Season Dates

They’re posted, first time I’ll get to legally hunt in May in Alabama 😂

[url=https://postimg.cc/2qcNzJ6q]

Wth?

I feel like I should have known this? but that’s shocking

They're still pissing on our leg and telling us it's raining. Lost 1 day last year, and will be losing 3 next year even with the extension into May

Usually very slow where I hunt by the last of April. Not saying it’s that way for everyone but makes no sense to me but whatever.

I'm sorry this is b***shucks

We killed 4 before March 21 last year, and it was slow after that.

I’ve read the suggestion, and decided........I’ll pass.

It’s ways started March 1st is what I was taught

Looks good

Well that’s disappointing.

I hear lots of folks say that, but where I hunt it seems like they barely start gobbling at all until mid April. And the 3 birds I've killed were all killed in the last 4 days of the season.

Only smart thing you’ve ever said in the turkey forum

Such a load of BS.

Dr. B

Limit is still the same so that’s good

I said looks good so I guess I am still a dumb arse

It seems like the biologists are really pushing the theory that a later season is gonna be better for the turkeys, so all we can do is hope they are right. I haven't seen anything to convince me, but I don't have access to most of their research.

What I do know is that Lovett Williams thought a later season would do more harm than good. The more that hunters spook setting hens off the nests, the more nests will be abandoned. I have personally witnessed this, so I know it will happen. I haven't read of any concern about this lately.

May??? WTF? dumbest shitt ever done by DCNR, and that is saying a lot.

Come on Fred. That's not even in the top ten dumbest stunts. They've done way more stupid chit.

pretty damn stupid, Mark.

No argument here. But those dates are just numbers on calendar..... Ya know?

Look at what day of the week the 3rd falls on. It’s on a weekend as well. They are really pandering to these weekend hunters.

Sound biology, isn't it.

That’s right... I wish they would stop monkeying with everything. The turkeys where I hunt are pretty much done by the end of April. I’m about give out too. And before anyone says anything, I know that I don’t have to hunt in May, but if the season is in, I’m hunting.

What gripes me is everyone that complains about not being able to hunt during the week. I’m in a position where I hunt for at least a couple of hours most every day. Why can I do this? It’s because I make sacrifices. I go into work later and stay later. When I wasn’t living near my properties, I banked all my overtime and vacation to use during turkey season. I never missed and opening week or closing day, and hunted a lot in between. But, you also didn’t see me taking a week long trip to the beach in the summer. It’s about priorities.

In my opinion it shouldn't matter what anyone WANTS.
It's called the department of conservation and nature resources. Their primary duty should be to conserve the natural resources. Not pander to politics or public relations.

This ^^^^

Honestly, I'd love to see what the game seasons would look like -- in length and which months, compared to now -- if they went strictly by biology and nothing else.

I suspect they would be quite different and probably not what we have now, in regard to the months or time of year.

One week later it would be the same as Tn. They are having the same problem with decline in numbers also. I got a gut feeling Turkey have gotten on the same road as quail 20 years ago.

There are not fewer turkeys. There's smarter turkeys, because of an increase in dumb hunters.

I got off on a tangent with my comment. I’m in agreement about the biology vs. public relations. I wish ACDNR could just be honest with us on the reason for change. At least be the way our parents used be, “because I said so.” Not make up very transparent, flimsy stories.

If you know the data, you know that limits are less important than days in the season. Fewer turkeys will be killed with fewer days in the season. They have actually noted very little decrease in turkey kills by dropping the limit. Stone cold turkey killers just take a friend. By allowing fewer days in the season, there are fewer turkeys killed.

Woohoo,3 days added to the turkey rut

I think the DCNR has adopted the common core version of wildlife management.

That's an excellent assessment. It makes absolutely no sense. Just like common core mathematics.

bob wallace for the win.

PCP is spot on here. Where i hunt the birds have usually, mostly shut down by the third week in April. These dates are a perfect example of just arbitrary stupidity.

Why would you bring data and anything logical into a discussion that has to do with decisions that the dcnr makes? 🤷🏻‍♂️

(sarcasm of course)

where did you find this? I can't find it anywhere online.

Rules and regulations booklet they put out every year

must not be available online yet.

booklet ain't out yet either.

Well I got one

I lost the respect I had for the rules when they put that arrogant loudmouth, chuckles, in charge.

you have the AOL one or the official reg book?

