turkey pop in southern wayne co

[th88]

Yep, and you are preaching to the choir on this to me --- totally agree with you.

Oh, I know. Just trying to spread the good word and inform others!

 

[Andy S.]

This photo was taken in MS. I know the guys who own/run this place. You cannot educate them on real scientific biology or the risks associated with feeding wildlife, among other things. It's the way they have done it for years, and you are not changing their ways. In fact, they think they are benefiting the resource by feeding them.

 

[Boll Weevil]

You cannot educate them on real scientific biology or the risks associated with feeding wildlife, among other things.

^ This...especially the "among other things" part. I've come to understand and accept that some folks actually have a deep almost visceral disdain for research-based/evidence-backed knowledge. The fastest way to get them to plug their ears is to cite science. :roll:

 

[volsrock]

You cannot educate them on real scientific biology or the risks associated with feeding wildlife, among other things.

^ This...especially the "among other things" part. I've come to understand and accept that some folks actually have a deep almost visceral disdain for research-based/evidence-backed knowledge. The fastest way to get them to plug their ears is to cite science. :roll:

hahaha. u can educate me all u want!!! iv lived here all my life!!!!! from no turkeys to turkeys everywhere to no turkeys!!! What changed???? Chicken houses exploded!!!! not habitat!!! not preditors. not nothing but more chicken yugo!!!!!

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Southern Wayne has turkeys?

It wasn't predators, habitat change or feeding corn. Check all three boxes for those that were around in the late 90s through 2010.

The only things new are armadillos and chicken litter, neither of which make sense. To many areas of south Alabama and Mississippi loaded with birds and have had both for decades.

Either way, the days of seeing a hundred in a field around here are over. Heck, I'd like to see 10.

 

[volsrock]

Thank u Alabama SWamper... no one believes me on the decline of turkeys in south wayne co!!! unless uv lived here or hunted here u will not belive it!!!!! i still say chicken houses!!! prove me wrong!!

 

[turkeyhunter]

I agree with scn.

 

[turkeyhunter]

volsrock I know a guy in Perry co. has 400 acre farm ,, like us in southern wayne he once was loaded with birds ... Now they have nothing 0 ! He said there are no chicken houses , no chicken liter been spread . He knows all local farmers around perry co. No one had used chicken litter. Perry co numbers worse than ours.

 

[volsrock]

Hate to hear that in perry co.... but... until someone can give me a different reason im sticking to my guns!!! CHICKEN HOUSES!!!! Somebody Prove me wrong!!!

 

[Andy S.]

volsrock I know a guy in Perry co. has 400 acre farm ,, like us in southern wayne he once was loaded with birds ... Now they have nothing 0 ! He said there are no chicken houses , no chicken liter been spread . He knows all local farmers around perry co. No one had used chicken litter. Perry co numbers worse than ours.

I've witnessed the decline in Perry County firsthand, and just as your friend stated, no chicken houses or chicken litter in the area. Makes a man scratch his head pondering what all could've went wrong to create the perfect storm and wipe out the turkeys.

 

[BULL MOOSE]

Need a 1 turkey limit.

 

[tnanh]

volsrock I know a guy in Perry co. has 400 acre farm ,, like us in southern wayne he once was loaded with birds ... Now they have nothing 0 ! He said there are no chicken houses , no chicken liter been spread . He knows all local farmers around perry co. No one had used chicken litter. Perry co numbers worse than ours.

I've witnessed the decline in Perry County firsthand, and just as your friend stated, no chicken houses or chicken litter in the area. Makes a man scratch his head pondering what all could've went wrong to create the perfect storm and wipe out the turkeys.

Perry County is the perfect example of what habitat change can do. The clear cuts that Hughes Lumber company did when they bought Willamette are ridiculous. Just google fire tower road, Linden Tn and look at the aerial photos. Places a turkey couldn't find a roost tree for a mile square and more. I have typed it numerous times in these forums. Huge cutovers=very few If any turkeys. Hickman and Lewis counties are just as bad as far as cutovers. At least Willamette had agreed to checkerboard stuff. And what sucks is there is no fixing it.

 

[hooks]

volsrock I know a guy in Perry co. has 400 acre farm ,, like us in southern wayne he once was loaded with birds ... Now they have nothing 0 ! He said there are no chicken houses , no chicken liter been spread . He knows all local farmers around perry co. No one had used chicken litter. Perry co numbers worse than ours.

I've witnessed the decline in Perry County firsthand, and just as your friend stated, no chicken houses or chicken litter in the area. Makes a man scratch his head pondering what all could've went wrong to create the perfect storm and wipe out the turkeys.

Perry County is the perfect example of what habitat change can do. The clear cuts that Hughes Lumber company did when they bought Willamette are ridiculous. Just google fire tower road, Linden Tn and look at the aerial photos. Places a turkey couldn't find a roost tree for a mile square and more. I have typed it numerous times in these forums. Huge cutovers=very few If any turkeys. Hickman and Lewis counties are just as bad as far as cutovers. At least Willamette had agreed to checkerboard stuff. And what sucks is there is no fixing it.

100% agree. I believe the habitat change over the last decade and a half has been the main driver in the population decline in Wayne, Perry, and Lewis counties.

 

[volsrock]

Habitat change?? Have they not been cutting timber for years!! Im not buying that excuse!!! the decline was too quick!!!! Turkeys are too smart to let a couple hundred acres of timber being cut to vanish that quick!! BTW MY 240 acres has not changed since the decline!!!!!!!! Or the acres and acres around me!!!!!!!!! Give me another reason!!!!!!!! Im all ears!!

