I moved to SW AL 11 years ago. I work in the forestry business and know the difference in a dogwood and an ugly arse Bradford pear. For 5 out of 11 springs - the dogwoods started blooming the last week of February. Not all of them, I’d say 30-40% of them. The remaining would bloom very soon after. This is a general area roughly 100 miles north of Mobile.

They didn’t this year for whatever, even though it’s been fairly warm.

Probably worth remembering that AL is slightly bigger than your backyard. Things progress differently across the state. Been fortunate to live, work, and hunt in every quadrant of AL. The timing of greenup, and turkey behavior, is not the same everywhere obviously. We usually drive south to north every year for a trip the first week of April. You start in the tropical rain forest, and by the time you get to the AL/TN state line, greenup is barely underway. It’s a fairly large and diverse state.

What is happening too early? Turkeys strutting for groups of hens? It happens year round

Just promoting an even earlier season I bet

Well just when do you all suggest seasons? I done detect the fact that we might have to get cnc to enlighten yall with a chart

I don't need a CNC chart . Ours is just right.

I prefer the older season when I started.
Southern March 20 and up here April 1. Something about opening April fools day seemed fitting.

Hunters been jumping up and down about opening earlier and earlier as long as I’ve been hunting turkeys and it’s only getting worse due to social media.

Well I believe it has started wide open around the house. Hens have left for spring area and gobblers are busted up. Went from 7 to 5 a couple months ago to 5 to 3 last month and now we have two and 5 jakes hanging around.

I would prefer March 15th to April 30th.

I was very surprised to see a downy serviceberry in full bloom today. Normally those are blooming near the end of march to the first week in April. It was only one tree and it had been damaged by loggers, so maybe it is having a response to injury.

Who knows, but I hope everything else isnt 3 weeks early.

Young Grasshoppas' are too anxious......let Him Breed all those Hens in March.....they leave to Set.....HE is MUCH more vulnerable th' first 2 weeks of April regardless of what th' Trees are Doing!! 50 Plus years of experience Brought to th' Table.....Nuff Said.

I'd rather hunt before the hens are ready than after if I have the choice. But that is only 35 yrs of experience.

If you ain’t in the woods then you ain’t huntin’.

I’m more worried somebody’s gonna kill the few I have before season comes in. And that’s honestly my only concern. Trying to do right and turkeys don’t go together.

A mere 50 years? Rookie!!!

My first season was 1964 and us true veterans never wanted to kill an easy turkey; we look for the baddest bird in the woods and then kill him. Only a raw rookie wants to target easy turkeys.

^ this

^ what he said. IDK, those types can lead to a long and frustrating season. I fooled with too many like that. I'd have rained mortar fire down on them, if only I had a mortar.

y'all better be careful.....you're close to crossing the line and putting a hex on yourself. I'll take all the easy one's sent my way. I just hope to hear one gobble this season.