fountain
Senior Member
Being considered by who? Not anyone in the wildlife resource division
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Oconee National Foresst what happened to the population?
- Thread starter creekside
- Start date
trad bow
wooden stick slinging driveler
BF Grant has a huge egg laying facility bordering it on the north end by hi way 441. The turkeys declined started when it opened. They say it is no way associated with the populations. Whatever happened to the deer on the ONF is happening to the turkeys. Not a good situation but I doubt if you can get anyone to stop hunting after harvesting one gobbler.
XIronheadX
PF Trump Cam Operator !20/20
Turkeys gave me a disease over 30 yrs ago, and believe me, you don't want it.
chase870
Possum Sox
Been searching for a cure for it with no luck
kevincox
Senior Member
Less sign and very few tracks where I've hunted. Could be habitat issue in my area. Too much clear cutting and really thick planted pines and very few hardwoods. Have not heard a gobble in 2 trips. In past years we would normally always hear atleast 1 or 2.
Luke0927
Senior Member
We back up to ONF around Monticello, or land was mostly cut so we have been mostly hunting ONF last two seasons. We have worked a couple of birds, but it has been tough.
panfish
Senior Member
I'm in the onf almost every weekend. I don't see them like I use to. But I don't see a lot of hunting ether. I don't see it being over hunting doing it. I stop hunting turkey a long time ago. But I'm still out there walking. They just not there any more.
Danuwoa
Redneck Emperor
Funny that I find this thread here this morning. I had a conversation with a guy this morning and he asked me if I had heard anything about deer corn that is being put out hurting the turkeys. By that I mean something about whatever is being done to the corn being unhealthy for turkeys. I don't know why it would hurt turkeys and not deer but I'm not an expert on such matters. Have y'all heard anything about this.
PappyHoel
Senior Member
Sounds like an anti baiter rumor .
Danuwoa
Redneck Emperor
Could be. But the guy that asked me about doesn't do anything but small game hunt so I doubt he cares.
Mexican Squealer
Senior Member
Aflatoxin
Gut_Pile
Senior Member
Kansas, Texas, and Florida allow bait to be present during turkey season and they have zero turkey issues
Corn has nothing to do with it
Corn has nothing to do with it
deast1988
Senior Member
How many signed into CederCreek this year?
How much timber did they take off CederCreek, B.F. Grant, Redlands, Clybel?
The land management on certain tracks or lack there of, The allowable hunter access makes it easy pickings to easily over hunt, over educate, and decimate populations.
Lock the gates, make folks walk. Limit hunters, don’t just wipe chunks of timber out to pay the bills (Clybel/BF). Should start some state funded trapping programs by folks that actually know how to properly trap, They keep increasing hunting license prices.
I say all this because my sections of ONF are affected by the hunting situations on some of these WMAS. CC is prob over 500 signed in at this point in season. That much pressure on a sign in hunt. Leads to no telling out there on government land in Surrounding areas.
How much timber did they take off CederCreek, B.F. Grant, Redlands, Clybel?
The land management on certain tracks or lack there of, The allowable hunter access makes it easy pickings to easily over hunt, over educate, and decimate populations.
Lock the gates, make folks walk. Limit hunters, don’t just wipe chunks of timber out to pay the bills (Clybel/BF). Should start some state funded trapping programs by folks that actually know how to properly trap, They keep increasing hunting license prices.
I say all this because my sections of ONF are affected by the hunting situations on some of these WMAS. CC is prob over 500 signed in at this point in season. That much pressure on a sign in hunt. Leads to no telling out there on government land in Surrounding areas.
creekside
Senior Member
some good points!
spurrs and racks
Banned
the birds are gone
and over hunting, or corn, or even predation did not get these numbers down to the level that they are now.
Something killed these birds, and although raccoons and other critters certainly take there toil as well has habitat removal, I think it was something much larger than people have put there fingers on.
I raise turkeys, and I have had a fair amount just die in the last few years. I think it was disease or flu.
IMHO
s&r
and over hunting, or corn, or even predation did not get these numbers down to the level that they are now.
Something killed these birds, and although raccoons and other critters certainly take there toil as well has habitat removal, I think it was something much larger than people have put there fingers on.
I raise turkeys, and I have had a fair amount just die in the last few years. I think it was disease or flu.
IMHO
s&r
cam88
Senior Member
I remember last year I got drawn for a quota hunt and when I got there they had been cutting timber right before the season started and during the first bit of the season. Don't know who's bright idea that was but needless to say I harvested 0.
DRBugman85
Senior Member
When we started Predator control on our leases the Turkey population was way DOWN, Now we have very few coyote Bobcats and Hogs and our Turkey population is getting better with of course food plots being managed for deer and turkey,s ...
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I'm right there with you. I've got spots that I could hear a gobble nearly any morning a few years ago, today it's like there's not a turkey within miles.
saltysenior
Senior Member
the disease theory is a theory that holds water for the turkey population decline in ALL eastern states...other than raptors, reasons that are usually brought forward are not possible in all the states seeing this occurrence
Timberman
Senior Member
This
