TWRA

[Goodtimekiller]

I have seen nearly 50 jakes on 3 farms we hunted, as i drive around the area where i hunt there are turkeys everywhere. One farm, the day after we shot 2 longbeards hanging with 10 jakes and 2 other longbeards, from the road we saw at least 5 more longbeards and roughly 30 jakes and hens, on 300 acres. We saw poults on one farm.

The season opener is later than it has ever been, even when populations were growing like crazy. So does it seem like that is the answer? To me, no. Do i think the limit should be decreased, probably, but around my area the population is doing well and the hatch was incredible, better than ive seen in 8 years ive lived here.


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[Andy S.]

I have seen nearly 50 jakes on 3 farms we hunted, as i drive around the area where i hunt there are turkeys everywhere. One farm, the day after we shot 2 longbeards hanging with 10 jakes and 2 other longbeards, from the road we saw at least 5 more longbeards and roughly 30 jakes and hens, on 300 acres. We saw poults on one farm.

Count your blessings, and please realize you and your farms are in the top 0.01%. Resource agencies should never manage for the tip of the iceberg.

The season opener is later than it has ever been, even when populations were growing like crazy.

Opening date has not changed per the proclamation, it's the Saturday closest to April 1, with season running for 44 days straight. The opening date swinging to April 4 every 7 years does nothing appreciable to counter the first week massacre that removes a solid portion of the mature male breeding population.

Do i think the limit should be decreased, probably, ....

This gives us hope that you realize TFWC & TWRA manages the entire state, not just your turkey mecca.

 

[Andy S.]

TN is attracting more and more nonresidents this year because many of the other states have a 14 day quarantine for people coming into their state. It certainly doesn't help that all these Youtube stars keep advertising how great the public land hunting in TN is. If I didn't live here, TN would definitely be on my radar for places to hunt.

The Hunting Public should be releasing their TN hunt anyday now. They've got over 200,000 followers on Youtube. Expect another influx of nonresident hunters after it airs.

Ditto. I feel for the RESIDENT hunters who have to deal with that BS! It further exacerbates the issue knowing the growing increase in pressure from NR hunters is brought on by other RESIDENT hunters who cannot see the forest for the trees.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

We saw poults on one farm.

op:

 

[AT Hiker]

TN is attracting more and more nonresidents this year because many of the other states have a 14 day quarantine for people coming into their state. It certainly doesn't help that all these Youtube stars keep advertising how great the public land hunting in TN is. If I didn't live here, TN would definitely be on my radar for places to hunt.

The Hunting Public should be releasing their TN hunt anyday now. They've got over 200,000 followers on Youtube. Expect another influx of nonresident hunters after it airs.

Ditto. I feel for the RESIDENT hunters who have to deal with that BS! It further exacerbates the issue knowing the growing increase in pressure from NR hunters is brought on by other RESIDENT hunters who cannot see the forest for the trees.

"Man, I've never seen so many people here. Public areas are jam packed, I even had a group of hunters trying to cut a bird off me on opening morning. I wish people would stopped telling all of social media what public land they hunt"

"Well, I'm packing up and meeting a 1/2 dozen other NRs on some TN public land. Gonna video it and share it with over 200,000 followers"


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[Andy S.]

TN is attracting more and more nonresidents this year because many of the other states have a 14 day quarantine for people coming into their state. It certainly doesn't help that all these Youtube stars keep advertising how great the public land hunting in TN is. If I didn't live here, TN would definitely be on my radar for places to hunt.

The Hunting Public should be releasing their TN hunt anyday now. They've got over 200,000 followers on Youtube. Expect another influx of nonresident hunters after it airs.

Ditto. I feel for the RESIDENT hunters who have to deal with that BS! It further exacerbates the issue knowing the growing increase in pressure from NR hunters is brought on by other RESIDENT hunters who cannot see the forest for the trees.

