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Turkeys, or LACK thereof!

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4onaside

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Swamphunter, perchance have you been to your lease lately( if you still have the deal just north of Parsons)? I have been on mine and all around the area within several miles for the past two days and have seen nary a bird, nor feathers, nor tracks, nor droppings. This on a place that was covered up in birds all fall and into the winter. Granted I was not there at dawn either days to gauge a fair take on gobbling, BUT, if there are birds, there has to be sighting s and sign. NONE. Anybody else having the same deal in eastern West Tennessee?
 
Same thing happened to me in middle tn about 5 or 6 years ago. I don't have a tenth of the birds I used to and I am there a lot to know.
 
Our numbers have been down but seem to be up this year but not where they were 10 yrs ago. Rumor and i mean rumor is that farmers spreading chicken manure on fields spread disease among turkeys. Fact or fiction i dont know.
 
Swamphunter said:
I have not been. I have been working a house deal and finally closed today. The first time I set foot on the place will be Sunday morning for the juvenile hunt. I will let you know what we see/hear.
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You not hunting on Saturday?
 
CAMARO12 said:
4onaside said:
Swamphunter, perchance have you been to your lease lately( if you still have the deal just north of Parsons)? I have been on mine and all around the area within several miles for the past two days and have seen nary a bird, nor feathers, nor tracks, nor droppings. This on a place that was covered up in birds all fall and into the winter. Granted I was not there at dawn either days to gauge a fair take on gobbling, BUT, if there are birds, there has to be sighting s and sign. NONE. Anybody else having the same deal in eastern West Tennessee?
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It's not unusual for turkeys to have differnt fall/winter and spring/summer ranges. That could be your problem.
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I suppose that could be the problem, and we have had periods of time before, when turkeys are non-existent and then show up. I just hope that some show up during the season! lol However, I have driven to and from in Henderson, Decatur and Madison counties the past few days and have seen nothing in nice green fields where there are usually some present. Swamphunter hunts not too far from me. If he comes back and tells me after this weekend that they are covered up in birds, I suppose I'll start crappie fishing.
 
The chicken litter theory is a myth. I've been seeing turkeys in places, that 10 years ago had none, but has always had litter on it. Maybe they're spreading out and it makes it seem like fewer turkeys. A friend of mine has turkeys roosting on his land and this is the first year that's ever happened. I watched them one morning and saw 15 turkeys with 2 of them strutters.
 
Ticks are horrible this year, they were bad all during Grouse season here in East TN, and could be epically bad this spring.

I am in Miss right now, and the ticks are so bad we are retreating our clothes every morning to try and keep them beat back, but are having little success.

Hate freaking ticks!!!!
 
Setterman said:
Ticks are horrible this year, they were bad all during Grouse season here in East TN, and could be epically bad this spring.

I am in Miss right now, and the ticks are so bad we are retreating our clothes every morning to try and keep them beat back, but are having little success.

Hate freaking ticks!!!!
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Post up some pics.
 
Our turkeys are basically gone in my area. We really shouldnt even have a season on them, or at least reduce it to one bird a year.Its sad. I know there are many factors that deal with the why, but the big drop all came at the same time as the 4 bird limit. You get guys that just hunt the same farm and wipe them out instead of spreading it out. You cant just rely on the jake crop for the next years. Studies have shown that populations of turkeys really fall when you harvest to many mature toms.We need units for turkeys, those places with tons of turkey can have their limit of 4, places in the middle can have 2, and places with very few birds can have 1 until the population expands again.
 
I figured the chicken thang was rumor. Bearclaw thats how i equate when our numbers started going down is when the limits rose. When the limit was 2 gobblers our hunting was awesome. Since we went 3 and then 4 our hunting has became meiocre at best. I have no idea if that has anything to do with it that is how i just relate a time frame to the decline.
 
