I have a small piece of property in SE Cleburne County not far from Ranburne. I primarily deer hunt it but have not put much time into turkeys there because in the last several years I have seen/heard zero turkeys while deer hunting, had zero on any trail cameras, and have seen no sign. This is mature pines with mixed hardwoods bordering cattle pasture with some nearby clearcuts. It should be good habitat and I have always heard that Cleburne and Randolph Counties have a high turkey population. Has there been a disease outbreak in this area or what am I missing? Anyone else have land that is completely ignored by turkeys?

Have you gone in spring and listened for them? I’ll bet you have some in the area

I've killed a few in the area. They were difficult to hunt because of all the side by side and 4 wheeler traffic in the area. One morning I had one coming down a road to me on a string and all of a sudden he perks up and then flies. A few seconds later a SXS drives up to me and asks me if I've seen anything. Got to talking with them and they had a hunting club miles from that place and were just out riding around all over everyone else's land. He had a bunch of young boys and girls with him so I didn't make a scene, but I was mad to say the least. I quit hunting that part of the state over that foolishness.

Not much. It’s hard to make the drive when the population seems so low. I know turkeys change habitats from fall to spring, but would it go from zero to a huntable population?

Yes indeed it would. But for me it could only take one.. at my place the only time I see them is in the spring

Send me a pin, I’ll go scout it for you next spring.

I live not too far from there. I’d be willing to bet you have birds!!

Thanks for the encouragement. Im so used to seeing turkeys all the time on the deer stand that this place had my confidence low.

I have killed a couple near there. I have always been surprised that I didn't see many while driving around. We had lots of ballgames all throughout that area and just spent a ton of time driving through and the population just isn't great. But you can still kill some there. I wouldn't get crazy aggressive though because you don't want to bust the 1 or 2 gobblers that may be around.

I’m 12 miles from Ranburne.You’ve got birds. We’re doing land improvements with tsi and land improvement for wildlife being the goal on the back half of the property. Once we started on the property with clearing firebreaks then the prescribed fire, not only did the forest floor take off,the opened up areas are flourishing with natural growth. We started chipping away at the predator population, regaining a little future areas for plots,etc and couldn’t be happier. I think the original predator count that was around here was the main issue for our numbers(not huge number but we have birds and I do see birds occasionally when traveling the Cleburne county,Tallapoosa,Bowdon area )