"Man, I've never seen so many people here. Public areas are jam packed, I even had a group of hunters trying to cut a bird off me on opening morning. I wish people would stopped telling all of social media what public land they hunt"

"Well, I'm packing up and meeting a 1/2 dozen other NRs on some TN public land. Gonna video it and share it with over 200,000 followers"

Many would not believe the buzz that BS causes. I have numerous hunters talk to me about this, and they are not even affected by it. They just view it on social media like the thousands of others who do the same. They realize how it undermines the local resident hunters who have hunted those areas their entire lives.

 

[TheLBLman]

I have seen nearly 50 jakes on 3 farms we hunted, as i drive around the area where i hunt there are turkeys everywhere.

Count your blessings, and please realize you and your farms are in the top 0.01%. Resource agencies should never manage for the tip of the iceberg.

Andy is spot on.

Goodtimekiller, if you have that many turkeys, it really sounds like your area may have been the wintering flocking area for a much larger surrounding area. I'd suspect the surrounding area may have relatively few turkeys.

I don't know why some years the winter flocks stay together longer or disperse sooner, but it creates a lot of feast or famine for different areas from year to year. And, at least in some of the larger contiguous habitat areas, where the turkeys winter this year may be several miles away from where they wintered last year.

I also have about 300 acres in one farm I hunt.
Back in January, it was full of turkeys, including at least 7 longbeards, over a dozen jakes, and what appeared to be around a couple dozen hens.
By mid-March, multiple trail cams were catching a grand total of 1 remaining gobbler, 3 jakes, and zero hens.

I'd almost prefer to have no turkeys during the winter, as it seems, when I have them in the winter, they disappear by April, at least on this farm.
Never mind, there's another farm maybe 3 miles down the road, having its feast or famine in opposite years to mine.

Just saying, despite what you're seeing now, you could be wondering what happened to all your turkeys next year.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

We saw poults on one farm.

op:

This is not uncommon, but you definitely shouldn't read too much into it. A few hens breed early. Poult surveys show the earliest nests happen in early-mid March each year - so a very few poults will show up on the ground around early-mid April. But those early-nesting hens are outliers. Nesting starts in earnest in late April and continues through early June (including renesting attemps and later-breeding jennies), with an average date around the first week of May. So SOME hens have already started nesting, and a very small few have already hatched poults. But MOST will (ideally) start nesting in the next 2-3 weeks - after >25% of gobblers have already been killed.

 

[AT Hiker]

Many would not believe the buzz that BS causes. I have numerous hunters talk to me about this, and they are not even affected by it. They just view it on social media like the thousands of others who do the same. They realize how it undermines the local resident hunters who have hunted those areas their entire lives.

I've been a NR Western hunter for quite some time now. All it takes is for one question on a forum and someone gives a little more info than they should and that will ruin a area, overnight.
Post a picture and many people can figure it out pretty easily and a video just makes it that much easier.

I'm all about people traveling to hunt but capitalizing on a delicate resource with a real side affect of ruining it for those that depend on it is a grey area.
Not everyone can move from place to place once it is burned out. Not sure why that concept is hard to understand.


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[TheLBLman]

Not sure why that concept is hard to understand.

I think the answer has something to do with raw emotion over logical thought.

Ever notice how when someone kills an exceptional buck,
the crowds demand to know, "Where did you kill it?"
Then the crowds flood that area,
never mind the reason they're going there is already gone.

I've seen this so much at LBL & Ft. Campbell.
"What area did you kill it?"
Then there they all go to that area!

 

[cmn]

guys I have never heard so much griping...Go to the TWRA web site and comment on their turkey plan. I think many of your concerns will be on the agenda. They try hard to please every hunter. This is not a task I would want. Make your voice heard AFTER you review the plan...

 

[Bgoodman30]

You guys crack me up. When no one us killing turkeys the twra has caused the population demise, when everyone is having a great weekend the twra is causing the population demise. I bet i saw close to 50 different jakes this weekend. So maybe, after 2 years of non record harvests and better hatches the population is doing better and people are more successful. Kind of how predator/prey relationships work.

I dont know a single person who just decided to pick up turkey hunting this year, in fact i know some who are having a tougher year, some having better.


