Game Check Results

Well since the season is officially over in AL we have our first season of Game Check numbers to look at. There were 9,150 reported kills this spring. Assuming the same 35% reporting rate that Chuckie applied to the deer numbers, that would give us a state wide harvest of 26,143 birds. If I am not mistaken, I think that number would be down from the past few years' estimated harvests. If so, does Chuckie go ahead and drop the limit next year? I think we all know he wants to.

And just an FYI:

Top 5 Counties:

1) Jackson - 324
2) Dallas - 268
3) Barbour - 252
4) Coosa - 243
5) Marengo - 238


Bottom 5 Counties:

1) Lawrence - 43
2) Marshall - 33
3) Cullman - 31
4) Limestone - 24
5) Morgan - 7

Thought there wasn't no turkeys in Jackson County??

Lmao at the numbers.

Man that's pitiful reporting!!! I can probably think of 20-30 turkey hunters I know personally that accounted for 100 birds... not sure of their dedication to reporting the numbers however.

The stupid app is a POS; I've already had an account created w/a conservation ID, etc. & when I tried to report, it kept wanting me to "CREATE NEW ACCOUNT"... So ... there's at least 1 missing from the #'s, F it...

And I work in the technology industry (software company), and not to be arrogant, but if I can't figure the damn thing out, I pity the guy who's not very tech-savvy...

I had the same issue as BamaGuitarDude... couldn't get my account "created", wasn't sure if it was an Android issue or what but I'm not technically illerate, just no way to get it set up right with the version of app I downloaded from Google Play. I ended up having to wait till I got home and report online.

All those counties listed at the bottom have shorter seasons than the rest of the state. I wonder what the bottom 5 counties are that have full length seasons.

He will say there was a 100% participation rate and change the limit to 2

Those numbers are laughable. I would say a complete failure of the "mandatory" reporting system.

Ridiculous numbers.

I predicted when they first said it would be mandatory that GC would show a harvest below 20,000. I didn't realize how conservative I was being; didn't even make 10,000. I sure hope he doesn't try to apply that made-up 35% figure to it. But since he has trashed the hunter survey and declared it worthless, we will now have absolutely no idea how many were killed.

The Hunter Survey from last season put the harvest at 29,000, which is down significantly from the 40,000 or so we had been having. My perception is that it was back into the 40,000 range this year, but that's just based on talking to people.

The Avid Hunter Survey may be the only thing we have for this season that is even remotely scientific. Congrats Chucky, on destroying a system that worked just fine for over 50 years. And fwiw, I reported all of mine on GC and also reported every hunt on the Avid Hunter system.

But can we kill them all in one day if we want to?

It hasn't let me check the turkey I killed on the 29th. I am within 48 hours but I'm guessing the reporting system knocked of as soon as it became May 1st?

I called all mine in. Didn't try the app, but with the frustrations everyone seems to have with it, doesn't sound like it's worth the gb on my phone.

Bout this time next year the election cycle for governor, state reps and senators will begin. I suggest we work together as a voting block. Quiz candidates , choose some to support as a group to , if elected, jerk a knot in Chucky and Company's tails .

238 for Marengo County is laughable.

Maybe for opening week.

I didn't think there were 33 turkeys in all in marshall county. It's got a full season also yelp softly

This will never give an accurate number. We all know that. Here is my example from way back.

I remember back in the mid 80's when I was cutting my teeth on turkey hunting, I was hunting a little public land close to my house. They had a sign in box with a binder in it where you recorded your kill/date. There was no one ever there to personally record your kill. I killed one at the very end of the season and took note of the number of reported kills. As I recall, it was a low number like 8 birds or something like that. Well, the final harvest report came out for all the WMA's in the AL Game and Fish Magazine a month or so later. The number reported was exactly double the number of recorded birds. I was 19 or 20 at the time and pretty ignorant about this stuff but just remember knowing they are padding these numbers but couldn't figure out why.

Dr. B

Cause they "know" what's best!!!!

Smdh

Someone post up the link to the full game check results county by county so I can laugh.

Marshall starts March 15 and ends at the end of April. I don't waste my time here though.

I agree 100% no birds here.

Personally, I ditched the AHS when they hit me up BECAUSE of the mandatory GC -- I'm not going to duplicate my efforts on reporting my kills.

The APP is terrible, but if you go online to check your bird it's easy peazy.

