And do away with youth season, Just take your kids with you when you hunt.

I hesitate to dispute the chicken litter attitude, as many of y'all have expressed its detrimental effects on turkeys.
But I've used chicken litter for years and never noticed an effect on turkey population.
What's the deal?

Chicken litter that is handled properly has no effect on turkeys. Chicken litter that is spead without allowing it to go through the proper heat cycle spreads disease.

I've seen first hand places that had thriving turkey populations go to nothing after chicken litter was spread.

And do away with camouflage.

Outlaw scopes or optics of any kind on guns or rangefinders.

Outlaw any ammunition except standard lead shot. No TSS, no hybrids, no souped-up loads.

Outlaw any kind of calls except a box call, scratch box or tube.

Outlaw rubber boots, snake boots or anything other than black brogans, khaki pants and a plaid (green) shirt.

Outlaw any cell phone apps with maps or navigation aids of any kind including land lines.

Let's go back to the 1970s or earlier. We'll be up to our necks in turkeys in just a season or two.

Chicken litter that is handled properly has no effect on turkeys. Chicken litter that is spead without allowing it to go through the proper heat cycle spreads disease.

I've seen first hand places that had thriving turkey populations go to nothing after chicken litter was spread.

Okay that makes sense.
What I use is a processed fertilizer made from chicken litter.

I kill turkeys off farm land that's been chicken littered for 20 years.

I kill turkeys off farm land that's been chicken littered for 20 years.

Matt, Has the chicken litter issue been discussed amongst those in the DCNR? Are there any studies being done, or in the works on the effects of chicken litter in wild turkeys?

“Although likely to stimulate negative feedback from stakeholders in the short term, making harvest regulations more conservative by reducing the season length or bag limit of the spring turkey season may improve adult male survival. Hunters would experience a reduction in the time they have to hunt, and the number of turkeys they could harvest, but this would increase the number of turkeys available to be hunted. Greater subadult survival facilitated by these harvest regulations may lead to high recruitment into the adult age class and more high-quality hunting opportunities.”

His whole premise is based on the idea that turkey population is a zero sum game and its up to him to decide how to divide them up. It ain't so. The more restrictions they place on hunting, the less landowners are gonna do to produce turkeys. He may think that he can divide the pie in a fairer way, but he doesn't seem to have a clue that the pie is going to be a lot smaller.

A chufa patch is just one example of habitat improvement that is done entirely for turkeys. I'm sure chufas are grown in states other than AL, but I've never seen one. People don't have the same level of interest in other states as we do, because they don't have the same opportunity that we do. Its similar to liberal states raising taxes even higher and then finding out they don't collect near as much as estimated - people move out when taxes become unbearable. In this case, the turkeys won't move out; they just won't never exist.

Chicken litter, habitat destructive timber practices and a booming predator population are all factors that are reducing our states turkey population!

Chickens = Big business and money in the pockets so that isn't going to be addressed!

Timber = Big business and money in the pockets so that isn't going to be addressed!

Predators= Anything that offers any type of relief cost money therefore it isn't going to be addressed!

Hunters who manage their properties at their own expense are rewarded with lower bag limits and shorter seasons!

See! It all makes perfect sense!

Matt I have the upmost respect for you and your knowledge around the Ag industry. We will have to agree to disagree on the use of chicken litter. You are very familiar with the property I turkey hunted for years. I was the only turkey hunter on nearly 4000 acres. Granted there was probably some poaching on said property but the population was outstanding in the beginning. Fast forward a few years to higher fuel prices and increased fertilizer cost along with a farmer going broke and here came the chicken litter. The turkey population declined immediately and there is no other excuse for it. Something almost single handy wiped that turkey flock out in a short period of time. One of two things happened, they left or died. When you go from seeing winter flocks of 50 to 60 birds to nothing in a years time something took place that wasn’t hunter or predator related.

I can also reference several other properties that have always been loaded with turkeys then the use of chicken litter came along. The turkey population on these properties are half of what they use to be.

I sure hope you never experience what some of us have my friend!