What basis would they use to determine if the limit needs to be dropped? The state "guesses" every year on how many are actually killed. I've never seen a survey or anything asking me how many I killed? I asked the question a while back on here, what percentage of hunters actually kill the limit every year and 90% of the responses were less than 10% so I'd like to see some data showing the 5 bird limit is detrimental.

Hunters killing the turkeys may not be the only thing leading to a decline.

I don't have a decline in numbers where I hunt and don't want your area (if you are seeing a decline) determining how many I can kill. If they can show conclusive data, not subjective data, that's one thing but just saying the numbers are declining doesn't really solve the issue, if there even is one!

I wouldn't be in favor unless lots of hard data supported it.........and game check data don't cut it. And as many others have said, it would need to be area specific and not a blanket reg.

predators take a large numbers of birds and eggs not just hunters. sure 10% might limit out but I would bet that predators ,like cats,fox,coon.skunks and possums takes out aprox 40% so that's 50% lost from the get go and as time goes on you can bet the % goes up even more.

I started out trapping hollins 6 years ago first year never saw a turkey ,two years later seems like I spooked flocks of 40 to 50 two or three times a day. now since I quit trapping hollins but I still test lures I make there and it has been a year since I saw any type of sign of a turkey.

the key is... to have more turkeys one must keep the predators under control.

I agree with every word Cletus said in the post above this one

A mandatory check-in system won't make a toot's difference either. Those who kill over the limit aren't going to be checking in the birds they kill over the limit.

The hunter survey is statistically valid and close enough for determining harvest trends. You can see the reports on the dcnr web site, and see that the AL harvest has been pretty consistent for about 30 years. I've gotten 2 surveys; I think they send out something like 8000 a year. They list the number of turkeys killed by county for the past few years.

Whoever handles the survey should be able to tell us within 5% + or - of the number of limits killed each year, but they ain't saying. Maybe they really never have tried to determine, but the info is right there in the surveys.

My belief is that nowhere close to 10% of AL hunters kill a limit. And the number that kill a limit and then quit hunting is so low that it has no effect on turkey populations. But I could be wrong and would really like to know.

Matt, if you are still reading this far, how about finding out for us? I'm glad to hear you don't think a limit change is close at hand, but it sure seems to me that a low spring limit has become the politically correct way of management.

Statistically then... The ones who kill over their limit....make up for the ones who don't kill their limit... So in the end...it's equal anyway...

I like this way of thinking.

I bet you are right. I would not be surprised if it's closer to 2% than it is 10%. Less than 10% of NC hunters kill a limit of only 2 birds. I've seen figures from SC that say the same thing - very few who go turkey hunting actually kill a limit.

Well most of yal know i would be in favor of a lower limit. Its not because i have personally seen a lower population in my area, but i have in other areas. The habitat for turkeys atleast in the southern half of the state is declining. Current timber practices are just not conducive for turkeys. Im also in favor of a tagging and reporting system if done properly.

In short i just think 3 birds is enough, & as most have said, once i killed mine i would take other people.

Not that it would do much good. People who dont want to stop at the limit wont. Regardless of what changes are implemented.

After this season, with corn every 50 acres, we may see a serious reduction in the population. Just gives the renegades easier hunting.

I still think we need a season limit on ducks. I haven't killed a single duck in several years, and I know the population is down in my area. Then others go out and slaughter a bunch every week. It ain't fair!

3 ducks a season should be plenty for anyone.

People should take others and call for them after killing their 3.

When the duck population gets down to where the turkey population is. I'll agree.

I do think Alabama needs to implement some public areas for draw only use. Because many areas get way to much pressure. Id rather not get drawn and see the ducks have a place to rest, and the hunting actually be decent, than continue the way it is now.

>>>When the duck population gets down to where the turkey population is. I'll agree.<<<

What evidence is there that the turkey population is down? You admit that you aren't seeing any decrease where you hunt - I'm not seeing it either. There are 50 turkeys for every duck on my place, but I wouldn't want to limit other's duck hunting based on my limited observations in one place. I was, of course, joking with my previous post.

Here is what I object to:

>>>In short i just think 3 birds is enough,<<<

That doesn't seem to be based on anything biological; just a personal feeling of what is "fair." And I don't mean to pick on you; I think that's the reasoning of most people that want to reduce the AL limit.

Unless you have so few gobblers that they can't breed the hens, then the spring gobbler is a surplus bird that can be harvested with no harm to the overall population. The population is dependent on the nesting success of the hens, and no place that I have ever hunted got to the point of having so few gobblers that they couldn't breed the hens.

If there really are places in the state that have populations that get that low, then shorten the season for those areas. That's the only effective way to reduce the harvest. Reducing the season limit state wide wouldn't help them even a little.

