turkey decline?

[turkeyhunter]

I and a lot of turkey hunters that I know, have not seen a bunch of poults in over three years. I guess that could explain our low numbers. But like many have stated we have seen an increase in skunks and other critters. Bobcats have been seen more the last couple of years than ever.

 

[TN Deer Slayer]

They are like skeeters at my place in Fentress...overruning the place..

same out this way.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

They are like skeeters at my place in Fentress...overruning the place..

same out this way.

I dont know what it is about my area of Fentress but it is WAY down. I use to see 20-30 turkeys everyday hunting, hear 10-15 gobblers every morning. Now Im lucky to see 5 birds and hear 1 or 2.

 

[WTM]

Also, I don't give up hope for March 28th in my area(NE Decatur county). In addition to the actual numbers in an area, in my experience they move so much, that even if you don't have turkeys in February, you might well have good numbers during the nesting/gobbling season. I've read where a gobblers "home" range is about 3,500 acres, and a hen only slightly less. We had a good number of turkeys during the summer(lots of pasture), some during mid-fall, and none for the past month or so. Hopefully, they will find their way home during the warm season(insects to eat, and #6's to dodge).

turkeys have been studied to travel 20-25 miles. like i always say just because you have turkeys in the fall and winter dont mean they will be there come spring and vice versa. in my experience if you got good nesting ground and descent food, then you should have turkeys come spring.

 

[4onaside]

I will say all this talk of low turkey numbers yet the limits continue to stay high or even get enlarged. Go figure...

????? The limit could be 34 and if you're only ABLE or want to kill one or none, so what! Whether I kill one or none or four has nothing whatsoever to do with the population cycle. If I am able to kill four it only speaks to the fact that there is a pretty good population of birds on my place. Odds are that those four probably would not be alive next year anyway. You cannot stockpile turkeys.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

You cannot stockpile turkeys.

Why not?

 

[turkeyhunter]

why not? Because half the turkey population dies each year. Hunters factor into this very little.

 

[4onaside]

You cannot stockpile turkeys.

Why not?

Because the mortality is going to be x turkeys, whether you hunt them or not. I believe that most wild gobblers don't live beyond three years, whether or not they are ever hunted. Something is going to get them, be it weather, or predators.

 

[4onaside]

I will say all this talk of low turkey numbers yet the limits continue to stay high or even get enlarged. Go figure...

????? The limit could be 34 and if you're only ABLE or want to kill one or none, so what! Whether I kill one or none or four has nothing whatsoever to do with the population cycle. If I am able to kill four it only speaks to the fact that there is a pretty good population of birds on my place. Odds are that those four probably would not be alive next year anyway. You cannot stockpile turkeys.

Why not?

I will say one thing, the drastic drop in populations occurred at the same time as the limits being raised both fall and spring. Is it coincidence or the regs? Hard to say, but this has been tabled until after this years harvest results.

Ah, its the old sinister TWRA conspiracy, trying to destroy the resource.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

You cannot stockpile turkeys.

Why not?

Because the mortality is going to be x turkeys, whether you hunt them or not. I believe that most wild gobblers don't live beyond three years, whether or not they are ever hunted. Something is going to get them, be it weather, or predators.

Can I hunt you trukeys this year, I'd like the save a few of mine for next year?

 

[4onaside]

You cannot stockpile turkeys.

Why not?

Because the mortality is going to be x turkeys, whether you hunt them or not. I believe that most wild gobblers don't live beyond three years, whether or not they are ever hunted. Something is going to get them, be it weather, or predators.

Can I hunt you trukeys this year, I'd like the save a few of mine for next year?

Normally, that would be OK, but I'd better pass, since shotgun shells will probably cost ten bucks a pop next season.

 

[REN]

I will say all this talk of low turkey numbers yet the limits continue to stay high or even get enlarged. Go figure...

????? The limit could be 34 and if you're only ABLE or want to kill one or none, so what! Whether I kill one or none or four has nothing whatsoever to do with the population cycle. If I am able to kill four it only speaks to the fact that there is a pretty good population of birds on my place. Odds are that those four probably would not be alive next year anyway. You cannot stockpile turkeys.

Why not?

I will say one thing, the drastic drop in populations occurred at the same time as the limits being raised both fall and spring. Is it coincidence or the regs? Hard to say, but this has been tabled until after this years harvest results.

and i KNEW this would be brought up and by none other then HOOK. This is the same argument we debated last year. I dont care if the limit is 300 it is on the hunter himself to police his area. IF the area I hunt cannot withstand a 4 limit then guess what I dont kill 4.

If I remember correctly last year you brought up the same argument yet admitted to limiting out....if I am wrong then I apologize thats just what I remember off the top of my head.