This one, I guess it’s the official one. GW I go to church with said the turkey season dates were correct

SJ got that one from Chuck at their dinner date the other night 😀

🤫

sj22, THAT book is NOT an official book of the department. It does NOT contain actual wording of the laws and regs and is about worthless as chitt.

Alrighty then so when does turkey season officially begin and end in Alabama according to the official book of the department?

It’d be nice if the sons of bitches could release dove opener that’s getting close to being here.

If you’ve never hunted north Bama the first week of May you need to try it! It can be magic especially if you get a little cold snap and some high barometric pressure.

Shut up Brent!.....

You got a standing invite pal. Ain’t no need in stopping on the 3rd !

Season dates are out. Same as what SJ posted. Go to outdooralabama.com

Musta just come out today online. Wasn’t there as of last night

Are you sure what you have is the Official website from the department with official wording or the same unofficial mess I found?? Asking for a friend

you apparently ain't been listening....the book ain't out yet, prolly won't be for another month. Get it off the official website, not that damn interpretive rag.

Pawpaw, it is on the website now you old cranky cuss 😀

So are the dates in this unofficial book right or not?

how in hell should I know????

wasn't there Monday.

They are numbers on a calendar. That's all.

This ^^^ Those are only suggested started and stopping dates

I have read a lot of the research about the season timing. Basically using averages for hen nest start dates they have determined most of the Gobblers were being killed before the breeding season had finished and hens started their nest. And yes everyone knows one Gobbler can breed multiple hens, but hunting pressure during the breeding season and fewer Gobblers to do the breeding can leave hens unbred. As for as Lovett Williams...I have read everyone of his books and don’t recall him saying a later season would be detrimental. The “theory” that hens will abandon nests if disturbed is redicoulous I’ve flushed hens from their nest and the next day they were right back on them. There is a difference in repeatedly spooking a hen off the first 3 or 4 eggs and flushing one after incubation begins. Once they have a full clutch and have started the incubation they will return they have too much invested. If they get flushed several times off the first few eggs they will usually abandon that partial nest because it is obviously in a poor location, they will try again in another spot. How many of those complaining about the season change regularly kill a 5 Gobbler limit? And of those how many kill all 5 in the first two weeks? If you are one of the majority that never kills 5 and usually 2or 3 in a good year, you probably have been hunting them in the later part of the season anyway and a week or two either way will not make a difference. I will not go into details but anyone that hunts everyday of the season, which I have done for years, will already know about the peaks of gobbling activity, the Gobbling Lull and the difference in Gobbler behavior before during and after the breeding season. If you are a part timer that has been hunting turkeys for 30 years but only have maybe 5 seasons total worth of days in the woods I can see why you would think a week or two will ruin your season.
Would everyone prefer they do nothing and let the turkeys slide off into oblivion. If you have real documented researched facts of why this won’t work and what your research has proven to be better, let’s hear it otherwise you’ll have to adapt your hunting tactics. Missing the early season will affect the strutter decoy crowd the most because the pecking order will be established before the season opens and the fighting will be mostly over. The chufa patch “hunters” will probably not notice a difference as turkeys will still be eating, but then again chufa patch sitters don’t notice much anyway sitting in a tent all day staring at a bait field. As for those that made the remarks about season dates only being a suggestion you have proven you don’t care about what’s best for the Wild Turkey you just want to say you killed one.....sad.

Welcome to the forum Chuckie

Wondered how long this reply would take

Ive heard the reasoning behind the change..not sure it will make a difference in places with good numbers and stellar habitat, but could be good for places with alot of hunting pressure and not so great poult mortality. We will see what happens i guess

The better question is, do you.....or “they”, have real documented facts of why it will work. Please provide them. I’m talking a real solid connection in higher poult production from “X” number of hens where hunting was delayed. Better yet, name a state who has already pushed back and shortened their season, and can prove turkey numbers are on the way up, not down.

Why is it crazy that the hunting public, the hardcore guys who buy stuff and pay the bills of conservation and research, to ask for facts before making change?

And lastly, if I hunted North AL like I once did regularly, it wouldn’t be as bad. But where I live and hunt currently, the absolute best hunting and gobbling activity is about M10-M20. And that’s a fact.