A lower season limit is nothing but a feel-good measure that won't help the turkeys a bit. It reminds me a great deal of the worthless gun-control measures that do nothing to reduce crime, but only cause hassles for the law-abiding. But many push gun control, and then congratulate themselves because they think they are "doing something" to fight crime. Mayor Bloomberg said he has earned his way into heaven with his gun control activities; I suspect he's gonna be disappointed.

I've turkey hunted in a lot of states, and I still think AL is the best. The AL system of a generous spring gobbler limit, with very limited fall hunting and no hen-killing ever has proven to be wildly successful. We have the best turkey hunting in the nation; I hate to see politics mess it up.

The generous limit makes the wild turkey a treasure in our state. In other states with low limits, they are often regarded as a nuisance. No turkey hunting culture ever develops because the average man can't hunt enough to become good at it. Additional government restrictions always have unintended consequences; this one would be no different.

I hope it never happens.

That's about the most sensible post I've ever read.

Duck Population- 42.9 Million

Turkey Population 5.1 million


See my point now? But of course I'm kidding as well and these figures arent at all relevant to anything we are talking about.

What you say is somewhat true. I do think 3 is fair. And a need or want for anything more than that just boils down to hunters being greedy (this doesnt exclude me). Regardless of what
people claim, we dont hunt for food anymore. If we need groceries, we go to the store. Hunting is purely a sport and a way to carry on what we have inherited and to reminisce on how we got to where we are today.

I ask you this PCP... Do you not agree there is less habitat for turkeys in Alabama now, than say 20 years ago?
On the property i hunt, no i see no change in population, but in the last couple years there is a huge change in habitat, and i firmly believe that it will lead to less turkeys in the next few years.
But around my home I see a huge drop in habitat and in population. 20-30 years ago there were gobs of turkeys in my home county. Now due to development and current timber practices there are virtually none. It has been a slow decline that to some would go unnoticed. But i see it and so do many other hunters who live where i do.

Just for example lets put this out there. Lets say you own and hunt 640 acres (because its 1 sq mile and easy to calculate) of prime turkey timber. You are surrounded on four sides by four other land owners who also have 640 acres of prime timber. Yal all have a great turkey population. Well lets say 2 neighbors decide to clearcut their 640 acres. 1280 acres cut, boom, gone. They also decide to spray it and kill all brows. In 2 years this property is now 4ft tall planted pines and is of no use to the turkeys. What few turkeys are left migrate onto surrounding properties, and some die off due to lack of room and food for them (this does happen). No worries, you are still killing limits off of your 640 acres, because you havent touched it. Now lets say the 3rd year the other land owners decide to do the same as the other 2, and spray and cut their property. Boom, there goes another 1280 acres. All of the remaining turkeys either move onto your property or die out. In two more years you have another piece of property that is useless to a turkey. So in 5 years you have lost 4 square miles of turkey habitat. And close to 1/5 th of the population. Yet you personally, on your property have seen no significant change. BUT, as the years go on, and you continue to kill you 5 birds per year, you will eventually see that drop in population. Because you are no longer getting those birds from the surrounding properties to replinsh what you have harvested.

I try to look at the big picture. More hunters + more predators - habitat = declining turkey population.

To address your next point, you say there is no need to limit gobbler harvest unless there is a shortage or gobblers. Enough so that there are not enough gobblers to breed all of the hens.

Well to that i say this. With no data on that being collected, how do you know that is not the case already? How do you know all of the hens are being bred? Sure you say on your property hat you personally see a drop in population. Well nor do I (yet). But if we only hunt our property, then how do we know whats going on around us? And regardless of what you say, what is happening on other properties in our area is just as important to us as what is happening on our own property! No matter how you slice it, habitat loss will lead to a lower population.

My main point being, without data, your argument that there should be no limit decrease is just as invalid as my arguments that there should be a limit decrease.

Im not saying the state should impose a law on impulse or gut feeling. But i do think they should put more effort into collecting hunter data and hatch data, simply so that they can stay ahead of what could happen (and that i fear will happen).
If the state did impose a lower limit i would not question it.

Well if you kill your 3, and then take somebody else and let them kill 2-3, how is that any different than you killing 5 to start with? Call me greedy, cause I want to be able to kill 5.

The fact that this state has one of the highest number of birds /acre and the fact that we have the most liberal limit is about all The data PCP needs here. There are more factors involved as you mention with development and timber management but our regualtions seem to have produced high turkey numbers and high hunter satisfaction. Now that doesn't mean the current populations in this state and the south may not be declining, but until it could be proven that it was anything but natural population cycles then why try to fix what isn't broke here in alabama........let the other states who don't have our numbers keep fixing themselves however they please.

Disclaimer: I've never killed a limit of turkeys in Alabama, but I believe that I should be able to try............and I believe those that can hunt more time, hunt smarter, ect should be able to get their 5 if they choose. The data is needed to make the change you want not keep the limit we have.

How does anyone know the exact population of turkeys in AL or any species for that matter? If the limit is 5/season, why can't I be allowed to kill my 5 in one day?