Numbers droping ?

[Spurhunter]

I bet wounded birds isn't much of a factor.

I disagree. Just go on Facebook to any turkey page and listen to the idiots taking 70+ yard shots. If they are taking those shots they are wounding a lot of birds.

 

[Spurhunter]

I know several deer hunters who consider turkeys quite the nuisance. One, he even refers to them as "big feathered rats".

As far as I'm concerned, as many deer as we have in TN, if turkeys are keeping someone from killing deer, they should take up golf. Hunting may not be for them! :whistle:

 

[ImThere]

I got it! Why dont they raise the price of license (especially for out of staters) and lower the all bag limits and we all will be happy!

Cost of non-resident license is plenty high enough now.
I don't understand why nobody has mentioned the problem of birds not being checked in... I think that this is a major problem!! Along with poor hatches!! It's no telling how many gobblers are really killed during a 6 week season not to mention all the ones shot and lost.. The real answer would be to reduce the length of season and possibly bag limit. I am sure every county in TN can't handle a 4 bird limit in the spring.

Roost1 that was in response to all the whining about out of staters flocking to tn to kill all the birds. I feel the twra is doing a fine job and i'm sure when a change needs to be made they will do it. That being said you sir, hit the nail on the head i listen to people at work that took impossible shots and wounded double or triple the limit because of there poor decisions

 

[catman529]

Would I rather call one in strutting and gobbling or feeding by in a fall flock? The question was asked to me and the answer is obvious. But I also want to shoot the fall birds for a couple reasons... 1. I want good meat in the freezer and a T-day turkey... Dont give me that butterball crap, I don't want a darn butterball. 2. I want hen wingbones to call in gobblers. 3. I like the chance of killing more than one bird in a day, and like shooting em in flocks, because it's FUN. Imagine that. If I see turkey numbers dropping around here, you bet I will lay off the hen killing even if the limit is still 6. I fall hunt one property where the owner doesn't want them eating all the food plots for deer and they are somewhat a nuisance there so the goal is to reduce their numbers.

If TWRA finds that fall hunts are directly contributing to drops in population, then I would support lowered bag limits and no bag limits in certain counties. But I don't want fall hunting or hen killing eliminated.

 

[102]

I thought records were being set every year with the turkey bag limit?

Now, one bad season and we need to change limits?

Are you kidding me?

This was the worst season ever for me and every one I have talked to. But it is also the 5th coldest Spring on record.
Last year was the warmest EVER on record. It was also my best season ever.

I am SURE there are PLENTY of turkeys in all the areas I hunted this Spring.
THE BIRDS JUST PLAIN DID NOT GOBBLE!!!

I feel certain the weather screwed them up.

Now if I could just get a couple weeks extension on my season I would be set as I feel certain this Spring squirrel season will be GREAT for GOBBLING turkeys!!!

 

[Lawrence]

I got it! Why dont they raise the price of license (especially for out of staters) and lower the all bag limits and we all will be happy!

Cost of non-resident license is plenty high enough now.
I don't understand why nobody has mentioned the problem of birds not being checked in... I think that this is a major problem!! Along with poor hatches!! It's no telling how many gobblers are really killed during a 6 week season not to mention all the ones shot and lost.. The real answer would be to reduce the length of season and possibly bag limit. I am sure every county in TN can't handle a 4 bird limit in the spring.

Roost1 that was in response to all the whining about out of staters flocking to tn to kill all the birds. I feel the twra is doing a fine job and i'm sure when a change needs to be made they will do it. That being said you sir, hit the nail on the head i listen to people at work that took impossible shots and wounded double or triple the limit because of there poor decisions

Not really whining
just stating the facts
If twra is doing such a great job
when was the last time you or anyone else on here has had
a TWRA officer check your license
I hunt WMA's all over along with some private land
and have had my license checked one time in 15 years
just saying

 

[AT Hiker]

If twra is doing such a great job
when was the last time you or anyone else on here has had
a TWRA officer check your license
I hunt WMA's all over along with some private land
and have had my license checked one time in 15 years
just saying

I have had a drivers license for over 15 years and I have only had it checked by a police officer less than 5 times, and I drive almost every day. Does that mean the police are doing a crappy job? I dont think so, it means Im not doing anything wrong.

I am not defending any type of law enforcement, but wildlife officers are pretty limited. I will speculate a lot spend most of their time chasing down leads during hunting seasons.

