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today's TFWC Meeting

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megalomaniac

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Oct 28, 2005
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Location
Mississippi
takeaways for turkey hunting...
the never ending UT study is going to be extended yet another year before results are released. Now they want 2 full seasons after the regulation change of season opening later in southern counties. Tons of incredible data can be obtained from this study. Too bad analysis paralysis is keeping the biologist's head in the sand and the commissioners in the dark.

a new study is starting.... they are banding 300 males each year (75 from each region) for the next 5 years and challenging us to kill them all. Seems like a total waste of time. Who gives a rip how many males survive the season as long as they are removed after the hens are bred and jakes are left to do the breeding the following year. Basic turkey population dynamics... it's all about driving poult production.
 
Southern Sportsman said:
Also, a sitting Fish & Wildlife Commissioner asked the Wild Turkey Program Director if he could prepare an educational tutorial for the commissioners to help them understand the difference between a jake and a longbeard.
Click to expand...
Interested Saturday Night Live GIF by HULU
 
If it was a joke, it's just plain sad not a single commissioner asked a serious question except for Mrs Box. They were all trying to be funny and ask stupid questions. I hate to be so serious, but I just can't stand people who are responsible for turkey management not being passionate about them. Almost as bad as the hunters disrespecting birds videoing them stomping heads, throwing them down, buckling them in the passenger seat, or even taking pics of them dead in their bed with their head on a pillow. Just pisses me off.
 
Watching it again, the jake vs. longbeard question likely was an inside joke. Seems like one of the other commissioners killed a jake last year and the commission meeting seemed like a good time crack a joke at his expense.

I'm with mega. Maybe I'm taking it all too serious, but I would prefer the commissioners at least pretended to take the turkey situation seriously.

Since 1995, by 5-year averages, our statewide poult recruitment has trended as follows:


Year Range​
Poults per Hen
(5-year average)​
Poults per Brood
(5-year average)​
1995-1999
3.92​
6.28​
2000-2004
3.4​
6.04​
2005-2009
2.46​
5.24​
2010-2014
2.12​
5.7​
2015-2019
1.9​
3.32​
 
Last edited:
Plot the PPH numbers against the statewide harvest...

I know it sounds counterintuitive to the biologists, but the more gobblers you kill, the lower the poult recruitment with our current season structure. And this was evident 15 years ago
 
megalomaniac said:
Plot the PPH numbers against the statewide harvest...

I know it sounds counterintuitive to the biologists, but the more gobblers you kill, the lower the poult recruitment with our current season structure. And this was evident 15 years ago
Click to expand...
Yep. I'm really anxious to see the poult recruitment numbers from last year following the season-long turkey slaughter. Last year the Summer Survey was completed in January. They didn't make it available on the website, but I contacted my commissioner and got a copy. I requested a copy earlier this week through the TWRA information request email. They responded quickly and professionally. Supposedly under Roger Shields, they are "making the report more comprehensive," and expect it to be available in April. Shields also mentioned that in response to Comm. Box yesterday.

I was told flatly last year that many people — including Craig Harper, the UT biologist heading up the middle TN study (most know as a deer expert)—don't agree with the theory that high early gobbler harvest adversely impacts poult numbers. Harper also disputed that our current season dates open well before most hens have been bred.

Well, if they're right then the 2020 poult numbers should bear it out.
 
Also, since I'm feeling up for debate today, I'll point out that the "strutter" decoy fad — which undeniably targets dominant gobblers disproportionately — started in 2005. The biggest drop in poult recruitment numbers by far was in the 5 years that followed. Anecdotal, yes. Logical, yes.
 
Southern Sportsman said:
Watching it again, the jake vs. longbeard question likely was an inside joke. Seems like one of the other commissioners killed a jake last year and the commission meeting seemed like a good time crack a joke at his expense.

I'm with mega. Maybe I'm taking it all too serious, but I would prefer the commissioners at least pretended to take the turkey situation seriously.

Since 1995, by 5-year averages, our statewide poult recruitment has trended as follows:


Year Range​
Poults per Hen
(5-year average)​
Poults per Brood
(5-year average)​
1995-1999
3.92​
6.28​
2000-2004
3.4​
6.04​
2005-2009
2.46​
5.24​
2010-2014
2.12​
5.7​
2015-2019
1.9​
3.32​
Click to expand...
This is a sobering chart. Thanks for posting. I've never seen these numbers.
 

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