mallardsx2
BANNED
^^^ I dont hate Georgia....However, GA could be so much better. If you never hunted another state you might not understand.
Welcome Guest!
Looking like a good year
- Thread starter DRBugman85
- Start date
buckpasser
Senior Member
Georgia has always been a tougher than average state to make kills in, due to having Easterns in the habitat we host, along with a tradition of hunting supplying more pressure than some of the gravy states. We can never compare to the ease of killing a big heavyweight Midwest Tom or the ridiculously over vocal western varieties. What we had was opportunity…The limits should have been where they started and stopped with changes. A daily limit was the obvious no brainer. We had a burnt out light bulb in the ceiling fan and instead of replacing it, put on a whole new roof. I’m glad some of us are passionate about making GA better, but I’m also disappointed so many bought into the pseudoscience that justified the changes.
DRBugman85
Senior Member
Well I for one can care less when Turkey season starts or the limit if I never harvest a gobbler every again I'm happy to Hear that GOBBLING in the spring with the possibility of working and watching the show.Yes sir I harvest Turkeys and enjoy every moment in the woods and yes I let Gobblers walk away just to go again and try again.I can buy Turkeys a LOT CHEAPER at Winn Dixie than what it costs to hunt turkeys what I can buy is the HUNT, Challenge a fun of the hunt. For 50 years I've see Turkey population come and go and as for Myself I've NEVER seen as many turkeys as I have seen in the past 5 years.
Ratrzcer1991
Senior Member
I’ve hunted other states, and still think Ga is a fine state to hunt.
Whit90
Senior Member
Why are there not many turkeys on the one track anymore? Change in habitat over the years?
across the river
Senior Member
Yes. If you rode through most of the pediment 20 plus years ago, there was a mixture of fields, hedgerows, broomsedge everywhere, wild plums, and all kind of early succession habitat on this place and around it. That stuff just isn’t there anymore. Now you can ride miles through the same area and never see anything but a planted pine.
The track that still has a bunch of turkeys is a mixture of habitat. There are still a lot of hardwoods, grown up fields, and the private around it is a mixture of habitat as well. They are not that far a part as the crow flies, but it is a night and day difference in turkey numbers. The same rules have been in place on both of them.
Whit90
Senior Member
@across the river I see.
I know of a public place that hasn't hardly change in the last 10 years. Killed my first bird there. It used to be a great turkey area, but within the last ten years, every year there were less and less birds. Now your lucky to hear one. I don't know what the deal is, but I don't think it was habitat that caused them to disappear in this particular location, because it hasn't changed.
I know of a public place that hasn't hardly change in the last 10 years. Killed my first bird there. It used to be a great turkey area, but within the last ten years, every year there were less and less birds. Now your lucky to hear one. I don't know what the deal is, but I don't think it was habitat that caused them to disappear in this particular location, because it hasn't changed.
across the river
Senior Member
It not just the one track of land. You can have a track with perfect habitat, but if everything around it has changed, it doesn’t matter how “perfect” it is. You can have a place that is great quail habitat, but if it is in the middle of a bunch of land that isn’t, you won’t have quail. Turkeys are very similar. I’ve got a small track that used to have plenty of birds and doesn’t now. Nothing is really that different on it, but a lot is different around it.
Whit90
Senior Member
I should have clarified. I was referring to a big piece of National forest. Not much around it has changed either.
buckpasser
Senior Member
My question would be how have the regs changed in the past ten years? The previous regs were in place for quite a long time prior to one decade ago. Through the ups and downs. Why were they once working great and now it’s the hunter’s fault through them?
I’ll help with an answer. Toms don’t raise poults and hens aren’t legal to shoot. It would have worked itself out. Now you’ll have the same poor hunting and less of it. When the rebound occurs you’ll still have the less of it. It was a bad move.
Whit90
Senior Member
@buckpasser the regs haven’t changed in the last ten years to my knowledge. On a state level I would say loss of habitat has had a huge impact, as the state become more populated and turkey woods get turned into neighborhoods. I haven’t been turkey hunting long enough to see a dip and a rebound if your saying it takes decades to occur. This is the first major dip I have ever seen. Ive always heard that the 90s were the golden days, so I can only assume that populations have slowing dwindled down since then. Which would make sense if urban sprawl is a factor.
across the river
Senior Member
Here is your problem on National Service land in the links below. It has been in the making for a while. You say "nothing has change" but forests don't stop growing. They continue to grow and continue to mature. A huge stand of continuous anything isn't good, and that is essentially what you have now. Efforts to harvest timber have been foiled by "nature groups" when in reality cutting some of the timber would dramatically help all the animals people keep fussing about having disappeared. Look at the dates of the acquisition of the national forests in that second link, and the correlate it to the time period that it takes a hardwood forest to mature, which is 80 - 100 years. Its pretty easily to connect the dots if you take the time to look at the logically. The DNR can't cut trees, as it falls under the USDA.
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-01-51r.pdf
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b4a13fb916684c2288ad14ee4ef12e23
Whit90
Senior Member
Your are preaching to the choir.
I understand old growth, lack of diversity, and tree huggers affects on forest management. I’ve seen a lot worse habitat hold turkeys compared to the area I mentioned. It’s good habitat. It was good and it is still good… just few birds.
I understand old growth, lack of diversity, and tree huggers affects on forest management. I’ve seen a lot worse habitat hold turkeys compared to the area I mentioned. It’s good habitat. It was good and it is still good… just few birds.
I also believe changing the season dates is about the craziest thing I’ve ever heard . I wouldn’t be scared to say the population on the private land I take care of has tripled in the last 10 years . I’m a firm believer that predators are the turkeys #1 enemy . I’ve really noticed a increase since I started trapping . After removing at least 50 coons and a couple dozen coyotes in a couple years I’ve really seen a difference . I’ll also add I usually kill my limit on public land
HD28
Senior Member