 

[woodsman87]

I think TWRA does a great job considering where I was from. In AL you never see them except on the water every now and then. There was no tagging system or anything. Even though they had bag limits there was no way to enforce it. That is what I am worred about this new thing. It isn't required to put a temp kill tag on, so now people can just ride back to the house and process their animal and nobody ever would know any different.

For those of you who think turkeys aren't declining have not hunted long enough or enough land or in the places that I have hunted for years. Turkeys gobble in all weather every spring. It ain't got nothing to do with weather. It is all length of day. I honestly thing they gobble better on clear cool mornings that hot mornings like we had last year, but they still gobbled. I don't believe that turkeys gobble everyday, or every gobbler gobbles every day, but I do believe if you hunt a spot that has traditionally good turkey hunting and do not here much gobbling, I think that there are fewer turkeys on the place. You may say otherwise, but that is what I believe. I have to see turkeys or see fresh sign to convince me there are turkeys on a property if I hear not gobbling. If you have sparse numbers of turkeys like us, sometimes they are in spots that you cannot hear good from your house or car or wherever you listen from.

About hen killing. It definately isn't the sole purpose of numbers dropping. But it for sure isn't helping it. That is a thing we can control, and it needs to be stopped. Just wait Maury county folks, it probably want last forever. I guess you gotta kill them when there still there.

 

[Lawrence]

If twra is doing such a great job
when was the last time you or anyone else on here has had
a TWRA officer check your license
I hunt WMA's all over along with some private land
and have had my license checked one time in 15 years
just saying

I have had a drivers license for over 15 years and I have only had it checked by a police officer less than 5 times, and I drive almost every day. Does that mean the police are doing a crappy job? I dont think so, it means Im not doing anything wrong.

I am not defending any type of law enforcement, but wildlife officers are pretty limited. I will speculate a lot spend most of their time chasing down leads during hunting seasons.

Sorry Bro
but thats not a very good comparison
TWRA should be out in full checking hunters during season
to make sure all is good.
And now with not having to tag your kill
it just gives the not so honest individual more reason to break the law.

 

[woodsman87]

This thread has went to crap lol.

Anyways, whatever happens I hope the turkeys get up to the way it was 10 years ago, and I am positive and believe that it will.

 

[Spurhunter]

Woodsman87 is spot on again. The two best gobbling days this year on my plsce it was 32 and 34 degrees. The birds were still DONE the last week of season like every other year. The hens were setting at the same time as every other year. Temp has nothing to do with turkey mating cycles.

 

[woodsman87]

Woodsman87 is spot on again. The two best gobbling days this year on my plsce it was 32 and 34 degrees. The birds were still DONE the last week of season like every other year. The hens were setting at the same time as every other year. Temp has nothing to do with turkey mating cycles.

There is a point when they do get DONE as some of you say, and for the most part the last week of the season is pretty tough to find gobbling birds. But I let one go the last day, do not ask me why, I just didn't shoot or pursue. He was gobbling and strutting. I killed one May 10th that was gobbling and strutting. I am like most of you that it isn't as good during the last week, but some gobblers still gobble looking for hens.
From April 20th to 30th is my personal favorite time to hunt. Lots have hunters have quit, and the hens are mostly sitting. First week of May is usually decent, and then opening weekend. I only like opening weekend because they aren't spooked up alot. Other than fresh birds and my first hunt of the season I do not like opening day. No cover, henned up, and billions of other hunters spooking turkeys everywhere.

 

[hayman]

For what it is worth I sure don't agree with shooting hens for any reason I have passed up bearded hens. If there comes a time when it is proven to be too many I might change my mind.

Maybe not a good comparison but I raise cattle and if I am wanting to increase the size of my herd I have never went out in the pasture and shot my cows and heifers.

 

[woodsman87]

For what it is worth I sure don't agree with shooting hens for any reason I have passed up bearded hens. If there comes a time when it is proven to be too many I might change my mind.

Maybe not a good comparison but I raise cattle and if I am wanting to increase the size of my herd I have never went out in the pasture and shot my cows and heifers.

Haha, makes total sense to me.

That is why I keep asking the question, why does TWRA continue to allow hen shooting in places that the population is obviously declining? My guess is they are just un-informed about the areas.