The research on why the states are trying this are easy to find. No state has pushed the season forward for long enough to have data on the population effect. There is plenty of data showing the kill figures were highest in the early part of the season before nest initiation. La is one state I hunt that has moved the season. Even with their reporting system problems it was clear the move dropped the Gobbler harvest with the later opening. Even though everyone doesn’t call in a kill it is reasonable to assume the same percentage that followed the law before the season move would continue to call in kills, that number has dropped. That is proof that more Gobblers survived until the main breeding was complete that is a fact. More Gobblers per hen left to breed would mean more hens successfully bred. Your trying to compare your guess at what to do with a mathematical fact. It is a fact moving the season DID NOT hurt the population. In what way could more Gobblers surviving the season be a bad thing. You cannot move the opening date for one season and expect a miracle. It took a long time to get to this decline it will take a few seasons to see any effect good bad or indifferent. I have not heard a comment from anyone that regularly kills a limit in either Alabama or La or any other state that plans to move the season. It’s clear the ones most upset with season changes cannot kill a limit no matter what the calendar says and have gotten themselves into a hunting strategy that requires very specific conditions for them to have any chance of success. Most are chained to the first Gobbling peak that happens before breeding starts they find one maybe two satellite Gobblers that operate on the outskirts of the flock they kill them and are completely hopeless when the Gobblers get there harems together. Most lose all motivation when the Gobbling lull starts most don’t even know that it exists or what happens afterwards. You have to adapt your hunting to the condition. One of the guarantees of the season move is ALOT of the part timer, strutter/fanning clan will give up. Regardless if the population increases or not decreasing the hoards of wannabes will make a difference in the overall hunting experience, that is a cold hard fact. If you hunt private land and sit over bait( I mean food plots) you won’t notice a difference and you could probably get away with hunting the old season dates and get away with it. But for all the public land hero’s you’ll either adapt,quit or spend some money on fines and or lawyers when your caught poaching.

Anybody who doesnt have sense enough to break up that jumbled mess into paragraphs hasn't got sense enough to talk turkey biology

This is fun

Y’all need more corn.

S

You should probably hang out here during a couple turkey seasons before running that trap anymore.

So putting posts in paragraphs are your only responses lol. Not a single reason or logical explanation of your reasons why you think the season move won’t work,just whining. I’ve been hunting turkeys for over 30 years, long before there was a turkey forum or any forum. The amount of time you spend sitting in front of a computer on a hunting forum is useless in the woods and anyone that thinks there post count means anything to a turkey is a joke.
If your having trouble understanding what was posted the composition of the post would not make a difference, maybe get someone to read them to you and explain what the words mean. It’s clear most of the responses are from those who haven’t are cannot read the research and reasons behind the season change. Asking for data on the season being moved before the season has been moved says everything that needs saying on some of your comprehension levels. There is a reason the state of Alabama didn’t call you directly for your opinions on the season dates.

How long do you think it takes to drastically increase a turkey population? A bird can go from egg to a hard gobbling and strutting bird in less than two full years. Two or three years should be more than enough time to see huge increases. But you should know that, right? I’m gonna assume you understand that. But where’s the results?

PROOF!! There is no proof. Wake up! Plenty of us have read some recent research. Nothing I have read can provide a clear link to a gobbler survival theory and actual number of poults walking around. It sounds great. It even sounds halfway logical if your grasping for something. But research shouldn’t make assumptions, plain and simple.

Which state has moved the season forward for the 3 years you said it would take? La moved there last season they did have a dramatic decline in Gobbler harvest VS the mid March opening which left more Gobblers to survive the breeding season that is fact.
Your obviously the thinker in this group and your because I think it’s so attitude has convinced me. Surely this whole thing is a huge conspiracy to keep you and everyone else from killing a turkey in early March. Now the question is why. What is the state of Alabama and several other southeastern states motive for keeping you from hunting turkeys in March? What is their end game who stands to gain from this horrible crime committed on you and the other brethren?
If you cannot answer these two questions I will assume you are full of BS and have no answer. And at that point I will go back to my original belief that the season move has a chance to help the population and that we need to give it time. You will know which statement was a question because it ends with a “? “ Surley a genus such as yourself could answer such easy questions I mean otherwise you’d just be some wannabe whining because you didn’t get your way and without a single reason to support your crying but the fact that your upset.

Kentucky, for a long time along with a two bird limit. No positive change. Population actually dropping in most areas.

Georgia - same latitude areas for years had season average a week later start than AL. Three bird limit. No positive change that I know of. Averaged a week later starting date and two bird less limit - should be overrun with birds compared to AL if the research assumption is correct. Right?

Its about being fair.

We get it. States have good intentions. Follow the money. They need to show the sheeple they intend to help grow the population and grow the sport.

There’s was a time I would have been a good little minion and got on board without asking questions. Not anymore. Prove it first. Show me it’s not just about being fair so everyone can play.