 

[Andy S.]

Perry County is the perfect example of what habitat change can do. The clear cuts that Hughes Lumber company did when they bought Willamette are ridiculous. Just google fire tower road, Linden Tn and look at the aerial photos. Places a turkey couldn't find a roost tree for a mile square and more. I have typed it numerous times in these forums. Huge cutovers=very few If any turkeys. Hickman and Lewis counties are just as bad as far as cutovers. At least Willamette had agreed to checkerboard stuff. And what sucks is there is no fixing it.

100% agree. I believe the habitat change over the last decade and a half has been the main driver in the population decline in Wayne, Perry, and Lewis counties.

As you both stated, the cutover massacre hasn't done the turkeys any favors. With that said, there is still a good bit of private ground in northern Perry county that is not cutover, and not farm land (chicken litter, etc), and it is nothing like it used to be. Back in the day, I could ride back road after back road and see all kinds of hens and strutters from the road, and wads of jakes. When I am in that general area these days, I make it a point to ride, look and reminisce, and rarely ever see turkeys like I did 15 years ago. When I do spot one, it is just a few, no big flocks of hens like back in the day. Furthermore, I rarely see turkey hunters either, not parked, not on the road, not in the stores, etc. Pretty depressing when I reflect on how good it once was in the late 90s and early 2000s.

 

[poorhunter]

Perry County is the perfect example of what habitat change can do. The clear cuts that Hughes Lumber company did when they bought Willamette are ridiculous. Just google fire tower road, Linden Tn and look at the aerial photos. Places a turkey couldn't find a roost tree for a mile square and more. I have typed it numerous times in these forums. Huge cutovers=very few If any turkeys. Hickman and Lewis counties are just as bad as far as cutovers. At least Willamette had agreed to checkerboard stuff. And what sucks is there is no fixing it.

100% agree. I believe the habitat change over the last decade and a half has been the main driver in the population decline in Wayne, Perry, and Lewis counties.

As you both stated, the cutover massacre hasn't done the turkeys any favors. With that said, there is still a good bit of private ground in northern Perry county that is not cutover, and not farm land (chicken litter, etc), and it is nothing like it used to be. Back in the day, I could ride back road after back road and see all kinds of hens and strutters from the road, and wads of jakes. When I am in that general area these days, I make it a point to ride, look and reminisce, and rarely ever see turkeys like I did 15 years ago. When I do spot one, it is just a few, no big flocks of hens like back in the day. Furthermore, I rarely see turkey hunters either, not parked, not on the road, not in the stores, etc. Pretty depressing when I reflect on how good it once was in the late 90s and early 2000s.

I've only lived here (Southern Hickman) for 6 years and I've noticed the same thing in that short time period. Although for me and my area it wasn't gradual but sudden. Fall of 2017 there were still winter flocks of 20-30 toms and 50+ hens. Spring of 2018 and there were practically no turkeys to be seen or heard. Winter flocks in 2018 were 3-5 toms and maybe 5-10 hens, winter this year 5-7 toms and a few more hens. We'll see what spring brings. First three years was awesome with 10 different farms to hunt there were always turkeys to find and hunt.

 

[tnanh]

One thing most people that have posted seem to agree on is our turkeys are mismanaged miserably. They aren't the only resource that is mismanaged. They all are. Asian carp in the fisheries, disease in the deer with CWD and EHD and still 3 does a day, and turkeys are disappearing. Our resource managers do nothing until it is too late. I have said this before and threads get locked and people think it is a personal attack. Let me be clear in saying it is not a personal attack on anyone. Things have got to change with wildlife management in Tennessee. The only thing that can be done with the deer and turkeys is season and limit changes in my opinion. Reluctance to try and fix the problems will mean sooner or later fewer jobs needed in wildlife management because there will not be enough left to manage. It is time for them to go to work and fix some things. Even if it means changing the opening date or limits for this spring. Change the limit to one or two turkeys until they can figure out what is going on may accomplish something without changing the dates. I have no idea on a answer but I do know the same ole same ole year after year is not going to work. Statewide seasons and limits is not either.

 

[volsrock]

One thing most people that have posted seem to agree on is our turkeys are mismanaged miserably. They aren't the only resource that is mismanaged. They all are. Asian carp in the fisheries, disease in the deer with CWD and EHD and still 3 does a day, and turkeys are disappearing. Our resource managers do nothing until it is too late. I have said this before and threads get locked and people think it is a personal attack. Let me be clear in saying it is not a personal attack on anyone. Things have got to change with wildlife management in Tennessee. The only thing that can be done with the deer and turkeys is season and limit changes in my opinion. Reluctance to try and fix the problems will mean sooner or later fewer jobs needed in wildlife management because there will not be enough left to manage. It is time for them to go to work and fix some things. Even if it means changing the opening date or limits for this spring. Change the limit to one or two turkeys until they can figure out what is going on may accomplish something without changing the dates. I have no idea on a answer but I do know the same ole same ole year after year is not going to work. Statewide seasons and limits is not either.

Absolutely agree!!! Unfortunately its too late in south Wayne Co!!! Turkeys are gone!!! Butt at least we have chicken houses and chicken manure everywhere!!!!!!

 

[nwsg76]

On top of what scn said......Armadillo population expansion has a very similar pattern to the turkey harvest decline. It maybe coincident ?
So many states are experiencing the same issue as tn. That indicates its a biological population adjustment rather than a local issue. Only time will tell.

 

[Andy S.]

So many states are experiencing the same issue as tn.

Very true statement.