day out, throughout the turkey season. I attribute that largely to a better balance (more natural) between the adult male & adult female birds. We simply did not kill off as high a percentage of the living males each year.
And, what was one of my best areas then, despite it now having actually better habitat for nesting, growing, and sustaining a high turkey density, it's currently void of turkeys. Same area is also void of quail, despite better quail habitat now than when that same acreage sustained 3 to 5 coveys ongoing for decades. Go figure.
Similar to there being more intense rut activity when there is a more natural buck:doe ratio, we may have a less intense turkey "rut" when there are a lot more adult hens per Tom. Ole Tom need not go looking for a hen, vocalizing his location, as he is already hen-pecked.
Many years ago when we had a 2-bird limit, there was incredibly more daily gobbling, day in and day out, throughout the turkey season. I attribute that largely to a better balance (more natural) between the adult male & adult female birds. We simply did not kill off as high a percentage of the living males each year.
And, what was one of my best areas then, despite it now having actually better habitat for nesting, growing, and sustaining a high turkey density, it's currently void of turkeys. Same area is also void of quail, despite better quail habitat now than when that same acreage sustained 3 to 5 coveys ongoing for decades. Go figure.
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This Is the worst season of my life on our lease. Yes I've been in this lease my whole life. I've hunted 5 of the 7 days. I have yet to hear a turkey gobble. I have yet to see a turkey on my lease. Their are some tracks so there is that. I did go to a private farm and kill one yesterday but still didn't hear one gobble. All my buddies have same report. But it's always tough here after dogwoods bloom and they bloomed 2 weeks ago. Normal year bloom mid April. Just a tough year.
I had the opposite experience. Ive never seen as many NR plates in my public land jaunts as in 2020. Traveling hunters that usually hit up KY public lands seemed to find their way to Cheatham and the TN side of LBL.