Also - I’m representing the southern half or third of the state. It’s different here. Baldwin Co having the same season dates as Jackson Co is insane. Coffee Co starting the same day as Lauderdale Co is stupid. That’s part of the equation here.

Why don't we just move the turkey season to June? That way all the gobblers will get a crack at all the hens and all the gobbling will be over, and only the "true" turkey hunters can get after them, and hunt them without benefit of gobbles, decoys, or fans....

As expected you cannot answer the two questions. When did KY move there season to start two weeks later?When did Georgia. When did Ky have a season start date in March? KY has a different breeding season timing than Alabama. Georgia still has a season that starts in March same as the last 15 years that I know of. I’ll answer this for you NO state has pushed there season forward for 3 or more years and studied its effect on the population. So since you have admitted your full of BS I’ll have to forget your made up reasoning and go back to giving the new season a chance to work. Apparently most of you will be unable to kill one with the season change and the mortality of grown Gobblers is pretty low yearly with the exception of hunting kills. We should be knee deep in longbeards in about two years or maybe not. If this doesn’t work then we will move on to your idea.....oh wait you have no idea of how to help the population... now what? Well we can all sit in front of a computer and whine about it clearly that is the only acceptable solution.

Man you are real slow

It's been 15th for a while they changed it from the 20th I believe and I don't think it's causing a decrease in numbers. How bout you just leave it alone. It's so damn hot by April 20th it's starting to get miserable. My opinion. I'm done.

Let’s go back to GA.

AL start date for recent past - M15.
GA start date for recent past - averages 7-10 days later depending on calendar.

AL limit - 5
GA limit - 3

Let’s say powers that be in AL wanted to do a study. Assumption needed to help population was to push season back a week or 10 days and lower the limit. But we need a study to prove it works. Oh look, here’s a neighbor state, same latitude, same terrain and vegetation, same turkey. They are basically doing a huge study area for you for years. And it’s proving NOTHING. Populations not trending upward. Hunting not any better overall. No difference.

So we the minions should set idly by and say nothing. Not me.

Yep, you got us

Your comparison is so stupid as too not even be laughable. Why not look to the west at Mississippi? Their season starts mid March and they have a lower population than Alabama always have...same comparison but still just as stupid. You went too the trouble of posting your emoji about me saying you probably won’t kill another turkey. If the season change is not going to affect a virtual modern day Daniel Boone like yourself then what are you crying about? If the season change will stop you from killing one then I’m right ...you can’t have it both ways lol. You may as well dry up the tears this is the new season deal with it. I doubt any of your whining will make any difference to the state of Alabama.

Lighten up Francis, it was a joke........ Sort of

Paragraphs are your friend.

Lovett Williams used to have a forum on Old Gobbler where he answered questions from hunters and discussed most any issue related to the wild turkey. It was on that forum that he discussed how he was concerned that a later season would do more harm than good. None of the readers at the time had the nerve to tell him it was a "rediculous" idea.

I've personally bumped a hen off a nest when hunting in GA in May. There was already a full clutch of eggs and she didn't return that day or the next, so I have always suspected that I ruined that one. Williams said this happens frequently and he had the research to prove it. I honestly don't feel qualified to say, but he had the reputation of somebody who should know.

I love it when someone uses the line that if we don't embrace every proposed change to a system that has worked great for 60 years, then we just don't love the wild turkey. Sheesh

Reading comprehension is a better friend and won’t leave you looking like a moron.
First off Lovetts responses to turkey questions are still up on OG there’s only two pages worth and none of the questions or responses said anything about a later season doing harm. None of Lovetts books said it either. The man has been dead over 5 years I don’t recall any state attempting to move the season forward 5 years ago so we’re would the question have originated?
As for my comment about people not caring about the welfare of the Wild Turkey it was directed at those that stated the new season was just a suggestion, implying they would hunt as they wanted. It was clear in my post....it’s your lack of comprehension that makes you think it was directed to anyone else.
What about this whole thing is confusing y’all so much? No state has moved the season forward long enough to know if it will benifit the population. Asking for proof that a later season will help before anyone has actually done it is stupid. Who stands to gain from this season move? Do some of you really believe the state has moved the season for some monitory gain lol? Ol Turkey247 said “follow the money” lol what money who’s paying anyone to move the season? Most of you aren’t even making good nonsense with your arguments. No one has any other suggestions about what could be done just cry and whine. Would you feel better if the state done nothing, and then you’d really have something to cry about.

I see Dp1975 has read the book “how to win friends and influence people.”

