Telecheck Results 2024 **5/16 Update. Final Numbers**

[buckpasser]

I didn’t turkey hunt through the golden years. How many years did the high populations last?

The early glory days were about like now as far as turkey population. The difference was, you didn’t have any competition. It was rare to see another turkey hunter, and permission to hunt flowed like a mountain stream. The peak population days lasted about 8-10 years and caused the number of hunters to skyrocket exponentially (at least in my area).

Those of us around before the boom didn’t panic and call for the state to “do something!” when times got tough, because we all know that these things are cyclical. As many of us predicted, the turkey numbers are on the rise again. Let’s just hope the hunter numbers somehow become lower, or at least don’t increase and we’ll be just fine.

 

[sportsman94]

The early glory days were about like now as far as turkey population. The difference was, you didn’t have any competition. It was rare to see another turkey hunter, and permission to hunt flowed like a mountain stream. The peak population days lasted about 8-10 years and caused the number of hunters to skyrocket exponentially (at least in my area).

Those of us around before the boom didn’t panic and call for the state to “do something!” when times got tough, because we all know that these things are cyclical. As many of us predicted, the turkey numbers are on the rise again. Let’s just hope the hunter numbers somehow become lower, or at least don’t increase and we’ll be just fine.

Thanks Buckpasser! I think I killed my first turkey during the boom going with a friends dad. I was not born into a turkey hunting family so that was it until about 8 years ago. I am, however ate up with turkey hunting at this point and kicking myself for not finding a way to get out there when I was younger. I can say that hunter numbers seemed to be down here last year in comparison to covid years.

 

[Buford_Dawg]

The 2 best turkey hunters I know and have hunted many, many times with them in the past, no longer even hunt in GA due to the turkey declines we have / are seeing. They go to Fl, Al and out west to 3 different states. They get their fill of birds having to travel out of state. Sad affairs. I have already committed to travel some myself next year with one of them.

 

[Kev]

I started turkey hunting around 1995 and the population was very good. The great population lasted up until the maybe 2010 (2010 is an estimate). I then started noticing less and less. It hasn’t been great for a long time but I’d say the past 5 years has been the worst.

 

[goblr77]

I started turkey hunting around 1995 and the population was very good. The great population lasted up until the maybe 2010 (2010 is an estimate). I then started noticing less and less. It hasn’t been great for a long time but I’d say the past 5 years has been the worst.

I totally agree with that assessment.

 

[killerv]

Obviously, the pace won't maintain over the course of the season. But, it's encouraging. Hopefully the changes they've made are going to pay off over time.

I'm ready to get back to the early 2000's when I heard birds gobbling in every direction every single day!

Yep, it was a lovely time when you have to think to yourself "did I hear 6 birds or 8 gobble this morning."

 

[killerv]

I started turkey hunting around 1995 and the population was very good. The great population lasted up until the maybe 2010 (2010 is an estimate). I then started noticing less and less. It hasn’t been great for a long time but I’d say the past 5 years has been the worst.

And what year did Ga legalize baiting? 2011 if not mistaken. All these folks I know that keep feeders out year round now and complaining about their turkey population. What does corn bring to feeders? Raccoons. What to raccoons raid? Turkey nests.

 

[killerv]

Add 1 more for 2024 numbers, monkey off my back the other day.

 

[sportsman94]

And what year did Ga legalize baiting? 2011 if not mistaken. All these folks I know that keep feeders out year round now and complaining about their turkey population. What does corn bring to feeders? Raccoons. What to raccoons raid? Turkey nests.

I tried telling this to someone the other day. His desires are competing against each other. You want to improve turkey numbers then stop feeding during turkey season (he doesn’t hunt them). He had me come trap for him where I took off 20 nest predators in a couple weeks. That, in my opinion, would have been a prime time to stop feeding and let the void fill back in more slowly. Instead, the feeding continue and another dozen or so moved in to take their place about 3 weeks after I moved out. Those predators will now set up shop around his property to be able to hit those feeders every night.

