Originally Posted by CNC
Originally Posted by poorcountrypreacher
There isn't much to explain - just list the predators that the catfish lakes have drawn in that are affecting turkeys on the other side of the county. You have listed eagles; what else you got? Since we both agree that significant eagle numbers is very recent, that can't be the only thing when talking about 60 years of stability.


Let’s start with the idea that if you hunt in southeast Perry Co then it probably isnt 30 miles to where there are major commercial ponds…

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Originally Posted by RareBreed
I can tell you there are no shortage of eagles, hawks, owls in this region, especially around these farms that are predominantly catfish/cattle. I work with these guys closely and it’s nothing to see half a dozen eagles/ half a dozen hawks on each visit to any of these farms. That’s just what I spot as I’m riding through glancing occasionally.

But the other avian predator populations ^^^^^ would have been the other predators before eagles that are attracted to the prey sources available around these commercial pond operations…..The water and the high density of fish are an annual constant as the base chain in the link……

https://www.facebook.com/groups/alabamabirding/posts/1433458340137158/

I'm NE of your mark, but I will agree that it's more like 20 miles than 30 to the first group of ponds. 30 was just a guess. The oldest of those ponds used to be pay to fish bass/bream lakes and I caught my first bass in it. I must have been about 3, but I still have a vague memory of pulling him out on the bank with a cane pole. Years later they converted those lakes to catfish and then built a bunch more.

Well, thanks for trying to come up with something, but I'm still skeptical that the catfish lakes have much to do with our turkeys. Other than the eagles, there just isn't a predator that they could attract that we haven't had all along. The owls and hawks have been there all my life.

The GC numbers for Perry county show this to be a record season for the county, but it's also been a great season in my specific area. We haven't killed but 3, but the neighbors have already killed their most ever. Good habitat produces turkeys. The predators are always going to get a lot of them, but they don't get them all if you have cover.

Good luck to all who are still hunting!

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.