Maybe the state should allow us to trap on WMA during turkey season. It’s open state wide on coons and coyotes and would be taking them out at the perfect time. Right now you have to stop Feb 28 which makes no sense and very few people do it.

My main frustration is with the lazy management practices recently put in place throughout most of the turkeys range. The easiest target for regulation is legal gobbler harvest. This is being done, in my opinion, so the agencies can be seen as “doing something “. More poults are produced by trapping predators, and those extra turkeys are fed and kept healthy by planting chufas. These things cost money. Private land owners and leasers pay for it, because they love turkeys and turkey hunting. Imposing stricter regulations on legal gobbler harvest lowers incentive for the folks to spent their time and money. Less coons dead and less chufas planted. Easy solutions present themselves, such as using some of the corn lottery money on a bounty for coon and possum tails. Every turkey manager knows this will have a real-time, positive impact on poult recruitment, but the geniuses in charge of the resource will laugh you out of the room for mentioning it. Dave, I would personally like to see you use your platform to promote sound management practices, such as burning, trapping, and planting. Maybe it will help, but I think the DNR leadership (at least in Bama) are just like the rest of the politicians. They are in love with the sound of their own voice. Keep doing whatever you want to do, this is America. But don’t be surprised when the ol boys get ill watching you give away for free what they had to spend a lifetime earning.

Dave I appreciate you taking the time to come on here to share your prospective with this group. I do not know what the right answers are as I can see both sides of the coin. I personally think the increased pressure/numbers of hunters are a bad thing for the public land hunter and dwindling turkey population for many of the reasons already pointed out. I honestly feel sorry for the guys that only have public land to hunt. If that were my only choice these days, I'd go back to bass fishing. I'm certain the dwindling turkey population is a very bad thing for everyone involved. Increased pressure has really hit at an inopportune time as well. But I still believe we can take this increased enthusiasm and create some change that will last much longer than the issues we have on hand and perhaps avoid it from ever happening again.

I could get on board with increasing hunter numbers if these state agencies were truly using the surplus money generated for land purchase and research to find the answer to the problem, poult production!! I have seen several very educated people fail to bring that to the forefront when the opportunity was available to do so! With that said, I feel like the state of Alabama currently has the most incompetent leader in our game and fish departments history of existence. Under his leadership the state of Alabama is screwed in my personal opinion. From my understanding, everyone in academia is pointing to poult production as concern #1. Lots of differing ways to approach the solution though, most all hold their on merits. Leadership could be of concern but we don't know unless we start asking questions. And the best way to cause movement from leadership, a unified voice. I believe we are building an impressive voice and will soon begin using it when necessary.

The game and fish agencies across much of the country have become politized and it's very unfortunate. Money is wasted and robbed, therefore never being utilized for the research and things you mention. Most states can't afford to hire CO's to enforce the current regulations on the books. I simply do not see the money generated from increased hunter recruitment/license sales being utilized for the necessary things that it should be used for. Another case to make sure we are keeping our eyes on the prize so to speak. Let's start demanding answers from our agencies. They will soon begin raking in more money through over flowing Pittman Robertson funds combined with high license sales volumes. That money needs to be put to work for productivity. Let's make sure to applaud a job well done as well. Some of these agencies are working overtime to ensure our resources are managed properly.

I am one of the very people that cast shadow towards the turkey doc "Chamberlain". The man and his work simply do not impress me. He has spouted off a hypotheses (Dominate Gobbler) that is unproven!!! Several state agencies has taken this hogwash as the gospel and ran with it. He is one of the very folks that failed to mention poult recruitment as the number one issue with a declining turkey population. Until these state agencies and biologist bring that glaring issue to the forefront, they will never fix the problem. Arkansas is a prime example, adjusting hunting season and bag limits have failed them miserably. Why do these state agencies continue to throw the same crap against the wall and hope it sticks?? Chamberlain himself says the dominant gobbler theory is not proven. It's a hypothesis which is more or less an educated guess from an individual that has devoted his life to studying turkeys, so it should carry some weight in my opinion. All agencies are responding to a reduction in poult production by limiting seasons, reduced opportunity is the only proven way to reduce harvest. My assumption is this is to pad the carry-over and facilitate a concentrated nest incubation date with reduced disturbance. It's a "we have to do something" answer as a response to an overwhelming number of people who have voiced their concerns with turkey numbers recently. Is it the correct answer? I'm suspect. At the same time I'm not going to fault the agency for making a move as a safety measure. The noise from the public had become substantial. I agree there has to be more research poured into finding answers because if season time was the sole answer states like MO wouldn't be seeing declines as well.