Never had a problem with the app. But sounds like enough have to make it pretty useless.

looks like Jackson county is where they all at!! I know lawrence and winston sucked this year!! More hunters than turkeys!!

done

Ive been waiting to do all mine at the end of the season, is it ok to go ahead and do them now?

The website let me, so ... ya ... (assuming you're asking a serious Q, which may be a bad assumption... refer back to my song lyrics LOL)

Not sure if there's a time limit but since I couldn't get it to work on app, I ended up waiting a week on one of mine before going through the process online and had no issues

LOL ... 9,150 birds statewide. In Alabama.

What a f'king joke. Even at the stupendous 35% success rate and estimated 26K "harvest," that's still a joke.

Turkeys hide easier than deer.

I was thinking there was a time period and you had to write down the confirmation #. But I'm not a lawyer as it almost takes one to keep up with all the rules.

JDawg - There might be a time period but I did write down the date & confirmation number on that bottom part of license print out, figured if I had that on me surely not reporting it within XX hrs wouldn't cause me any grief (who knows though...)

48 hours to report turkeys, just like deer.

Lower limits and possibly shorter seasons next year. Wait and see

But ... but ... they said they would need to have several years of results and info and data before making decisions and changes.

I'd be willing to bet its next year. That will be chucky's pissy little way of getting back at turkey hunters who didn't check their turkeys. Everybody should have checked in 5 whether they actually killed any or not.

If they did then there's no way in Hades they could ever speak publicly again with any shred of integrity about needing several years of data before considering and recommending changes based on "harvest records." Because that's been the mantra all along about deer zones, doe days, North and South Zones, etc., with GC and such.

Remember, it's supposedly all about the data. Gotta have the data over 3-5 years' time to get a good look at anything before considering or making changes.

If any change(s) were recommended then it better have support of many years' worth of data, and then you're getting into that horribly unreliable and worthless post-season hunter survey method that's been cast into the dust bin of history.

Can't have it both ways. Either the survey was/is good to go by, or they'll need to wait 3-4 more years to collect more GC data.

Data!

I'm ready for the explanation

Integrity you say? Too late for me , Chucky already looked me in the eye and lied about never extending the season into Feb. in Jackson Co. Who needs data when you make back room deals?!

You get on that Progressive Data Train now, sir! Now! And like it!

Where can you see the by county numbers?

Whoever the hell Chuckie is -- all's I can say is, do that & WATCH the illegal activity ensue... The co-op's won't be able to keep enough scratch in stock...

Illegal IS what illegal DOES; madates & limits don't mean anything to somebody's who's bent on breaking them... I know church going folks who sit all pretty in the pews & kill 9+ buck/season...

pardon my ignorance, but is the position of ADCNR Director an elected or appointed position?

Coming like Hurricane Katrina.

it was fun while it lasted boys

Who says you gotta go by the changes?

They'll have so many game laws and zones and bag limits soon, it will make your head spin.

Mississippi just went from 3 zones to 5. Why stop there. Let's split up each county into micro-habitats. It's for the good of the resource, right?

We're definitely "spoiled" down here; I've got a buddy in WI that has to agonizingly "bid" on licenses (basically) and his season is 1 week!!! 1 bird limit... He managed to bid & get another week, so he'll get 2 birds this year, but ... Man, talk about a PITA

Appointed by the Guv. Good reason for all of us to quiz the candidates next year.

I thought the conservation director was appointed by the governor, and Sykes was a regular state employee? I don't really know; things change and I haven't kept up with all of them. Charles Kelley kept the position for decades. Governors and directors came and went, but nobody messed with Kelley.

It will be interesting to see how the spin the low harvest report. My guess is that it's so bad they just ignore it for a while. It will be hard to get anyone to believe the harvest was under 10,000.

A key point that our present administration doesn't seem to get.

And let's remember that we are talking about a limit for which nobody was ever prosecuted in it's more than 50 years of existence. If the GWs have never made a single case in over 50 years, I'm wondering why they would even bother to change it.

Preacher,

That is correct, Commissioner Guy brought on Chuck shortly after Corky Pugh retired.

I thought when he said adcnr director he meant Guy . He's the Commish and appointed , Chucky is hired . Is Chucky's job title dcnr director? I guess I got crossed up.

Heck, maybe I'm misunderstanding, but his official title is "ADCNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director", according to THIS

Chuck Sykes, he's hired. Commish Guy is appointed. I got crossed up. We will get a new commish in about a year and a half. Maybe one that will rein Chuck in. But first we must elect a Guv that appoints one with some sense.

