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Turkey question

THE DUKE":32azygqc said:
With TN birds population being down almost state wide, how is the populations in KY,al,ga,Ms just curious if anyone has herd.
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I have not done any research, but my personal observations in MS on the 3 places I hunt (one west, one central, and one east) is the population seems to be identical to years past. MS didn't have a real check in system forever, and I don't know if you can teach an old dog new tricks. I think any kill data from MS would be completely unreliable.
 
I hear talk about populations being down in certain parts of KY. I My area is thankfully doing OK, it seems to me.

Overall, tough to say. I'd say slightly down but I think there are places in a far more serious problem than KY.
 
Population down almost state wide? I do not know how you got that information ?The population in my area has been on the rise and I see and hear turkey in places that I never dreamed of and I have hunted them 39 years here in Tn. There are some areas that have seen a downturn but definitely not statewide. 2018 was the first time since 2000 that we killed below 30,000 birds but in 2019 we killed over 31,000. I can tell you a little about Alabama as I hunt it every year and they are currently trying to get more information on the turkey population. They moved the season back to the 3rd Saturday in March and have implemented a game check system basically like ours. The only problem is they can't seem to get hunters to comply for whatever reason. They only checked out around 11,000 birds last year which is not close to what was believed to be harvested. They are also doing a study on certain WMA with Auburn and they open a week later than the state as a whole to see if there is much difference in the start dates as far as breeding habits and poult production. One other thing that started at some WMA is a check in system in which you fill out a card with what time you get there and drop it in a box at a kiosk , you then must carry the other part of the card on you as you hunt at the end of the hunt you fill.it out to let them know
how many hours you hunted and if you killed a bird . The statewide limit is 5 birds. I have hunted Alabama for years and in many places and have always enjoyed it, the public birds are tough!The subject of turkey population will be a topic on here all season as the TWRA is in the midst of a 5 year study to try and determine what has caused the downturn in certain areas of our state. I truly hope that all of the areas down rebound nicely , even if it means Zones with later start dates and lower limits in those areas. That is something that Alabama also does in areas with lower population. Go watch Catman outdoors and his turkey season teasers , that will give you some faith that turkey numbers are absolutely thriving in areas also. That is what is so strange and I hope they do figure it out!
 
In west and middle TN, the population is down or non-existent in A LOT of areas that had birds or had a TON of birds around 1998-2010. This is nothing new to anyone. If your population is thriving, thank your lucky stars and enjoy every minute of it. Single handedly, you can't control what the next decade will hold.
 
THE DUKE":xjgehr37 said:
......how is the populations in KY,al,ga,Ms just curious if anyone has herd.
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Population decline is well documented all over the southeast. There are several resource agencies and universities that are currently studying and researching in an attempt to get some idea or answers for the hundreds of concerned outdoorsmen, hunters, resources managers, etc. As mentioned above, SOME states are being proactive instead of reactive. They have moved season opener back a week or two, reduced limits for both residents and non-residents, staggered the weeks/bag limits, and created zones to more accurately manage local populations on a smaller scale. Hopefully TWRA will take note and get onboard soon.
 
We have no where near as many birds as we used to have in my area. It's actually pretty sad that our numbers are as low as they are. I guess as long as it's good around Nashville though then it's all good.
 
PickettSFHunter":tyudnm3l said:
I guess as long as it's good around Nashville though then it's all good.
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Interesting you mention this. I've heard this comment A LOT over the last 3-5 years. The overabundance of "yard turkeys" in and around Nashville, Franklin and other suburbs is not a reliable indicator of the states population, or how a true wild turkey acts, as many seem to think. I think department heads, policy makers and some commissioners need to understand this difference and learn to differentiate the two.
 
tickweed":2izsmmiz said:
Maybe it's me, lm located in West Tn, lm seeing lots of birds hearing lots.
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Me too. It almost seems like pockets of good/poor populations that can change within just a few miles. I know I'm the anomaly but the population has swelled so much in my area I see them in places I've never seen them before. 2 days ago there was a pair of strutters following an uninterested hen just 100 yards from the house. Never seen that before.

On my farm in Oktibbeha county MS there are no birds and never have been. I remember a time or 2 in my younger years there were a few but nothing to reliably hunt.
 
Not familiar with everywhere. But my spots in Southern Mid TN are better than they were maybe 5-7 years ago, but no where near what they were 13-15 years ago.
My Alabama spots are the same way.

The older I get and the more I read and the more I hunt and learn, I think it's more cyclical than anything. Also the population booming several years after restocking, then a plateau. Then a crash or down fall to more normal carrying capacity.

I've hunted south Alabama in places there never was no restocking efforts (as far as I know) and turkeys there have been up and down population wise forever.

I also remember when there were even fewer turkeys than what there are now. Some of the newer hunters may think the sky is falling, but I've hunted and if you heard one gobble three times half mile away every third trip you went out you were doing good.


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I haven't hunted turkey in 4 due to not seeing any, well almost any, I haven't Seen or heard a bird in 4 years and so far it's not looking good for this year. This is in van buren county
 
From what I can gather, if you split up the entire southeast, about 70% of locales are down from the peak, 20% are stable, and 10% are up. You can literally travel in an hour from an area devoid of turkeys to turkey heaven right now.

What makes it really tough is how FAST it can change in a couple years. An area with just a few birds can have a huntable population, while another with an abundance of birds can have none in the same timeframe of 2 years.

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RF270":3fa6zcvr said:
https://www.themeateater.com/listen/meateater/ep-214-gobbling-your-ass-off

great listen about turkey populations and turkey behavior.
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One of the most informative turkey podcasts I've heard. Is much as I hate it we have to push back our season...
 
Our bird population is down and has been for 4 or 5 years. I've got a friend who lives in White County and sees a lot of turkeys all the time. He's invited me but, with this Covid 19 suggested travel ban, I don't know. Its over an hour drive from me too.
 
You wont get covid driving in your car. If hes got birds, go to them. That's the nature of Turkey hunting these days

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