Probably already discussed but I'm too lazy to read 11 pages.....
Whatever happened in the 80's is over. That's got nothing to do with today. That is completely irrelevant at this point that's been 30 years ago.
I know 2 people who got their first Turkeys this year and are both super pumped about Turkey hunting in general. They are now Turkey Hunters. Nothing wrong with that - I enjoy it myself.
They both shot them from a Ground Blind using a Decoy in a food plot.
So basically they bushwhacked them. That's my opinion.
Back in the day most of us Turkey Hunters never considered this. IT was considered un-sportsmanlike to ambush one from a shooting house window. That was rare and if you did that you didn't admit this among your hunting collogues.
Hunters are the predator. This is absolutely no different than Deer Hunting. Hunters dictate everything. Just like those doe blasters on the property next to you ensuring you NEVER have the chance at a good racked buck.
If you had Turkeys and now you don't. They are dead. That's the answer. What the limit is doesn't matter. If you shoot your birds then you will have less birds. It's up to you to determine how many you can actually kill before your population suffers or maybe goes away entirely. That's your decision. If you want more birds then do something about it. Stop shooting them. Start working on habitat.
VERY SIMPLE.
All this being said IMO their populations would and have always fluctuated on any given property. Back in the day when the population was down from 50 in a flock to 20 in a flock my grandfather would simply chock that up to a "wet spring". There is nothing scientific about that statement IMO. I think it just happens that way.