I reckon I'm having trouble accepting that Chuck is director of anything.

Chucky!!!

frak chuck

That needs to be Skullworks next T-Shirt offering

The deer #'s are far more accurate than the turkey harvests. IMO

Both are way off but you have a point. I know a guy that reported all his deer but none of his turkeys. I know he killed at least the limit.

Dr. B

Agree. I don't know why exactly, I guess just a different mindset about deer and turkeys.

Once again, turkeys are easier to hide.

Our own PCP likes to reference the fact that a case has never been made against anyone in this state for killing too many turkeys in a season. I can easily believe it's true. In the past, it would've been impossible to prove. The officer would literally have to see the offender with 6 different birds to know they went over the limit. Without tags or a checking requirement, that case can never be made. If Game Check makes it possible to enforce the law that's always been on the books, I'm all for it. Some of you guys that want to argue the accuracy of the numbers are somewhat missing part of the point, I believe.

One of the main points, perhaps THE main point of "GameCheck" and "harvest records," that has been promoted by the DCNR is that DATA accumulated from the numbers reported, where the "harvest" is high-low-etc., and other trends according to the DATA will help them provide better management ideas.

It's never been about enforcement or catching the bad guys. That is a secondary result of the check system. From Day 1 the mantra has been DATA DATA DATA and being progressive like 'Merica with more DATA.

They said that at the onset of the voluntary "harvest" record check stuff years ago and have maintained it.

So, yeah, in a state with such a long, storied and ballyhooed history of turkey hunting, strong populations and such, seeing just 9,150 or so reported is a joke. And if you triple that based on the "whhoooeee, 31% for deer is great!" mindset it's still a joke.

I don't believe they'll change season length or bag limit after one year.

What I'd like to see, though, and believe will happen with deer and turkey is more enforcement on violators and zero tolerance. We've had four, five years of voluntary and now mandatory. Anyone who doesn't know this by now is either stupid or doesn't care, or both. If I hunt in Kansas or Iowa or another state that has been doing this kind of check-in system for years, I know damned well they don't give two chits about me claiming ignorance and I'll get cited if I do something wrong.

As long as the data for deer and turkey info is used for biologically-positive benefits to the resource and hunters then I'm good with it. If it becomes political -- which it will be, and always does because some people and politicians suck -- then it'll be time to raise hell.

... and ticketing speeders on the highway is really about keeping us safer. The revenue generation is just a secondary result. They can promote the changes however they like. It really is killing two birds with one stone. It's data collection coupled with a tagging system that makes old laws now enforceable where they weren't in the past. You can't tell me that both benefits were not considered when they drafted this concept.

Of course enforcement was part of the decision. That's a no-brainer.

But IMO it wasn't, and shouldn't be, the primary factor. Data for better management has been touted as the driving force behind the check system and is promoted as the reason for it in other states that have been doing it much longer. I don't recall anyone with the DCNR using enforcement as a primary factor for GameCheck over data-collection for management decisions, unless I missed something.

But yes, enforcement is a factor. Just IMO not the primary factor.

Tell me how its harder now to kill 10 turkeys this year than it was last year? its not. Joe rule breaker kills a gobbler takes it home and never checks it in. The enforcement aspect of game check has NO teeth. Heck, We even had a couple members admit that they didn't check in their turkeys for various reasons. PCP has been saying for a while that he believes the state is under pressure to reduce the gobbler bag limit and this game check is just a means to an end. I have to say I 100% agree. The DCNR will release a statement saying that the turkey reporting was a success and that the low turkey harvest is evidence of what they had feared. Bad hatches and high poult mortality due to predators has caused a drop in our turkey population, therefore we need to lower the limit to 3 gobblers per season. Even though the gobbler is a surplus bird in the spring and has nothing to do with nesting or poult survival.

What happened to the old "honor" system? I never killed more than 5 then, and I won't kill more than 5 now. When they seem to distrust the same folks that support them, is when I say the heck with it. I was ticketed last year for not reporting a bird at the Lazenby farms turkey rodeo.($100) I didn't try to hide it, the GW's truck was in the front yard of the place. I have a lot of respect for a wild turkey, but you can bet your ass I'll kill as many as I can(up to 5) next year.(knock on wood) I clean and eat every bird I'm lucky enough to play the game with. I might be wrong, but I've never read about limits in the Bible. Don't worry, the GWs already watch me like a hawk! Haha

Some people will be ticketed for not doing their paperwork, but I doubt GC ever catches someone for violating the season limit. My western trip included TX, OK and KS. Only OK requires kills to be reported. The other 2 use physical tags that are not easily counterfeited. Obviously, only one system is about enforcement.

