These type responses are frustrating. This is 6 pages of replies about "X number of birds" and "X number of gobbles", etc. None of that is even knowable, or universal. Whether in the good ol days, or bad days, this has never been comparable in any fashion. Your isolated experiences (location, dates, whatever) don't have enough controls to really be of any use in the conversation. We aren't really addressing the true narrative, which is reduced hunter satisfaction. You may not experience a difference in numbers, BUT there is a widespread/universal sentiment from all 4 corners of Alabama that the hunting experience is lesser than it used to be. And a 30 year old man's "used to be" won't even be the same as a 50 year old man's used to be. But again, there's a consensus agreement that something is "lesser" about it.
Just my personal stance on why I have a lesser experience today is because of more hunters. I don't hear anywhere near as much gobbling as I used to, but I still hear enough to enjoy turkey hunting when my anxiety meter isn't pegged by other hunters. Will I get beat to my spot? Am I gonna get walked in on? Did someone come in here during the week when I wasn't able? And there was only 1 bird gobbling down this road to start with, so if another hunter DOES kill him, well damn now I gotta start all over with another bird (and quite often I haven't heard another bird anywhere else). NONE of those factors existed when we were in our hay-day. It literally consumes my thoughts about turkey hunting...when I hear "turkey hunting" today, I don't think of the good parts, I instantly think "Good God there's a bajillion trucks everywhere!!!" It's just barely any fun anymore because you have to split the damn pie so many ways.
I know a lot of hunters don't feel that way, you may just have another personality. But again, I don't worry about predators and nest raiders, or weather, or disease, habitat differences, or ANYTHING besides other hunters. Because all of those things appear to be exactly the same as they used to be. MORE hunters is the only thing that's inarguably different than back then, and it's the only thing that ever affects my hunting. Your mileage may vary.
