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Key:
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 20,352 Likes: 28
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 20,352 Likes: 28 |
It looks like Auburn had or has a research study that started around 2015 but I cant find where any data was ever published or if the research stopped or if its ongoing. Would be interesting if we could get real numbers to see if there was an actual decline in population and if so how big was or is it?
Glad so many of you are seeing poults, the one thing I saw in research data was the number of poults per hen is down to just below 2 when including the hens with 0 poults. Not including the hens with no poults the number of poults per hen is about 3. Those numbers seem low to me, I wonder if those are poults that reached adulthood or babies seen with the hen at any time.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,671 Likes: 28
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,671 Likes: 28 |
The problem with "trying" is that they are taking away days that hunters can legally hunt for no justifiable biological reason.
I agree with your feelings, but the facts say differently. If the biologists think that fewer turkeys need to be killed, then shortening the season is the best way to accomplish that. Decreasing the limit, as evidenced by South Carolina, had little effect on overall kill numbers. The stone cold turkey killers just ask a friend to come, and the friend pulls the trigger. I hate to see a shorter season, but this is their reason for doing it. The later season start also has other biological and reproductive reasons. I personally don't see a reason to shorten the season or lower the bag limit, numbers are decent where I hunt. I hate to see it happen. Oh there's no question reducing the season length will reduce harvest. That's not what I am questioning here. I have seen no research from our biologists to indicate that we have a statewide population issue that is probable cause for statewide legislation like they have passed. I'm in agreement with Squeaky that all they are doing is passing garbage laws to react to the "problem." In actuality they don't even know if a problem exists, and even worse, what is causing it.
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 22,608 Likes: 22
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 22,608 Likes: 22 |
I certainly don't know the numbers either. And yes, I hate to see a shorter season as much as anyone.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,086 Likes: 7
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,086 Likes: 7 |
If I had 1000 acres, in a good turkey county, that truly had a chronic issue - and my goal was to have a place for my kids to enjoy turkey hunting - there would have been a for sale sign up years ago. Go buy a place with some turkey. Even if it’s “family” land with a history. You can’t take it to the grave.
If I were lucky enough to have 1000 acre asset, it would have turkey on it, period. When you get serious enough, you’ll change. If I wasn’t that serious, I’d quit whining about it.
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 37,400 Likes: 67
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 37,400 Likes: 67 |
the dept has changed the turkey dates three times now, and I have seen zero biological reason for doing so. Pick a damn date and stick to it, it doesn't need to start or stop on a Sat to make sure everybody has a fair chance. Jeeze.
I've spent most of the money I've made in my lifetime on hunting and fishing. The rest I just wasted.....
proud Cracker-Americaan
muslims are like coyotes, only good one is a dead one
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 38,489
Boo Boo Head
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Boo Boo Head
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 38,489 |
I know of many turkeys killed in sight of litter piles and plenty of farms use it I hunt on. So that theory isn’t true everywhere. EHD kicked my deer herd to the ground in 2016. We rebounded. Who is to say avian flu or other fowl derived sickness didn’t make a run thru areas. Doesn’t always have to blamed on litter. There’s plenty of airborne illness birds can get
Last edited by 257wbymag; 07/30/19 04:19 PM.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,086 Likes: 7
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,086 Likes: 7 |
the dept has changed the turkey dates three times now, and I have seen zero biological reason for doing so. Pick a damn date and stick to it, it doesn't need to start or stop on a Sat to make sure everybody has a fair chance. Jeeze. But Johnny Career sitting in his office in Bham, paying high dollar lease prices, needs to be able to go to work on Tuesday March 15, and not have to worry about neighbor killing his turkey before Saturday when he gets to go. He’s already taken his trophy wife on two vacations and deer hunted a week in January, so vacation is running slim. Never mind he’ll be fishing every weekend in April also. It’s about being fair. Money, politics, etc........
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3,600 Likes: 5
10 point
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10 point
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3,600 Likes: 5 |
Not sure I buy the litter argument either. We have a 250 ac working cattle farm in the middle of our lease that we can't hunt. These pastures gets fertilized with chicken chit every year and most of our birds hang out in them 90%of the time. Our numbers aren't great but they have been pretty steady for the 20 years that I have hunted this lease.
You haven't been blocked until you've been flock blocked!!!
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 20,352 Likes: 28
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 20,352 Likes: 28 |
If I had 1000 acres, in a good turkey county, that truly had a chronic issue - and my goal was to have a place for my kids to enjoy turkey hunting - there would have been a for sale sign up years ago. Go buy a place with some turkey. Even if it’s “family” land with a history. You can’t take it to the grave.
If I were lucky enough to have 1000 acre asset, it would have turkey on it, period. When you get serious enough, you’ll change. If I wasn’t that serious, I’d quit whining about it. We had another piece that was 280 acres it was full of turkeys they all vanished over the 25 years we owned it the main decline was in the last 10 years so we sold it 3 yrs ago. The other 1200 acres my family has owned for 40 years, 0 turkey living there wont make us sell it. It has too many other positives, location or proximity being the main one. I like whining about it cause it bothers you so much. I dont think it's the land which is why I use our place as an example. 8-10 years ago in one 60 acre field one morning we watched over 70 turkeys 60 hens and 10 or 12 Jake's and long beards. The land is the same if not better now than it has ever been habitat wise which is why I fear something more serious is the problem that may spread across the state.