Do you think that she renested?

If there is a population decline, what is the cause of it?

It’s certainly not hunting or harvest. Here is why. Every state in the south has a rumored decline. Some of these states have early starts, some have late. Some have liberal limits, some have 2 bird limits. Some have long seasons, some have short. All of them have less hunters in the woods than they did 20 years ago, if chuck is to be believed. Does that not test all theories of hunters and kills affecting poult production. ?


We have 60 years of wildly successful track record to look back on in Alabama, why would someone’s first assumption be that the same wildly successful system is broken?

Can You name a state that doesn’t start their season before breeding is done? Do you know for a fact killing off most of the Gobblers before they have bred is not the reason for the decline? If Alabama has a wildly successful turkey population why all the complaining about it. If there’s so many Alabama turkeys why can some of you only kill them in a narrow two week window? And no the fact that every southeastern state has started their season before most of the breeding is done, does not test all theories of hunters contributing to the decline. It actually is the opposite every state following the same plan every state seeing a decline. Whatever the problem is it is not isolated.
It’s pretty clear Alabama’s system is no longer wildly successful that would be my guess as to why they are trying to do something lol.

Gmo corn making em sterile

Yeah ol Chuck didn't learn much about paragraphing while down at the barn.

I think one factor in the decline is the extreme efficiency of today's guns and shells. Got nothing to do with how long you can hunt them. It's just easier to kill one today than 5 or 10 years ago. You want to see a turkey explosion ban guns for a few years and hunt them like Chucky with traditional archery. And before y'all lose your minds, I say this last part TIC.

No idea

There is still about 9 months of the Lovett Williams forum on OG, but he did that for several years. The site owner may still have it archived if you are really interested. The question he answered came up in a response to a hunter who had the idea that the season should be changed to just what we are seeing now. This was about 10 years ago, so I can't remember exactly how he worded it, but he was very humble about it as he always was in his answers. He thought it possible that hunters bumping setting hens could cause more harm than any possible gain from a later season.

That surprised me, and that's one reason I still remember it. I asked about it on this forum and it was discussed by several of the biologists who used to hang out on here. There was no consensus, but I did become more aware of the issue of nest abandonment after that. And I have noticed that several times since when I have spooked a setting hen she did not return. Quite often, these encounters were with me on the tractor, and that would probably make it worse than just a hunter. And I would also say that there has been times when the hen did return.

I have posted this before, but I will put it in this thread so you will see it. I don't believe that any tract I have ever hunted has a problem with hens not being bred due to the lack of a gobbler. When I am seeing and hearing gobblers through the season and on into the summer, common sense will tell you that any perceived problem with reproduction must be due to something else. I don't doubt that there may be some places with low populations where the lack of a gobbler is a real problem; it just isn't happening on my places.

In fact, there is no problem period with turkey populations and trends on the tracts I hunt. I have been blessed to hunt one property every season since 1963, and the past 5 years has been the best period we've ever experienced. I have spent unreasonable amounts of my own money and time to grow turkeys, and it has worked. My career as a turkey hunter is nearing it's end, but I don't want to see AL lose the wonderful system of turkey management that we enjoy.

And just so you know, I joined aldeer in 2002 and have killed an AL.limit every year since except one. I had some health issues in 2012 and got only 4 that year. I have also traveled extensively and killed quite a few in other states. From what you have posted, I think we use similar hunting methods. I believe AL has the best turkey hunting in the nation, and I want to do my part to see that continue.

There are many great turkey hunters and conservationists on this forum, and you have reached some very false conclusions about them. My advice is to tone down the name calling and you would probably enjoy hanging out here. Good luck with your hunting.

This is why I’ve always been against large scale, late season burning.

I agree, especially since you said "large scale." Mr. Sykes addressed that issue in his last column in the Co-op magazine. He essentially said that they knew that they were destroying nests, but the improvement in habitat was worth the sacrifice..I have done May burns on blocks of less than 100 acres and thought it was worth it. But there has to be a size at which the sacrifice is too much. Got an opinion on what that might be?

I agree, especially since you said "large scale." Mr. Sykes addressed that issue in his last column in the Co-op magazine. He essentially said that they knew that they were destroying nests, but the improvement in habitat was worth the sacrifice..I have done May burns on blocks of less than 100 acres and thought it was worth it. But there has to be a size at which the sacrifice is too much. Got an opinion on what that might be?[/quote]

It's hard to say what that acreage would be. To me, it would be a case by case basis. For instance, I think even the 100 acres or less burns can be counterproductive if the surrounding habitat isn't good for nesting or brood rearing.