GC is not working at all if enforcement is the goal. A big majority of turkeys go unreported and nothing happens.

You can't have a good checking system without rigorous enforcement. One use adhesive tags must be used.... Road blocks must be a real threat. Just like they did in Missouri.

Having the ability to shoot a turkey..... Write it down on harvest record.....go home and clean turkey.......throw away previous harvest record and Print off a new harvest record....... Boom - you can still kill 5 more.

This harvest data is worth nothing.

I've never known of, or heard of, anyone being arrested for exceeding the season limit. EVER. Daily limit of one, yes there have been cases made.

I, and most GWs in the field, have advocated for a one use, numbered tag for turkeys for decades. It is the only way to enforce the daily and season bag limits on turkeys.

The season bag limit in Alabama is a running joke....

But I think I've also seen where you've posted that lots of folks that CAN kill over the limit actually DO.

It probably hasn't decimated their turkey populations, so what's the point of enforcing such limits if the population can sustain it?

(I could hunt every day and wouldn't kill a limit, for the record)

yes, I'd guess that the majority of folks that in reality CAN kill over the limit, will do so. They have the time and the birds.

I've actually known very few turkey hunters that have the skill, time , and birds/(land) to kill over the limit that don't do it.

Some do like I do and guide younguns or others to do the shooting and you still get to hunt without exceeding the personal limit or breaking the law. I once killed my limit bird ten days into the season. My GW Captain asked what I was going to do now? I carried my seven year old daughter a LOT of mornings after that. We both had a LOT of fun and failed to close the deal that season.

I'm the only one in the state.

Actually, I do know a couple of guys that usually limit out and quit hunting when they do. But there isn't very many. And there are VERY few people who regularly kill a limit all their adult lives; that's limited to a few guys that are farmers or have some sort of job that let's them hunt a lot.

I have killed a limit most years since I retired from my first career, but prior to that I had killed 3 limits. And the days of being able to do that are coming to an end; your skills decline as you get older.

Bottom line - the season limit has almost no effect on the turkey population. It just makes some people feel better.

I wish folks would get as worried about predation and bushhogs and disease and habitat as they are about the limit. We'd have more turkeys in this state than we'd know what to do with and be able to hunt them from February 1 to June 1

I know I'm missing it somewhere, but where can you look at all the numbers by county? Thanks

https://game.dcnr.alabama.gov/Report/County/Turkey

One of just a handful

I know a fella in Greene County that limited out early every year and quit going. He had the time and turkeys, but chose to quit on five.

I know a fella from Camden that loaded his seven shot Model 12 the night before season and quit when it was empty, no matter if it was three dead or seven. One of the best turkey hunters I've known and had the time and the turkeys.

I stop at 5 dont wanna incur no bad mojo.

AMEN

Preacher can give you a bad mojo override vaccine for 4 low cost installments...

Is that a PCP University-sanctioned vaccine?

Wouldn't that be nice? I'd settle for March 1st to May 15th

March 1st absolutely should be opening day for a sizable zone in South AL. If it doesn't change soon, I'll be disappointed. I'd like to be able to compete with the locals who can't read a calendar - and get to hunt the best gobbling around here by far. But that later season hunting doesn't interest me at all. Heck, we could have some poults running around gobbling by June 1st this year - been hatched out for a while here.

Yessir. Approved and Patented

130 killed in Washington CO. is the biggest joke I see on that whole list.

Maybe they only reported what birds died as a result of Mayhem Calls in Washington County Hank??

Mayhem calls only accounted for about 40 birds this year but that wasn't only in Washington CO.

You are 100% correct.

I have a feeling they will shorten the season and/or lower the limit. The reason Tennessee just reported their results which is around 33,000 so far. They said regardless of what people think of the turkey population numbers don't lie and they have already killed more than last year. If people don't start reporting birds in Bama they will make changes based on what numbers they have even if it's not correct. Just my gut feeling.

I don't really know that lowering the limit is gonna do that much to lower the number of turkeys actually killed in the state of AL each spring

According to the #'s checked in Dallas County was second in the state after Jackson County. I guess we just have more law abiding citizens because I know we don't have more turkeys than other counties. Our population is way off.

Oh yeah, I can't stand hunting with friends over there. Just awful!!