first off I knew I could count on PCP to carry the load on my position on this! We don't, and I don't think we ever will, know how many turkeys we have in AL. We could, however, get some good estimates. A banding study across the state catching and banding thousands of birds would get 1) an excellent idea of what the percentage of gobblers are harvested each year and 2) after a couple years, provide some estimate of population, especially in conjunction with GC and the phone survey they do now. This should have been done years ago - cheap and easy. We don't have a statistically valid reproductive survey. There is a "observation" survey done but it is low participation and not valid. "Although it is not considered scientific data, results of the brood survey play a critical role in our assessment of turkey populations" from beards and spurs. Ive never seen the data and doubt there is any size to the sample. Many other states have done defined "routes" for years and have good data. We don't know the trajectory of the population (obviously) and, while I don't see as many as I used to and I believe we have generally fewer than 10 years ago, I don't see it as cause for alarm. Breeding Bird Survey, done for decades, say we are increasing. We don't know how, or if, gobbler harvest or timing effects poult production. I doubt there is ANY connection. We don't know how or if a later start date effects nesting and poult production, again, I doubt there is ANY relationship but I am open to the possibility. All the talk about dominant gobblers and their role in breeding and pecking order is simply speculation. Although I hear it and it sounds neat, there is NO data on this subject and any discussion of it is only one persons opinion. I have heard that the dominant gobbler does all the breeding and his removal upsets the "pecking order" and it takes time to restructure and get sub gobblers tuned up to breed. In the same presentation, I have heard the presenter say that some nests are fathered by more than one gobbler! WHAT? how is this possible, I asked! Just part of the program. That's why I say speculation - no publications on this although it would be well received by the scientific community if the data were there.
We do know predator control usually increases nest and poult production. We know good habitat management leads to increased turkey numbers. We know burning, good timber management, food plots, etc are good for turkeys. We know a lot about home ranges, habitat use, food habits, roost habitat, yearly and seasonal mortality and causes, seasonal movements, nesting and brood rearing habitat, predation, nest survival and, to some extent, poult survival.
So, if you disagree with the regulation change, flood the CAB (every member) with letters stating your opinion and send a copy to Chuck. Apparently only 2 letters were given to the CAB before this meeting and they were solicited to support the regulation changes. NO letters were sent against these changes. Make your voice known........ and use PCP's working and logic
Great to see you posting here again, gobbler!
I too, had wondered about the theory that the hens have to fall in love with a new gobbler to breed him, and then the same guy posting from the same Facebook account that it is so important for the hens to breed multiple gobblers and increase the genetic diversity of each clutch. The two ideas seem to contradict each other, and made it look to me like he was looking for any sort of excuse to reduce hunting. Gotta give the guy credit though, he has gotten rich off all these turkey studies.
Here is a question you can probably answer that no other biologist will touch - is there a study from anywhere that shows that legal hunting of spring gobblers reduces poult recruitment? Forget about the season timing having an effect, I'm talking about hunting having any effect period. That seems to me to be one of the easier studies that could be made; count the poults in unhunted places, and then count them on similar land that is hunted. Has this ever been done?
I sent a letter to every member of the CAB back in January, and got only 2 responses. I guess they trashed them if they are claiming nobody contacted them. I will send out another round before next year's meeting. I hope everyone else will too.
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
We don't, and I don't think we ever will, know how many turkeys we have in AL. We could, however, get some good estimates. A banding study across the state catching and banding thousands of birds would get 1) an excellent idea of what the percentage of gobblers are harvested each year and 2) after a couple years, provide some estimate of population, especially in conjunction with GC and the phone survey they do now. This should have been done years ago - cheap and easy. We don't have a statistically valid reproductive survey. There is a "observation" survey done but it is low participation and not valid. "Although it is not considered scientific data, results of the brood survey play a critical role in our assessment of turkey populations" from beards and spurs. Ive never seen the data and doubt there is any size to the sample. Many other states have done defined "routes" for years and have good data. We don't know the trajectory of the population (obviously) and, while I don't see as many as I used to and I believe we have generally fewer than 10 years ago, I don't see it as cause for alarm. Breeding Bird Survey, done for decades, say we are increasing. We don't know how, or if, gobbler harvest or timing effects poult production. I doubt there is ANY connection. We don't know how or if a later start date effects nesting and poult production, again, I doubt there is ANY relationship but I am open to the possibility. All the talk about dominant gobblers and their role in breeding and pecking order is simply speculation. Although I hear it and it sounds neat, there is NO data on this subject and any discussion of it is only one persons opinion. I have heard that the dominant gobbler does all the breeding and his removal upsets the "pecking order" and it takes time to restructure and get sub gobblers tuned up to breed. In the same presentation, I have heard the presenter say that some nests are fathered by more than one gobbler! 
WHAT? how is this possible, I asked! Just part of the program. That's why I say speculation - no publications on this although it would be well received by the scientific community if the data were there.
