If I remember correctly, when everyone was concerned about the duck numbers crashing they started working on habitat in the prairie pothole region and trapping nest predators along with season length and limit modifications. Why hasn't this bled over into turkey management ? You would think the turkey conservation groups would be doing a lot more to ensure good nesting and brood habitat on public/private lands.

because it is easier to listen to assholes that want to lower limits and move dates. A LOT easier than improving habitat.

Kendall what Mr. Fred posted is spot on!! It is always easier and cheaper to make changes with the stroke of a pen!! Anything outside of that takes effort and money.

I think every state game and fish commissioners should be tarred and feathered if they promoted a natural resource to be raped and pillaged as we have witnessed the last two years. I know THP has promoted Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama public land resources heavily and had backing from those three state game and fish commissioners. I am sure there are more, but I know for a fact those three were highly promoted in youtube videos. What a lot or people fail to realize, is this extra money they are advocating for is rarely or will be utilized to reverse the damage they have knowingly caused to the resource and the local hunters of those states. As Dave pointed out, these state agencies knew the SE was in a declining cycle with our turkey population and still jumped on the band wagon. It's truly a shame that some of these folks are in charge of state wildlife management. If there was ever any doubt in someone's mind where the leadership of these state agencies principles fall, this should answer that question clearly. It's all about generating money with very little, if any investment back into the resource. It's a proven fact throughout our state when you look at how our WMA's are managed. I hope I am proven wrong in the future, but I have my doubts.

Squeaky I don’t believe you’ll be proved wrong under this current regime
Said this many times
I grew up in what is mulberry fork wma
I hunted this place all my growing up years and always had guys all over that place running traps and coon hunting
Was nothing to see 25-30 turkeys in one flock and deer were abundant
Fast forward
Mulberry Fork wma is established
No more trapping, no more coon hunting, coyote and coon population of explode, hog begin taking over every square foot of that wma
Deer and turkey population begin a sharp decline that is still happening today
A testament of the state’s ability to manage land and game

We eat up withum

Best 3 years of poults we’ve ever had. Heard turkeys gobble on every I hunt except 1 in the last 2 years. Now some mornings I might have only heard 1-2 gobbles but they were gobbles. It’s not what it once was but a lot better than 10-12 years ago.

Wish you were closer.

Most of us that own or lease land can trap and plant something for the turkeys. Chufa is preferred but simply adding clover to the winter plots is a plus for the turkeys. Maybe controlled burns are not feasible for all but use them if you can. E-mail or call those in charge of turkey management. These are all positive things we all should be doing because we love turkeys and want to have lots of them.

It is really easy to get caught up in all the negatives of shortened seasons, decreased bag limits, management based on how often a turkey gobbles or the crowding of public lands. Most of us have zero control over these factors.

I sleep well at night knowing I have done what I can.

Found a podcast today from May 27, 2020 Huntin Land Podcast by Joe Baya and his guest is the all knowing Chuck Sykes. Believe it or not, he advocates habitat management and nest predator control, go to about the 43 minute mark. He even says they're doing prescribed fire on WMA's and SOA's. I don't frequent any of the WMA properties so I can't agree or disagree on what they're doing. But at least he knows what they SHOULD be doing.

Also, chufa is good because it provides a nutrient dense food for adults during a time that is generally lacking. But it's just one piece of the puzzle and chufa alone will not make you successful at raising turkeys.

This is the n Clarke County

Quit joking, there are no turkeys in Clarke Co.

I’ve seen poults every where this summer. Still getting 10-15 different long beards on camera on our GA property. I can’t tell you the last time I went turkey hunting and didn’t hear multiple birds gobble. I just think they are catering to the hunters that suck at turkey hunting trying to make it seem more fair for them. Turkey hunting socialism.

More turkeys than ever on the 3 counties I hunt. I had never seen a group of more than 50 young turkeys together before last year. Manage your land right and you will have turkeys; convert your land into a shopping mall and you won't.

Legit hunting doesn't affect either scenario.

My new hunting grounds are in NW GA. I’ve never seen turkey numbers like some of the farms I’ve acquired have. It’s incredible