HA! i believe theres more to it than THE 4 BIRD LIMIT there was only like 30 people in the state of tennessee last year that killed 4 turkeys. I honestly believe the chicken crap theory it falls in line with out population decrease our turkeys now are almost non existent
 
As most on here will know, I was an outspoke advocate against us going to a 4 bird limit. I believed at the time it could have a dramatic impact on our numbers of male turkeys which survived each spring. However, in my area it has seemingly had no ill affects, or none that I have witnessed as of last year. The question in this area is how good would hunting be if we still had a 2 or 3 bird limit? Impossible question to answer obviously. According to the harvest numbers very few people kill 4, but the unknown is how many jakes get killed because of the larger limits? That is the most important question, if it cheapens a jake because of the total number of available tags then it could have a major impact.

Spring seasons should have little affect on overall turkey populations in general, but the abusrdly high fall limits could have an impact if enough folks participate.

The biggest blunder IMO by TWRA is not adjusting our seasons in areas which have had unique events which could significantly affected poult production. Rather then lower limits in areas which have been hit by floods, hail storms, etc etc, they kep the limit the same which is totally counterintuitive and not smart management.

In areas where the farms are smallish, less than 500 acres, and every farm gets a ton of pressure, the 4 bird limit could seriously impact the hunting in those areas. COmbine that with area hit by freak weather events, or hatch failures and it could be a disaster.

I have never seen anything to suggest chicken waste as being a danger to wild turkeys or other wildlife, but anything is possible.

This is just my opinion, but TWRA's turkey folks need to seriously consider being more fluid with the regs to account for massive weather events and poor poult production. This one size fits all approach is not wise, and may be having a major impact in some areas.

4 birds in the spring may be fine, but in years to come some form of jake restrictions would ensure good populations of male birds. I would not like to see a total ban on jakes, but do believe 1 jake tag is sufficient for most mature hunters to be happy.
 
Poser said:
bearclaw said:
Our turkeys are basically gone in my area. We really shouldnt even have a season on them, or at least reduce it to one bird a year.Its sad. I know there are many factors that deal with the why, but the big drop all came at the same time as the 4 bird limit. You get guys that just hunt the same farm and wipe them out instead of spreading it out. You cant just rely on the jake crop for the next years. Studies have shown that populations of turkeys really fall when you harvest to many mature toms.We need units for turkeys, those places with tons of turkey can have their limit of 4, places in the middle can have 2, and places with very few birds can have 1 until the population expands again.
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In MS, you have to have (well, supposed to have... it is MS, afterall...) a permit from the state to hunt turkeys on any tract of land smaller than 500 acres. A lot of guys hate it, but I'm guessing its intention is for the reason you speak of -guys wiping out birds on each 50 to 100 acre plot.
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Poser,

I've been out of MS for three years, but isn't the 500 acre rule for fall turkey hunting only?
 
Setterman, I don't disagree with almost all of what you say, other than the jakes deal, as it applies to my situation. We had one batch of jakes(of the year) , totaling about 20 during this past deer season. In addition there were at least two large flocks of hens that could be identified on separate ends of our place at the same time. Also, nine long beards and one separate group of three jakes from last year. In short, a bunch of turkeys as recent as three months ago. Now gone! Obviously, 4 bird limits nor nesting failures nor any of the obvious things can be blamed. They have either died, perish the thought, or they have moved totally out of their previous range. A mystery, at least to a layman.
 
comparing other states to TN just cant really work as the habitat is totally different. Heck in BAMA you can kill 5 and they have PLENTY of turkeys down there population wise. granted they do incorporate more of a unit system for spring and fall hunting but the limits still apply.

its really no different IMO then saying do what KY does for deer and we will have deer like KY. Just not really apples to apples.


IMO the limit going to 4 has not a major total effect on the statewide population, however i do agree the state should go more to a unit system in the same way as deer is done.
 
Been saying we need units for years, still think that way. I also like settermans idea of jake restrictions. But I guess I always side with conservatism.
 
Doug, now i say this while at the same time i agree we need units for turkeys in TN without question.

TWRA has done a pretty good job considering the population is as high as it is and considering the past history of the population.
 
I doubt if resource management has anything to do with the disapparence of a large population of turkeys from one property in three months time. I hope that a few show up from parts unknown or wherever so I can mess with them come April. lol
 

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