I will no longer support the NWTF because of what they have become. I will not support TFT for the simple fact I asked them how my money would be spent if I contributed to their cause. Never received a reply from those folks. Also their mission statement is vague and along the same lines as the NWTF. I personally want to support a group that their mission is to get answers to poor poult recruitment. I don't think working with state agencies that are politized will accomplish much in the current environment. I can understand your frustrations with NWTF, I have my own as well. I hope they're getting back on track. TFT is a fledging of an organization that has a lot of wheels turning as all it's parts are put into their appropriate places. You should have gotten a return call though, no excuse for that. I do hope you'll reconsider donating to either. There will be some big announcements concerning TFT very soon. I hope you'll follow along.

Out of all this that has taken place there is one positive, I've learned that we aren't producing turkeys, my eyes have been opened to that fact. I need to do more to help the turkeys on the property I control. In my personal opinion a little bit of effort can make a difference. I'm also guilty as charged. I'm holding myself accountable in making sure more turkeys are in our futures.

This is happening. There was a #savethepoults movement last year. Lots of new involvement/ interest in trapping. New content will no doubt be created to fuel that progress with this upcoming season. Supposedly Duke couldn't make traps quick enough last year- let's hope they're preparing for this one.

Jesus Christ, the turkey forum has become the football forum. Pathetic. Yall sound like a bunch of women

Yall aint called out and threaten to whip Will Primos, Bill Jordan, Jackie Bushman or Michael Waddell. These 4 have been posting hunting videos for decades and the turkeys are still alive. I dont think (Cove can correct me if I am wrong) Pinhotti has reached near the people those guys have reached.

I'm on board with that (I thought it was extended until March 6 in Alabama) along with getting some organizations to put together some sort of initiative to motivate more trapping.

They ALL hunt private/leased property. Apples and oranges there fellow. This thread is about public property being hammered.

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I appreciate your comment. I have attempted to address each point with my perspective. I challenge my way of thinking daily- am I doing the right thing? what could I change to do better? should I reconsider this? should I abandon that? My approach is always up for tailoring. Again, that's why I engage in forums such as this one when many would not due to their overall toxicity.

First off - well said Dave! Your fingers must be bleeding! As much as I don't like the concept of "youtubers" doing hunting videos, I disliked the hunting videos of the 90's, 80's, 70's, etc just as much. I admit I am a selfish turkey hunter and don't really want more folks involved in the sport. I never watched the VHS videos and don't watch many youtuber vids. The exception has always been Pinhoti for 2 reasons. First, I thought Dave would fit right in with the guys I hunt with, primarily for reason 2. He tries to kill a turkey the "right" way and has (and shows it) a tremendous respect for the bird. He also has the guts to come on here and defend himself to the whiners on here who simply bitch but never have solutions. These guys are the reason I don't post on here often anymore. Too much negativity and armchair biologists - just search my posts from a few years ago. Dave convinced me a while ago that he was in this to influence turkey hunters to appreciate the hunt, respect the animal and not just be in it for the kill and to personally help how he could to increase turkey populations.

Second, Chamberlain. I have been tempted to post on here when he is being slammed but don't want to get into another internet argument with one of the above. That being said, unlike many of those on here that bitch and whine about him, he has dedicated his time, money, and career to wildlife research. He is an exceptional research biologist and is doing excellent research in a time when there is very little turkey research being done in the southeast (Alabama's last turkey project doesn't count!). Do I agree with all of his conclusions - absolutely not. His dominant gobbler theory is full of holes but he thinks it is plausible. I don't. He also admits it is a theory and does not have good data to support it. BUT that doesn't make him a bad researcher or call into question his motives. He hunts and manages turkeys, not just studies them. I suspect the DG theory will be proven wrong but maybe not. Do I agree with starting seasons later - again, no. But I am open to the possibility until proven one way or the other. I simply don't think it will impact poult recruitment either way. His research on movements, habitat, burning, nest success, how they all interact and relate, etc are groundbreaking and that is enough to make him a great researcher. There are some great research projects in the works to look at answering some of these questions.

More of this research needs to be done, especially here in Alabama. We also have a great researcher at AU that should be doing some independent turkey research as well as some in coordination with Chamberlain. As Dave said, stay tuned for announcement soon from AU, TFT and AWF