Well schit! I'm glad Chuck finally joined the conversation.
My "research" indicates that we don't have a turkey problem. He have a hunter problem, specifically too many of them.

Hey DP1975, here is a quote from assistant director Fred Harders in the Tuscaloosa News about why they moved opening day and here is a link to the article. Turkey season change Nothing in there about a biological reason so you can take that crap and sell it somewhere else.

The CAB also decided to bring Turkey season in on a Saturday every year. Prior to now, Turkey season usually begins March 15 regardless of the day if fell on. From now on, Turkey will always begin on the third Saturday in March, Harders said.

"It's a day that just about everybody has off," Harders said. "If it comes in on a Thursday and you're in a hunting club where you're the only person who can get off on Thursday, it gives you a big advantage over everybody else."

They did give a biological reason at the CAB meeting, I didn’t agree with it, but one was given.

My prediction on how this thing is going to go:

1. The season dates change and the limit will change soon after.

2. Our population will explode, simply because we have been blessed enough to have some good weather for poult recruitment.

3. The state will take credit for the explosion.

4. The population will fall again following some bad years of poult recruitment post-changes.

5. Instead of then (logically) admitting the season/bag limit has little to nothing to do with population numbers.

6. The season will get even shorter and the limit even smaller because we must not have quite taken it far enough.

7. Idiots like this new goober shooting off at the mouth will willingly give up more of their God-given rights for ZERO good reason whatsoever. Feelgoodism based purely in emotion.

8. America eventually crumbles because similar idiots across all venues have little to zero understanding of the gift of freedom their founding and Heavenly fathers have given them.

I kill an Alabama limit most years so according to the idiot from item 7's implied standards, I am qualified to call him names accordingly.

Chad you are absolutely correct on all 8 of you assessments. I agree with everyone of them.

This wingnut is to dense to realize our season now is very similar to what Georgia has and has had for some time now. Even with a reduced limit their population has experienced a decline just like many other SE states. I do acknowledge that the state of Alabama moved our season ahead from the 20th to the 15th. However that still does not change the fact we are now closely following in the foot steps of a neighboring state with the same issue of a declining population. I’m still waiting to see the research that shows Alabama will have different results?

I’m like Outback. We have to many hunters and I’d venture to say those capable of killing more than 5 will do so. Our GW are understaffed and leave a lot to be desired in the area of game violation enforcement.

And DP1975 before you go spouting off at the mouth about how I’m whining about having season open at a later date because I can’t kill my limit any other time you sir will be badly mistaken with that assessment. I can assure you there are many highly successful turkey hunters on this forum that get it done year in and year out in this state and many others as well. Many of us just want to see the science behind the change instead of a feel good PR stunt that has taken place.

It all started when they let that hot girl on the CAB board for no apparent reason then she hauled butt out of state. Thatwas weird

All of the board members are appointed for a reason. Political favors.

Errbody gets a medal........

it came in on March 20 for a hundred years.....

I dont care what day it comes in or goes out. If I know birds are gobbling I will go if I know they are not I wont. I dont care how many turkeys you or I kill, I simply hope the Turkey populations in the state stay as high as possible so maybe one day my kids will know how fun turkey hunting can be when you hear turkeys gobble. If that means the state adjusts the dates so be it, I dont see what it can hurt besides peoples feelings

Ben I truly do not know what the issue is with your place in Central Alabama. I feel for you and wish I could help answer that big unknown for you. If you are not seeing poults this year with the weather we had then I'm afraid you have a much bigger issue than anyone can answer. I can also assure by the state tweaking the dates it's not gonna make a hill of beans to fix your problem. With the habitat you have there is no logical reason I can come up with as to why you aren't loaded with turkeys.

The reason I say the season change will be ineffective is Georgia is a perfect example. Moving the season opener out and extending the close has had zero beneficial results for their state and it is a time tested fact. If you spend a little time on GON forum you will see folks like yourself complaining about the lack of turkey on their property and state wide in general. Truth be known none of these states with declining turkey populations know how to fix it. Most if not all of the change has been "feel good/PR" crap that has zero science behind it. If they had solid science to back these changes it would be plastered far and wide for everyone to see. Sure they have a little information and some fancy computer generated model that predicts the future but all that computer program is not science based. Its a bunch of hog wash in my personal opinion.

It simply boils down to the good lord and land owners doing the best they can do to manage habitat, predators and provide food. The rest of it falls in the good lords hands to give us the weather for a successful hatch.