I don’t think predators are a smoking gun as far as population decline, but I think it makes sense to not attract them in and around nesting season

 

[Nicodemus]

Glory days for me were the early 1960s and mid 1980s.

 

[fishfryer]

Glory days for me were the early 1960s and mid 1980s.

Yes Sir,glory days in a lot of ways.

 

[DRBugman85]

Glory days for me were the early 1960s and mid 1980s.

AMEN

 

[antharper]

I didn’t turkey hunt through the golden years. How many years did the high populations last?

I killed my first one in Telfair co probably in 86-87 , 13-14 years old . The population wasn’t very good where I lived then . I’d guess the golden years for me was in the late 90’s . Never even considered not killing a limit in Ga and Al during that time . I can remember plenty of mornings hearing so many you wouldn’t know which way to go .

 

[WOODIE13]

04 to 06 was really good, lots of birds running around

 

[Gut_Pile]

4/15 update

18 days into a 49 day season. 7,672 turkeys have been checked in for an average of 426 per day. This puts GA on pace for 20,884 turkeys checked in

With the 2 bird limit and one month left to go, you will see the average per day and on pace number drop drastically over the next couple of weeks

Looks like an "average" season at this point

 

[Gadget]

4/15 update

18 days into a 49 day season. 7,672 turkeys have been checked in for an average of 426 per day. This puts GA on pace for 20,884 turkeys checked in

With the 2 bird limit and one month left to go, you will see the average per day and on pace number drop drastically over the next couple of weeks

Looks like an "average" season at this point

This just proves to me that this tellecheck system is unreliable for gauging the Turkey population. All this tells me is more people are checking birds then they used to.

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

The early glory days were about like now as far as turkey population. The difference was, you didn’t have any competition. It was rare to see another turkey hunter, and permission to hunt flowed like a mountain stream. The peak population days lasted about 8-10 years and caused the number of hunters to skyrocket exponentially (at least in my area).

Those of us around before the boom didn’t panic and call for the state to “do something!” when times got tough, because we all know that these things are cyclical. As many of us predicted, the turkey numbers are on the rise again. Let’s just hope the hunter numbers somehow become lower, or at least don’t increase and we’ll be just fine.

I know you live in your own world and you hunt a property that is well-managed and has plenty of game, but I assure you the "glory days" were nothing like now.

It was common place, it was even expected, to go stand on a ridge top and hear multiple birds practically every morning. It was just a matter of choosing which one to go after.

These last few years, unless I've roosted a bird the evening before, it comes as a surprise to hear a gobble in the mornings on those same ridges that used to have so many.

 

[44magpastor]

I think numbers can be misleading.

I started hunting turkeys in 1998 I believe. Even if I didn't close the deal, I was on birds every day. Stopped hunting them around 2011 I'd say, when it seemed like there wasn't a turkey in Georgia.

 

[Gut_Pile]

This just proves to me that this tellecheck system is unreliable for gauging the Turkey population. All this tells me is more people are checking birds then they used to.

I 100% believe more people are using it.

That being said, the telecheck system was not created to gauge population and even gauge overall harvest. It was created to gauge harvest trends

The end of the year survey that the state does with license holders is what is used to determine overall harvest within the state

 

[buckpasser]

I know you live in your own world and you hunt a property that is well-managed and has plenty of game, but I assure you the "glory days" were nothing like now.

It was common place, it was even expected, to go stand on a ridge top and hear multiple birds practically every morning. It was just a matter of choosing which one to go after.

These last few years, unless I've roosted a bird the evening before, it comes as a surprise to hear a gobble in the mornings on those same ridges that used to have so many.

Show me this well managed property I hunt. I hunt permission on unmanaged farms and fields. The properties that I manage are for the well off to enjoy, not me. Sorry things aren’t going your way, but down here the “glory days” were not super high in population early on. As I have stated, tell a friend how bad it is. That might help.

Just out of curiosity, how long have you been turkey hunting? Was it the days of plenty when you started?