 

[AT Hiker]

Does anyone know how Ft Campbell did this year? They used to be covered in birds a few years back when I hunted it. They were bonus birds for spring and fall I believe. It used to be a great hunt, but it got more difficult to get an area so I gave up hunting their.

Reason I ask is because it seemed they wanted to get rid of all the birds with the liberal limits, of course if they dont open up many areas then reaching that quota is difficult.

 

[Roost 1]

Woodsman87 is spot on again. The two best gobbling days this year on my plsce it was 32 and 34 degrees. The birds were still DONE the last week of season like every other year. The hens were setting at the same time as every other year. Temp has nothing to do with turkey mating cycles.

I disagree I think weather has a big effect on mating and the last 2 springs should prove that.. Mating and gobbling are to different things. Good cool mornings are good gobbling weather.

 

[Roost 1]

Does anyone know how Ft Campbell did this year? They used to be covered in birds a few years back when I hunted it. They were bonus birds for spring and fall I believe. It used to be a great hunt, but it got more difficult to get an area so I gave up hunting their.

Reason I ask is because it seemed they wanted to get rid of all the birds with the liberal limits, of course if they dont open up many areas then reaching that quota is difficult.

Prolly one of the worst harvest on record. 192 total and lots of areas open each weekend. Like everywhere else there wasnt a bunch of 2yr olds which makes for less gobbling and harder hunting. The last weekend had the highest harvest of the whole season. Many reasons for this such as it was beautiful weather instead of raining and lots of the gobblers had lost their hens. But overall if was a very tough year at the fort.

 

[Roost 1]

Does anyone know how Ft Campbell did this year? They used to be covered in birds a few years back when I hunted it. They were bonus birds for spring and fall I believe. It used to be a great hunt, but it got more difficult to get an area so I gave up hunting their.

Reason I ask is because it seemed they wanted to get rid of all the birds with the liberal limits, of course if they dont open up many areas then reaching that quota is difficult.

Prolly one of the worst harvest on record. 192 total and lots of areas open each weekend. Like everywhere else there wasnt a bunch of 2yr olds which makes for less gobbling and harder hunting. The last weekend had the highest harvest of the whole season. Many reasons for this such as it was beautiful weather instead of raining and lots of the gobblers had lost their hens. But overall if was a very tough year at the fort.

Let me add....the harvest has went down each year since the limit was raised to 4...All areas there cant handle a 4 bird limit. Harvest totals were higher when the limit was 2 and/or 3.

 

[woodsman87]

Woodsman87 is spot on again. The two best gobbling days this year on my plsce it was 32 and 34 degrees. The birds were still DONE the last week of season like every other year. The hens were setting at the same time as every other year. Temp has nothing to do with turkey mating cycles.

I disagree I think weather has a big effect on mating and the last 2 springs should prove that.. Mating and gobbling are to different things. Good cool mornings are good gobbling weather.

Science proves that length of day has everything to do with mating. Give me some facts about breeding around weather and I will see to it then.
Turkeys gobble to call up mates. Common sense there.
Weather may have a factor on gobbling, for instance, a cold cloudy, windy, rainy, day will probably not have the same gobbling as a 35 degree blue-bird early April morning.
Just because they ain't gobbling don't mean they aint breeding.

It is about lenght of day as far as mating goes.

 

[woodsman87]

Does anyone know how Ft Campbell did this year? They used to be covered in birds a few years back when I hunted it. They were bonus birds for spring and fall I believe. It used to be a great hunt, but it got more difficult to get an area so I gave up hunting their.

Reason I ask is because it seemed they wanted to get rid of all the birds with the liberal limits, of course if they dont open up many areas then reaching that quota is difficult.

Prolly one of the worst harvest on record. 192 total and lots of areas open each weekend. Like everywhere else there wasnt a bunch of 2yr olds which makes for less gobbling and harder hunting. The last weekend had the highest harvest of the whole season. Many reasons for this such as it was beautiful weather instead of raining and lots of the gobblers had lost their hens. But overall if was a very tough year at the fort.

Let me add....the harvest has went down each year since the limit was raised to 4...All areas there cant handle a 4 bird limit. Harvest totals were higher when the limit was 2 and/or 3.

Harvest limits effect on the population have minimal effect on the actual population. Science also proves that.
Saving gobblers obviously helps some because you still have 3 or 4 year old left over. I agree that maybe we should bring the limit down, but it will not be a quick fix like we all think.