Originally Posted by Squeaky
Ben I honestly do not need him to answer any of my questions. I'm pretty confident I know the answer already and he's avoiding putting the information out there because it does not support the agenda. You have nest failures for two main reasons, predators and large scale burns which take place on a vast majority of our public land. You have poor poult recruitment for various reasons, failed nest, predators, loss of quality habitat/brood habitat and mother nature, with mother nature having a large impact on success or failure. I also believe the hunting pressure on most of our public land is out of control and has an impact on the turkey population and poult recruitment. As several have said on here, we have way to many turkey hunters these days drawing on the resource. I'm all for less hunter recruitment and willing to pay more for license if it's money the state/agency needs. It is nearly impossible to find members for my club that do not turkey hunt some and I screen heavily for those that do not.

I know we have population issue across the state and I'm not denying that. I live in an area now where I have seen one hen turkey in 4 years. What I am against is blanket regulation state wide that doesn't consider the different zones in the state and areas with stronger populations. What I would like to see the state do is start managing the resources they control at a higher level and encourage/educate the public on what they can do on property they control to help the turkeys. I personally believe this would achieve better results at increasing the turkey population over reducing the limit and season adjustments. Reduced limits and season length will have minimal results at best. If that was the case GA and MS would not be suffering the same decline as everywhere else the good doc claims. GA has a 3 bird limit and later opener and they are experiencing a decline. MS has had a 3 bird limit for as long as I can remember and they are also in a decline. Bag limit and season has very little to do with making turkeys in my personal opinion. Habitat and correct management with some cooperation from mother nature produces turkeys.

As one of the biologist pointed out in the video a mis-managed pine plantation in a problem in regards to productive habitat for the wild turkey. Unfortunately we have a lot of timber company land across the south east that is poorly managed and I believe it has contributed to the decline in many areas they are seeing. If I were over the DCNR I would reach out to these companies and see what it would take to get each of them to start a rotational burn program on their properties.


Originally Posted by Squeaky
Ben I honestly do not need him to answer any of my questions. I'm pretty confident I know the answer already and he's avoiding putting the information out there because it does not support the agenda. You have nest failures for two main reasons, predators and large scale burns which take place on a vast majority of our public land. You have poor poult recruitment for various reasons, failed nest, predators, loss of quality habitat/brood habitat and mother nature, with mother nature having a large impact on success or failure. I also believe the hunting pressure on most of our public land is out of control and has an impact on the turkey population and poult recruitment. As several have said on here, we have way to many turkey hunters these days drawing on the resource. I'm all for less hunter recruitment and willing to pay more for license if it's money the state/agency needs. It is nearly impossible to find members for my club that do not turkey hunt some and I screen heavily for those that do not.

I know we have population issue across the state and I'm not denying that. I live in an area now where I have seen one hen turkey in 4 years. What I am against is blanket regulation state wide that doesn't consider the different zones in the state and areas with stronger populations. What I would like to see the state do is start managing the resources they control at a higher level and encourage/educate the public on what they can do on property they control to help the turkeys. I personally believe this would achieve better results at increasing the turkey population over reducing the limit and season adjustments. Reduced limits and season length will have minimal results at best. If that was the case GA and MS would not be suffering the same decline as everywhere else the good doc claims. GA has a 3 bird limit and later opener and they are experiencing a decline. MS has had a 3 bird limit for as long as I can remember and they are also in a decline. Bag limit and season has very little to do with making turkeys in my personal opinion. Habitat and correct management with some cooperation from mother nature produces turkeys.

As one of the biologist pointed out in the video a mis-managed pine plantation in a problem in regards to productive habitat for the wild turkey. Unfortunately we have a lot of timber company land across the south east that is poorly managed and I believe it has contributed to the decline in many areas they are seeing. If I were over the DCNR I would reach out to these companies and see what it would take to get each of them to start a rotational burn program on their properties.


I see turkey hunting I’m most areas going the way of duck hunting. More people chasing the birds then there are birds. The forestry service that has control of the timber does not do anything to improve the habitat. We’ve tried for years to get the to do some burning. The way our place is set up, it would be so easy to burn certain compartments every year. They have no interest in burning unless it’s to replant.
In 2016 we had plenty of turkeys on our place. The last day we hunted at the end of the season, we left 4 gobblers gobbling mid morning because we had to get loaded and get home. Foresrty service thinned a big part of our place and a lot of the large timber around our place was clearcut. The 2017 season we only had a couple birds gobble on our place and none on neighboring properties. In February of 2018 our place was sprayed to kill trash trees in the pines. We heard 1 bird gobble that season and it hasn’t got any better. I did see 2 gobblers with a group of hens a week before the season this spring. Heard 1 turkey gobble 1 time. In the long time we’ve had this place, my brother and I has killed 5 gobblers. The last one in 2015. The first 4 years we had the place it was rare to go in the woods and not see a turkey somewhere, no matter the time of year. Now it’s extremely rare to see a turkey not only on our place but in the whole area around our place. On a very rare occasion also, we will get a picture of a turkey. It’s very disturbing at the lack of turkeys now. I’m not going to give up on trying to get the Foresrty service to work with us to help the turkeys.

It's hard to kiss the lips at night that chews your a$$ all day long.