Question about delaying season opener

[Urban_Hunter]

The massive decline was not caused by nest raiders or hawks or coyotes.

I disagree entirely with this.

I watched the same hen nest in my front field in a downed cedar tree 3 years in a row. Her poults were picked off one by one, day by day until none were left all three years… before finally she became a pile of feathers about 15 feet from her nest. Hawks and owls have decimated my chickens, along with coons and foxes. Had to build a Fort Knox to keep them alive. The success story of the hawks around here tied directly to the failure story of the Turkey, in my opinion

 

[Urban_Hunter]

If you're reading my two previous posts, for what it's worth, I personally discredit the use of decoys being a factor. I've hunted for many years and I use a decoy for the first 7-10 days as I believe it helps me… very marginally. Most times I just get a lone hen that finds it first and comes and alarm balks at it for two hours while holding you pinned down. After the first week, they've all seen so many decoys and bad calling that they hold up 80-100yards out from it challenging it. I stop using them at that point. I strongly suspect my success rate may be higher if I hung them up altogether.

 

[Spurhunter]

The success story of the hawks around here tied directly to the failure story of the Turkey, in my opinion

All these birds of prey are protected and there are way too damn many of them. I think they are also tied directly to the decreased population of rabbits. Everybody loves to see the eagles, and I do too, however, they aren't rare anymore. They're everywhere.

 

[Huntaholic]

I had never even contemplated shooting a hawk or an owl until about 3 years ago. I saw a hen with a whole brood of fist sized poults. I passed by that sane area a couple hours later and there was a damn sparrow hawk, kestrel, whatever they are, sitting on a fence post with one of those poults in his grubby claws. After that day, I plead the 5th.

 

[knightrider]

I had never even contemplated shooting a hawk or an owl until about 3 years ago. I saw a hen with a whole brood of fist sized poults. I passed by that sane area a couple hours later and there was a damn sparrow hawk, kestrel, whatever they are, sitting on a fence post with one of those poults in his grubby claws. After that day, I plead the 5th.

And watching eagles fly off with ADULT birds pisses me off too not counting the hawks and owls with poults in there claws

 

[poorhunter]

If you're reading my two previous posts, for what it's worth, I personally discredit the use of decoys being a factor. I've hunted for many years and I use a decoy for the first 7-10 days as I believe it helps me… very marginally. Most times I just get a lone hen that finds it first and comes and alarm balks at it for two hours while holding you pinned down. After the first week, they've all seen so many decoys and bad calling that they hold up 80-100yards out from it challenging it. I stop using them at that point. I strongly suspect my success rate may be higher if I hung them up altogether.

I have no doubt that hawks kill poults, and even the occasional adult turkey, but there is zero evidence that their predation of turkeys has any effect on a population level. There are a lot of hawks now, but there were a lot of hawks 10 years ago and lot of hawks 20 years ago. There's a lot of coons and skunks, but there always has been. These predators have always been around and in basically in the same numbers. There is something else at work that is causing the turkey decline, just like there was with quail.

As for decoys, there is no doubt that turkeys will get wise to them and do so quickly. But they are so effective prior to them getting wise to them.

 

[Huntaholic]

I have no doubt that hawks kill poults, and even the occasional adult turkey, but there is zero evidence that their predation of turkeys has any effect on a population level. There are a lot of hawks now, but there were a lot of hawks 10 years ago and lot of hawks 20 years ago. There's a lot of coons and skunks, but there always has been. These predators have always been around and in basically in the same numbers. There is something else at work that is causing the turkey decline, just like there was with quail.

As for decoys, there is no doubt that turkeys will get wise to them and do so quickly. But they are so effective prior to them getting wise to them.

Not really. 20, 30, 40 years ago, EVERY farmer that saw a hawk or an owl KILLED IT. As far as coons go, when fur was high a man could make more in a night coonhunting than he could working a job during the day so coons and all furbearers were on the hitlist. Now, thanks to fur prices being ZERO and the influx of idgits that buy 5 acres and think they can control 500, nobody coon hunts.

 

[Spurhunter]

I have no doubt that hawks kill poults, and even the occasional adult turkey, but there is zero evidence that their predation of turkeys has any effect on a population level. There are a lot of hawks now, but there were a lot of hawks 10 years ago and lot of hawks 20 years ago. There's a lot of coons and skunks, but there always has been. These predators have always been around and in basically in the same numbers. There is something else at work that is causing the turkey decline, just like there was with quail.

It's quite possible that any symptom of the turkey decline can be explained away with "there's no evidence XYZ caused the turkey population decline. There's always been XYZ". But something is causing the turkey population to dwindle. Maybe it's a bunch of somethings, but if we don't have a silver bullet then all the possibilities need to be explored.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

It's quite possible that any symptom of the turkey decline can be explained away with "there's no evidence XYZ caused the turkey population decline. There's always been XYZ". But something is causing the turkey population to dwindle. Maybe it's a bunch of somethings, but if we don't have a silver bullet then all the possibilities need to be explored.

Amen.

 

[AT Hiker]

DDT was banned in the 1970's, bald eagles met recovery efforts by the mid to late 1990's.

I have zero doubt birds of prey are an issue but by how much and why all of a sudden, if it is indeed a major issue?

 

[megalomaniac]

I know a fellow that has a quail shooting preserve not too far away. Have a friend with a dog that guides there. Rumor has it they no longer have any hawks. The steady decline to near zero of hawks has certainly helped their quail population in their opinion.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

I have no doubt that hawks kill poults, and even the occasional adult turkey, but there is zero evidence that their predation of turkeys has any effect on a population level. There are a lot of hawks now, but there were a lot of hawks 10 years ago and lot of hawks 20 years ago. There's a lot of coons and skunks, but there always has been. These predators have always been around and in basically in the same numbers. There is something else at work that is causing the turkey decline, just like there was with quail.