I just tend to have an issue with someone complaining about population decline and saying the limit set forth has a big role, yet said person fills their limit each year.

 

[WTM]

like i said last year, its all part of the management program of the TWRA. they know some flocks are affected some years but other flocks flourish.

if you want to change TWRA's management practices you should have applied for the Director's job.

 

[REN]

Hook it is a good debate and by no means am i saying I am right and YOU are wrong. Everyone is entitled to an opinion thats for sure.

however TO me a flock in give areas is still up to the sportsman in that area. IF the limit is 4 then i assure you there are A LOT of places that can and need to have that many killed. While other areas may not be able to take that for a number of years.

I hunt in 3 different areas but will not take 4 from the same area. I did and have also limited out the past 4 years but each year the amount of birds i take from one location is based off the current population of that area. Some years I can take 3 off one spot and others years I dont feel like i need to take any off a certain spot.

I also do not fall hunt but I personally think if I did it would not have a HUGE affect on the areas I hunt. I just believe people tend to forgot that limits are set for the ENTIRE state not just certain areas. As with all hunting some areas have TO MANY turkeys while others seem to be declining for whatever reason.

I have never really cared what the limit is, if it was 1 whatever if it was 2000 I would feel the same way. My joy is the calling part and if it was only 1 i would still hunt, just take out kids and parttimers to try and get them one. Heck i get more joy out of that then me calling and killing most of the time anyways.

 

[Huntaholic]

[/quote] Because the mortality is going to be x turkeys, whether you hunt them or not. I believe that most wild gobblers don't live beyond three years, whether or not they are ever hunted. Something is going to get them, be it weather, or predators. [/quote]
Just because you dont kill them birds with 1 1/4" spurs (3+ yr old birds) doesnt mean they dont exist. This spring will make 25 years that Ive been hunting turkeys and Ive seen something most of yall havent. I was hunting in the days before the restocking efforts took off. In those areas where they were stocked, the population starts slowly, then builds and after afew years you have about 3 maybe 4 years where there are birds EVERYWHERE. Hearing 15 to 20 birds a morning isnt unusual. Then, after the boom, the population takes a dive and gets to where you dont see the sign or hear the numbers you were hearing. The really sad part of this is, once the boom happens and passes it NEVER EVER EVER gets back to what it once was. Over the last 25 years when this happened I just moved on to the front edge of the boom so to speak and kept after em. What we are seeing now is that most places that can support birds are either at their peak right now or the boom has passed. Sadly, if your birds are gone, they wont ever be back like they once were.

 

[turkeyhunter]

very interesting huntaholic. Thats kinda what I was wondering, if the turkeys we had 5-6 years ago would get back in full force.Now im depressed.lol

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I really hate to hear that Huntaholic. Some of my most memorable hunts were when we were experiencing a boom about 5 years ago, thats what got me into this turkey hunting thing. If things continue like they have been, I know wont be near as motivated to go hunting when I know there arent many birds to get on. I really hope to see another boom.

 

[jackscreek]

The really sad part of this is, once the boom happens and passes it NEVER EVER EVER gets back to what it once was.

Not agreeing with or refuting this statement, just curious as to what you are basing it upon-personal observations, scientific data, etc.?

Logically, the long term peaks (and valleys) should be somewhat equal.

 

[4onaside]

very interesting huntaholic. Thats kinda what I was wondering, if the turkeys we had 5-6 years ago would get back in full force.Now im depressed.lol

Don't be(depressed), because that's one guy's opinion, which has not completely been my experience. On my place, there was a huge number on the front end of the stocking/population boom just as huntaholic described. And, there was a drop back to almost nothing over a period of years. However, it built up to where it was booming again four and five years ago, but admitedly maybe not to numbers of the original boom. However, there were still plenty of turkeys, enough for even us less than proficient hunters to do well. But, the past couple of years, the population seems to be on the down cycle again. So, while I can't really argue that the population doesn't ever get back to what it originally was(a subjective point), in my experience, the subsequent "booms" still afford a good population of huntable turkeys, certainly enough to where optimism should beat back depression. LOL

 

[Huntaholic]

No "scientific data" to back my ideas up, just years of personal experience. captain hook, you arent the only one who hunts multiple states. Over the last several years Ive hunted anywhere from 5 to 8 states a spring. With KY being as close as it is, its just like home to me and yes Ive seen the same thing happen there as well. I hope you are right though! Ive got a group of 8 going to NE with me this spring and thats 24 birds if we can fill all our tags! Ive already sen it happen in KS though. 4 or 5 years ago on my first trip there, there were birds EVERYWHERE and its been a steady decline ever since.