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,524
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,524 |
I'm no biologist but I have a little coomon sense. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the reason the turkey's numbers are declining is because their habitat is declining. Good luck changing that! Ask the quail hunters that saw the Good Ole Days for quail when the landscape was patchwork Family Farms.
Them changing the seasons are just to appease somebody with some money that is pulling the strings in the Gump
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 20,352 Likes: 28
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 20,352 Likes: 28 |
I'm no biologist but I have a little coomon sense. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the reason the turkey's numbers are declining is because their habitat is declining. Good luck changing that! Ask the quail hunters that saw the Good Ole Days for quail when the landscape was patchwork Family Farms.
Them changing the seasons are just to appease somebody with some money that is pulling the strings in the Gump
This may very well be the direction the turkey hunting is headed. I sure hope not but it is possible.
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3,600 Likes: 5
10 point
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10 point
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3,600 Likes: 5 |
I'm no biologist but I have a little coomon sense. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the reason the turkey's numbers are declining is because their habitat is declining. Good luck changing that! Ask the quail hunters that saw the Good Ole Days for quail when the landscape was patchwork Family Farms.
Them changing the seasons are just to appease somebody with some money that is pulling the strings in the Gump
Lots of factors. Habitat loss, lot more hunters, use of decoys, advancement of guns and shells, more predators( we didnt have coyotes and I had never seen a damn armadillo till about 10 years ago) decline in coon hunters, errbody and there brother putting out corn wich in turn created more coons. Its a wonder they're not extinct
You haven't been blocked until you've been flock blocked!!!
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 38,489
Boo Boo Head
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Boo Boo Head
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 38,489 |
I was told by a very reputable source that there may no statewide season period in 2020. Announcement can be expected soon. You heard it here first.
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3,600 Likes: 5
10 point
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10 point
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3,600 Likes: 5 |
You haven't been blocked until you've been flock blocked!!!
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 20,352 Likes: 28
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 20,352 Likes: 28 |
I was told by a very reputable source that there may no statewide season period in 2020. Announcement can be expected soon. You heard it here first. That would be something to watch, be interesting to see what the result would be besides a bunch of pissed off people. Would leaving an entire years worth of would be harvested turkeys make the population change any, would having that many more mature birds make gobbling better or worse the following season etc?
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,764 Likes: 36
14 point
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14 point
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,764 Likes: 36 |
I was told by a very reputable source that there may no statewide season period in 2020. Announcement can be expected soon. You heard it here first. What’s the cost of the ticket for hunting during a closed season? Asking for a friend...
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 12,145 Likes: 42
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 12,145 Likes: 42 |
I was told by a very reputable source that there may no statewide season period in 2020. Announcement can be expected soon. You heard it here first. What’s the cost of the ticket for hunting during a closed season? Asking for a friend... Lol gonna be a buncha outlaws up in heah! Err I mean, more than normal 
Well, the way I see it is there's just too many assholes
On a good day there's a bunch of assholes in here.
On a bad day there's too many assholes in here.
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 15,167 Likes: 7
Old Mossy Horns
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Old Mossy Horns
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 15,167 Likes: 7 |
There is one club I know of in stclair cnty where 40 plus birds wee killed last year. That’s on 13000 acres but tell me that doesn’t make a difference. And from friends in it I know that people sit on the fields all day long and wait on a gobbler to walk out and shoot. There are way more people who are out to kill a turkey then there were 10 years ago and these aren’t turkey hunters just turkey shooters.
Would walk over a naked woman to get to a gobblin turkey!
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,671 Likes: 28
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,671 Likes: 28 |
There is one club I know of in stclair cnty where 40 plus birds wee killed last year. That’s on 13000 acres but tell me that doesn’t make a difference. And from friends in it I know that people sit on the fields all day long and wait on a gobbler to walk out and shoot. There are way more people who are out to kill a turkey then there were 10 years ago and these aren’t turkey hunters just turkey shooters. That's 1 bird per 325 acres. Totally sustainable. As I mentioned earlier, I've got a 600 acre tract I've killed anywhere from 3 to 5 birds off of every year for probably 10 or 15 years. Based off of the Jake's I saw last year, next year should be a blast
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,855 Likes: 42
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,855 Likes: 42 |
There is one club I know of in stclair cnty where 40 plus birds wee killed last year. That’s on 13000 acres but tell me that doesn’t make a difference. And from friends in it I know that people sit on the fields all day long and wait on a gobbler to walk out and shoot. There are way more people who are out to kill a turkey then there were 10 years ago and these aren’t turkey hunters just turkey shooters. That would work out to well over 300 acres per gobbler killed, and seems pretty ordinary to me. Good land is capable of producing way more than that.
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
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