As for decoys, there is no doubt that turkeys will get wise to them and do so quickly. But they are so effective prior to them getting wise to them.

This is just inaccurate. When I was a kid 30 years ago there was a pair of red tail held that nested in a dead tree across from the Waffle House in Hendersonville. It was such a spectacle that every evening people would be lined up in the parking lot with giant cameras taking pictures, including The Tennessean newspaper that did a front page article on them. Now they're on every other telephone pole watching the guy bush hogging to chase down what he flushes out. Coons used to only be seen at the state parks. Now they're in every rural trash can peeping out as you drive by at night. The turkeys around me exploded on the reintroduction phase in the 90's… but now I travel far to get after them. I have access to some great deer locations, but I mostly hunt public for Turkey because that's the only place I can have a chance

 

[knightrider]

I have no doubt that hawks kill poults, and even the occasional adult turkey, but there is zero evidence that their predation of turkeys has any effect on a population level. There are a lot of hawks now, but there were a lot of hawks 10 years ago and lot of hawks 20 years ago. There's a lot of coons and skunks, but there always has been. These predators have always been around and in basically in the same numbers. There is something else at work that is causing the turkey decline, just like there was with quail.

As for decoys, there is no doubt that turkeys will get wise to them and do so quickly. But they are so effective prior to them getting wise to them.

You are very wrong on your avian predator assessment! There is way more than even ten years ago much less twenty or thirty

 

[Bgoodman30]

In my opinion the later start date does nothing but keep myself and others who love to turkey hunt from going when its normally open. The reduced limit doesn't bother me due to when I first started the limit was 2 and stayed that way for several years. Adding the 2 weeks that were taken away at the end is ridiculous. TN turkey hunting season should start Saturday closest to Apr 1 and close Apr 30th. That's long enough and there's no need to be turkey hunting here close to Memorial day. I will still go when it opens Lord willing, and will take the first legal bird that responds and comes in or slips in silent, or requires me to crawl to get close. I don't care how I'm able to take a legal bird as long as it's legal. I love turkey hunting and enjoy every time I get to go.

I disagree entirely with this.

I watched the same hen nest in my front field in a downed cedar tree 3 years in a row. Her poults were picked off one by one, day by day until none were left all three years… before finally she became a pile of feathers about 15 feet from her nest. Hawks and owls have decimated my chickens, along with coons and foxes. Had to build a Fort Knox to keep them alive. The success story of the hawks around here tied directly to the failure story of the Turkey, in my opinion

This... You can't barely pass a field without seeing a redtail perched patrolling it. 20 years ago a redtail was a much rarer sight..

 

[Bgoodman30]

I know a fellow that has a quail shooting preserve not too far away. Have a friend with a dog that guides there. Rumor has it they no longer have any hawks. The steady decline to near zero of hawks has certainly helped their quail population in their opinion.

The absence of quail hunters with a sneaky habit of taking out hawks has certainly not helped...

 

[gobbler32]

They must sell a lot of decoys in the southern middle TN counties....

I have several decoys but I seldom use them. I never use one in the woods, it always spooked em for some reason. Decoys or no decoys doesn't bother me, 95% of the birds I've taken were without a decoy. They are bulky and cumbersome in my opinion and I would rather have my turkey seat/chair to have to carry

 

[Joe2Kool]

Hunting can be stupidly easy late. May not hear a ton, but the ones that talk can be really mouthy and ready to come visit

Yep. When I come across gobblers on the farm I hunt right after the season closes, they aren't as skittish. And much easier to approach. A couple years ago, I was using a chain saw and pulling logs with my ATV about 100 yards from a strutter just gobbling his head off. So yes, if I still have a tag in late May, I'll be looking to punch it!

 

[tellico4x4]

Same thing with bearded hens. I heard the only reason they are legal is some people can't tell the difference between a gobbler and a bearded hen. You gotta be kidding me.

Well... gotta confess that 40 something years ago I decided that I'd go turkey hunting. Grabbed some "high brass" 5's for my 16 ga model 58 Remington & hit the woods at daylight. Didn't have a clue nor a call of any flavor. Low & behold up walks a turkey with a beard! Yup, killed it. Yup, it was a hen. Yup, it ate dang good. Still don't know too much about turkey hunting . Them hormonal 2 yr olds are my specialty.

 

[tellico4x4]

I know a fellow that has a quail shooting preserve not too far away. Have a friend with a dog that guides there. Rumor has it they no longer have any hawks. The steady decline to near zero of hawks has certainly helped their quail population in their opinion.

Every pheasant hunter I've ever seen in SD blasts away at every hawk they see. Had one tell me that if you got a single pellet in it, that it would peck itself to death trying to get it out.

BTW, SD has a bounty program on varmints as well to try & protect their birds.

 

[Speedwell-Hunter]

Other than reducing hunting days, I'm not sure how delaying the season opener is supposed to improve the turkey population. From what I've read, it supposedly "allows all the hens to be bred." But, if the season opener was 2 weeks earlier like it's always been, and the biggest, baddest gobbler on the farm is killed opening day, then the next biggest, baddest will do the breeding.

Can someone help me understand the logic behind delaying the season opener? (Uh oh, I just opened up a can of worms... )

Let me learn you some math ole coot.

When you add two weeks to da opener, dem bois with the big schlongs get to da girls first. Den day go to more girlz. Ever hear of a P-I-M-P? Dats da principal. more ladies impregnated, thus more child support paid before dey get hammered by da hoooman species for meat!