Illegally? I think that's people's concern. If they're gobbling March 15 next year, you can't go....legally.

No I dont hunt illegally, I was saying if it comes in on the 20th and birds are not gobbling I am not going, if it ends may 20th and turkeys are not gobbling I am not going. If it ends on May 20 and they are gobbling well I am gonna try to be there

I understand that as well, but I still dont see how trying is hurting anything, even if it is a waste of time in the end. Just like the opening it on Saturday, why is that bad?

The problem with "trying" is that they are taking away days that hunters can legally hunt for no justifiable biological reason. The continual erosion of hunters' rights will eventually lead to hunters dedicating less of their own time and money to help manage their property's habitat, predators, ect. Right now for example, I've got about 1,200 acres that I work on year round to provide everything possible to make quality turkey habitat, trap, and so on. I feel confident that as long as I do my part, I can kill my 5 birds off that 1,200 acres.

Now, let's say that they hypothetically decide to lower the limit to 3. I've got one 600 acre tract that I am very confident I can kill my 3 birds off of. So more than likely, I would drop my other leases on the other 600 acres and probably take another out of state hunt or two each year. Those 600 acres may or may not be leased by someone else who plans to manage the property for turkeys, but it will no longer be necessary for me to spend my time and money doing it.

Cole has a very valid point here and PCP has also made the same point. Start taking away time and rights away from the hunters then things have the potential to do more harm than good.

I am going to stick with my original thoughts on your place. If I recall you have a farmer in the area that uses chicken litter and you have a neighbor or neighbors that turkey hunt regularly. If I was a betting man I would be willing to put money on those two are a large part of your issue. The reason I feel confident is saying that is because I have a very similar situation on one of my properties. Don't think for one second those can't be an issue because I can assure you they very well can be. If you take those two factors away completely when two years I'd bet you would see a big change.

I agree with your feelings, but the facts say differently. If the biologists think that fewer turkeys need to be killed, then shortening the season is the best way to accomplish that. Decreasing the limit, as evidenced by South Carolina, had little effect on overall kill numbers. The stone cold turkey killers just ask a friend to come, and the friend pulls the trigger.

I hate to see a shorter season, but this is their reason for doing it. The later season start also has other biological and reproductive reasons.

I personally don't see a reason to shorten the season or lower the bag limit, numbers are decent where I hunt. I hate to see it happen.

No sir no chicken litter that I know of if it is used I have never seen it put out (smithgrow on here farms it) no serious turkey hunter anywhere close by. The only 2 neighbors that do hunt did not kill a turkey this year and 1 of them killed 1 the season before. Making 1 killed this year and 4 or 5 killed the year before on about 3000 acres.

But again this is decline in turkeys that I have noticed on properties from North Alabama to Coosa County over the last 10 years, not just on our farm. Yet I know lots of people have seen steady or growing populations.

It looks like Auburn had or has a research study that started around 2015 but I cant find where any data was ever published or if the research stopped or if its ongoing. Would be interesting if we could get real numbers to see if there was an actual decline in population and if so how big was or is it?

Glad so many of you are seeing poults, the one thing I saw in research data was the number of poults per hen is down to just below 2 when including the hens with 0 poults. Not including the hens with no poults the number of poults per hen is about 3. Those numbers seem low to me, I wonder if those are poults that reached adulthood or babies seen with the hen at any time.

Oh there's no question reducing the season length will reduce harvest. That's not what I am questioning here. I have seen no research from our biologists to indicate that we have a statewide population issue that is probable cause for statewide legislation like they have passed. I'm in agreement with Squeaky that all they are doing is passing garbage laws to react to the "problem." In actuality they don't even know if a problem exists, and even worse, what is causing it.

I certainly don't know the numbers either. And yes, I hate to see a shorter season as much as anyone.

If I had 1000 acres, in a good turkey county, that truly had a chronic issue - and my goal was to have a place for my kids to enjoy turkey hunting - there would have been a for sale sign up years ago. Go buy a place with some turkey. Even if it’s “family” land with a history. You can’t take it to the grave.

If I were lucky enough to have 1000 acre asset, it would have turkey on it, period. When you get serious enough, you’ll change. If I wasn’t that serious, I’d quit whining about it.

the dept has changed the turkey dates three times now, and I have seen zero biological reason for doing so. Pick a damn date and stick to it, it doesn't need to start or stop on a Sat to make sure everybody has a fair chance. Jeeze.