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Agreed. The sky isn't falling. In my observations that turkeys in region 2 at least are actually rebounding from lows experienced in the last 2-3 years... Hunter success shows that the resource is doing pretty good.. Also we have had the best opening weekend weather in recent years...

I haven't seen all the extra pressure either? I've been out every morning and I just don't see it. The assumption that everyone got laid off and is hunting everyday is ridiculous. The assumptions that 25% of the gobblers have been killed is also ridiculous... Hell I got another job with this mess, homeschool teacher!

I think we need to keep in mind that success is a good thing for crying out loud! It's apparent by this thread that TWRA needs to manage turkey hunting by zone/region/ county just like they used too in the fall!


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[Southern Sportsman]

The assumptions that 25% of the gobblers have been killed is also ridiculous. . .

TN's turkey population is estimated at 300,000. Roughly 60% (likely more) are hens. So ~ 120,000 male birds. From what I've seen in population research, 40% of those (At least) are jakes. So ~ 75,000 adult gobblers. We killed 15,000 through yesterday. (20%) We'll be over 18,000 killed by Friday.

 

[catman529]

I agree TWRA should have lowered the limit due to this crisis however I'm starting to see signs of people burning out quicker than usual. Hopefully the pressure dies off as people get tired of the crowds and lack of gobbling turkeys. Hopefully..


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[Andy S.]

Go to the TWRA web site and comment on their turkey plan. I think many of your concerns will be on the agenda. Make your voice heard AFTER you review the plan...

Good suggestion. Many of us did that weeks ago.

 

[Goodtimekiller]

I agree TWRA should have lowered the limit due to this crisis however I'm starting to see signs of people burning out quicker than usual. Hopefully the pressure dies off as people get tired of the crowds and lack of gobbling turkeys. Hopefully..


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This happens all the time, even on some private farms i hunt. People get so frustrated at the masses that they all quit and the die hards end up with places all to ourselves. People would be surprised at how lonely a good turkey spot will be about 10am during the middle of the season, and how well the turkeys will gobble.

Man, i shouldn't be handing out these secrets!


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[Rockhound]

You guys crack me up. When no one us killing turkeys the twra has caused the population demise, when everyone is having a great weekend the twra is causing the population demise. I bet i saw close to 50 different jakes this weekend. So maybe, after 2 years of non record harvests and better hatches the population is doing better and people are more successful. Kind of how predator/prey relationships work.

I dont know a single person who just decided to pick up turkey hunting this year, in fact i know some who are having a tougher year, some having better.


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Agreed. The sky isn't falling. In my observations that turkeys in region 2 at least are actually rebounding from lows experienced in the last 2-3 years... Hunter success shows that the resource is doing pretty good.. Also we have had the best opening weekend weather in recent years...

I haven't seen all the extra pressure either? I've been out every morning and I just don't see it. The assumption that everyone got laid off and is hunting everyday is ridiculous. The assumptions that 25% of the gobblers have been killed is also ridiculous... Hell I got another job with this mess, homeschool teacher!

I think we need to keep in mind that success is a good thing for crying out loud! It's apparent by this thread that TWRA needs to manage turkey hunting by zone/region/ county just like they used too in the fall!


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I've seen the extra pressure this year for sure. And the sky may not be falling, but it can all at once. Trust me I've experienced it. Our farm could have rivaled anywhere in the state in 2005. In 2007 it was nothing, and that happened across the southern portion of 3 counties. Dont think it cant happen because it sure as hell can, and quick.

 

[Bgoodman30]

Oh I believe it we shall see in 2021. They really can't figure out what's going on down there? Doesn't make sense being a county or two over from some of the best populations in the state that have barely declined...

If you read this thread you might believe that the population has been decimated and they might as well close next season. Might want to set a yearly calendar reminder to check back here...


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[elknturkey]

What percentage of kills do nonresidents account for?

 

[Andy S.]

What percentage of kills do nonresidents account for?

I've always wondered this myself, but never been able to extract that figure from the data TWRA provides to the public. Better yet, I would like to see how the NR kill percentage has been over last decade. Increased, decreased, stayed the same, etc. I'd also like to see what the NR percentage is for the first 10 days of season, when most NR visit a state.