2019 Turkey Season: 2 bird limit, 2 weeks shorter

[Gut_Pile]

http://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/4-wild-turkey-populations

"But, today turkey numbers are down and are estimated at between 6 and 6.2 million birds. Why has the overall turkey count dropped 15 percent? These recent declines may not be long-term, but they do warrant close monitoring."

 

[Jody Hawk]

This won't accomplish a thing other than saving a gobbler or two here and there. Plan on that.

 

[Gut_Pile]

http://www.wildturkeyreport.com/thoughts-on-proposed-changes-to-alabama-bag-limits-season

"As many of my fellow Alabama turkey hunters are beginning to discover, the state is mulling recommendations from Auburn University to lower the bag limit from five turkeys to three, and most shockingly, shorten the season to April 1-April 30, based on their data from a mere 18 months into a five year study."

 

[Gut_Pile]

This won't accomplish a thing other than saving a gobbler or two here and there. Plan on that.

Isn't it worth it then? With the horrible hatches, we need more gobblers around to hunt and to breed.

 

[Jody Hawk]

Our turkey decline goes deeper than hunting. Your average Joe don't kill a limit as it is.

 

[Gut_Pile]

I agree

Nothing in me believes that it is just due to harvest.

Habitat comes first, I know that.

 

[Gut_Pile]

Like I mentioned a few pages back

The DNR cannot make people trap. The DNR cannot make timber companies quit cutting. The DNR cannot make timber companies burn. The DNR can set season length and bag limits

Why not give it a shot?

 

[Jody Hawk]

If they do anything, I wish they would do a study on a big WMA like Cedar Creek or Redlands and see how it effects the turkeys there before they implement it state wide.

 

[Gut_Pile]

If they do anything, I wish they would do a study on a big WMA like Cedar Creek or Redlands and see how it effects the turkeys there before they implement it state wide.

From another thread. Not harvest related, but predator related.

UGA is doing study on BF Grant on nesting success. They put tracking on 13 hens and 4 of them moved on our land. Of the 9 on BFG all nest were raided and eggs destroyed. One hen set another nest and it was raided again. The students doing the research verified possums, coons and coyotes were the culprits. We have had a trapper on our land 2 times a year for the last year and thinned the population of these predators big time. The 4 nests on us all hatched and had 9-10 per nest. They were to monitor poults till they were 10 days old.
On an old but sore subject they did offer the same coyote would take on average 10 to 11 deer fawns

 

[Arrow3]

I just joined a 2000 acre club that is supposed to have a good turkey population. I'm gonna see if I can't kill a good many predators on it to help them out. I'm gonna take out several coons for sure.

 

[brittonl]

On April 30th there had been 10,426 checked in.

Ended up with a little over 11,900 so roughly 1,500 in May

Yep, and if you were to use others roughly saying 40-60% reporting this would put us around 3,000 + birds. Plus the fact these birds would be completing any late season breeding and likely allow for more mature birds the following season (Jakes, etc). And allow the woods to be less uninterrupted doing prime nesting periods. I’m still puzzled how this would be a net 0% affect? Not to mention, this would allow us all 2 weeks to predator hunt more

I’m with Will on this one, and yes I realize it’s not the main problem nor a perfect solution. But I would like to see more conservation efforts made by the state and us all to help these birds we all love so much. That’s the one thing I’m sure we can all agree on. Loosing May will encourage me to head more out of state for sure.

 

[M Sharpe]

It wouldn't bother me a bit if they cut a week off the front and 1 off the back and dropped it to a two bird limit!!
I've to talked to my game warden buddy and he's heard nothing of this though.
Funny how GA was supposed to have 400,000 birds a few years ago. Then it dropped to 350,000. Now 300,000. Those figures we're just pulled out of the air!!!

 

[Buckman18]

Yep, and if you were to use others roughly saying 40-60% reporting this would put us around 3,000 + birds. Plus the fact these birds would be completing any late season breeding and likely allow for more mature birds the following season (Jakes, etc). And allow the woods to be less uninterrupted doing prime nesting periods. I’m still puzzled how this would be a net 0% affect? Not to mention, this would allow us all 2 weeks to predator hunt more .

Ok ok, you got me... 3,000 birds and a statewide population of over 300,000 turkeys. A net <1% difference...

1 good nesting year and all this talk goes away quickly...

 

[sman]

2 birds is fine. I travel usually.

If they are worried about us killing too many ban full strut decoys. I'd go out on a limb and say the harvest drops 30 to 40%. Then have game wardens give the lakes a break until mid April. Have em worry about turkeys and baiting the first 2 weeks. 2 of the birds I killed this year were full of corn.

 

[XIronheadX]

2 birds is fine. I travel usually.

If they are worried about us killing too many ban full strut decoys. I'd go out on a limb and say the harvest drops 30 to 40%. Then have game wardens give the lakes a break until mid April. Have em worry about turkeys and baiting the first 2 weeks. 2 of the birds I killed this year were full of corn.

True. Ban blinds with the decoy and it drops 50% on the property I frequent. That would be a few gobblers extra for next year because they wouldn't kill one otherwise. And more than likely be a 25 increase in huntable birds next season.

No matter how you slice it, it's part of the equation. Hatches, harvests, methods used to harvest, predators, habitat. It's best to improve the odds and know what you have before you start shooting.

 

[kmckinnie]

I have been preparing BkW for the blind band. We make natural blinds now at strutt zones.

 

[kmckinnie]

Ucant stop BkW !!

 

[kmckinnie]

1 of 2 birds this year.

 

[meatseeker]

Just an observation and thought. Does anyone think that something is killing the hens and not the gobblers?
Seems wierd but here at my house the turkey numbers are as high as they’ve ever been. (18 years I’ve been here,
200 acres)
..... but the gobblers outnumber the hens easily 6 to 1 for
The last few years. Where it used to be the other way around. All I see is gobblers anymore. Sounds like a hunters dream but you gotta have hens. Now maybe the hens just don’t come on this property much. But another place I hunt it seems to be the same way. This has been my observations the last few years and this is all four seasons.
Anyway, reckon there could be something causing a high mortality rate in hens that’s not affecting gobblers? Sounds crazy right. I know the gobblers had to come from hens. But this past year I had 21 gobblers at my house all 3 year olds I’d guess. Big beards ands spurs. Saw them regularly. And only 2 jakes.
Sounds like a stretch but seems like the hens are declining worse than the gobblers.

 

[lampern]

They are going to enact an experimental season on the Oconee National Forest to see if changing season dates has an impact