I know of many turkeys killed in sight of litter piles and plenty of farms use it I hunt on. So that theory isn’t true everywhere. EHD kicked my deer herd to the ground in 2016. We rebounded. Who is to say avian flu or other fowl derived sickness didn’t make a run thru areas. Doesn’t always have to blamed on litter. There’s plenty of airborne illness birds can get

But Johnny Career sitting in his office in Bham, paying high dollar lease prices, needs to be able to go to work on Tuesday March 15, and not have to worry about neighbor killing his turkey before Saturday when he gets to go. He’s already taken his trophy wife on two vacations and deer hunted a week in January, so vacation is running slim. Never mind he’ll be fishing every weekend in April also. It’s about being fair.

Money, politics, etc........

Not sure I buy the litter argument either. We have a 250 ac working cattle farm in the middle of our lease that we can't hunt. These pastures gets fertilized with chicken chit every year and most of our birds hang out in them 90%of the time. Our numbers aren't great but they have been pretty steady for the 20 years that I have hunted this lease.

We had another piece that was 280 acres it was full of turkeys they all vanished over the 25 years we owned it the main decline was in the last 10 years so we sold it 3 yrs ago. The other 1200 acres my family has owned for 40 years, 0 turkey living there wont make us sell it. It has too many other positives, location or proximity being the main one. I like whining about it cause it bothers you so much. I dont think it's the land which is why I use our place as an example. 8-10 years ago in one 60 acre field one morning we watched over 70 turkeys 60 hens and 10 or 12 Jake's and long beards. The land is the same if not better now than it has ever been habitat wise which is why I fear something more serious is the problem that may spread across the state.

I'm no biologist but I have a little coomon sense. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the reason the turkey's numbers are declining is because their habitat is declining. Good luck changing that! Ask the quail hunters that saw the Good Ole Days for quail when the landscape was patchwork Family Farms.

Them changing the seasons are just to appease somebody with some money that is pulling the strings in the Gump

This may very well be the direction the turkey hunting is headed. I sure hope not but it is possible.

Lots of factors. Habitat loss, lot more hunters, use of decoys, advancement of guns and shells, more predators( we didnt have coyotes and I had never seen a damn armadillo till about 10 years ago) decline in coon hunters, errbody and there brother putting out corn wich in turn created more coons. Its a wonder they're not extinct

I was told by a very reputable source that there may no statewide season period in 2020. Announcement can be expected soon. You heard it here first.

Well that would suck !!!

That would be something to watch, be interesting to see what the result would be besides a bunch of pissed off people. Would leaving an entire years worth of would be harvested turkeys make the population change any, would having that many more mature birds make gobbling better or worse the following season etc?

What’s the cost of the ticket for hunting during a closed season? Asking for a friend...

Lol gonna be a buncha outlaws up in heah! Err I mean, more than normal

There is one club I know of in stclair cnty where 40 plus birds wee killed last year. That’s on 13000 acres but tell me that doesn’t make a difference. And from friends in it I know that people sit on the fields all day long and wait on a gobbler to walk out and shoot. There are way more people who are out to kill a turkey then there were 10 years ago and these aren’t turkey hunters just turkey shooters.

That's 1 bird per 325 acres. Totally sustainable. As I mentioned earlier, I've got a 600 acre tract I've killed anywhere from 3 to 5 birds off of every year for probably 10 or 15 years. Based off of the Jake's I saw last year, next year should be a blast

That would work out to well over 300 acres per gobbler killed, and seems pretty ordinary to me. Good land is capable of producing way more than that.

DogPileofchit1975 is a pompous ass and needs removing from his position. That’s about all I can contribute to this conversation as I’m somewhat new to turkey hunting.

No way....

It doesn't matter what they do regarding the season beginning and ending dates this year. They will take the information they get from the disaster known as "Game Check", compare it to the harvest and population information that was previously gathered for years by the surveys, and mostly pure speculation, and then make another dumbass decision to change the length of the season or bag limit.

Nonsense! The dcnr estimates that we have 450,000 wild turkeys in AL, and Troy will tell you that is a hard and scientific number that he helped them get.

And GC says that we kill less than 10,000 of them every year. Ergo, anyone can see from those numbers that we don't kill enough gobblers to make any difference at all. So the state will eventually recognize this and restore the lost days.

I'm always optimistic about the world in the morning, but then the world beats that out of me as the day goes along.

Like when one ask me how I’m doing. I was good but I got over it.

I'm just glad I could help.

This data supports my position, that we need to kill more hens.