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

[Gut_Pile]

Year 9 of this thread. Here are the links to previous years

2023

Telecheck Results 2023 *Updated 5/16* Final numbers

I have been doing this thread for 8 years now. You can find the results from the previous years at the threads below 2022 https://forum.gon.com/threads/telecheck-results-2022-updated-5-16-final-numbers.1015754/ 2021...

forum.gon.com

2022

Telecheck Results 2022 *Updated 5/16. Final numbers

I have been doing this thread for 7 years now. You can find the results from the previous years at the threads below 2021 https://forum.gon.com/threads/telecheck-results-2021-updated-5-17-final-numbers.990846/ 2020...

forum.gon.com

2021
https://forum.gon.com/threads/telecheck-results-2021-updated-5-17-final-numbers.990846/

2020
https://forum.gon.com/threads/telecheck-results-2020-final-numbers-posted.965094/

2019
https://forum.gon.com/threads/telecheck-results-2019-final-numbers-posted-page-4.941473/

2018
http://forum.gon.com/threads/telecheck-results-2018-updated-5-17.917581/

2017
http://forum.gon.com/threads/telecheck-results-2017-final-results-page-5.896288/

2016
http://forum.gon.com/threads/telecheck-results-so-far-updated-4-18-page-3.869649/

So far in 2024 we are 11 days into a 49 day season (youth weekend included). As of 04/8/24 at 3:20 PM there have been 5,825 turkeys killed. This is an average of 530 per day and puts us on pace for 25,947 turkeys killed in 2024.

So far we are off to a fast start with the best opening day results in Telecheck history. This time last year there had been 5,945 turkeys killed so the pace has fallen off some overall.

We will see how everything plays out the remainder of the year.


Opening day results from 16-24:

2016: 1,535
2017: 1,725
2018: 1,748
2019: 1,477
2020: 1,777
2021: 1,410
2022: 1,548
2023: 1,763
2024: 1,816

You can find telecheck results here

ArcGIS Dashboards

ArcGIS Dashboards

gadnrwrd.maps.arcgis.com

 

[Huntinfool]

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!

 

[Buford_Dawg]

Appreciate you doing this... It is dismal where I hunt now. Used to be lots of birds, now you can't even hear a gobble or find a track anywhere. Sad... At least there are birds being taken in other parts of the state which is good to see.

 

[turkeykirk]

Thanks for the updates.

 

[Dupree]

I expect high numbers overall this season. Birds seem to be behind schedule though.

 

[Gadget]

Surprised that many but which opening day is that? We have two now, if that includes the opening for private land the week before then your numbers are skewed and not accurate

 

[goblr77]

I’m seeing the least amount of turkeys since I started hunting them in 1996.

 

[Fieldglass]

Wish the state would do a turkey license/registry/stamp specific type of data point so we could compare the influx or redux (yea right) of turkey hunters to this type of harvest data...

 

[Gaswamp]

I expect high numbers overall this season. Birds seem to be behind schedule though.

I concur

 

[Gut_Pile]

Surprised that many but which opening day is that? We have two now, if that includes the opening for private land the week before then your numbers are skewed and not accurate

This year the opening day numbers are from March 30th. I know public now opens later, but going back to 2016 the first day of the season (private or public) has the highest # of kills.

If anything, it shows how bad the turkey numbers were a few years ago since just private is producing higher numbers than when private and public opened on the same day.

 

[Gadget]

This year the opening day numbers are from March 30th. I know public now opens later, but going back to 2016 the first day of the season (private or public) has the highest # of kills.

If anything, it shows how bad the turkey numbers were a few years ago since just private is producing higher numbers than when private and public opened on the same day.

Ah so this number is from the private land opening only, yes that is very surprising.
In Crawford County where I hunt, a property that was once so over populated with turkey that twice the state came in and trapped over 100 turkey to relocate to other parts of the state, is now down 90%. We have the least sign, pictures ever this year, it just keeps getting worse for us. We’ve had a one bird limit for 6yrs now, made no difference.

 

[sportsman94]

Thanks for doing this thread again!

 

[goblr77]

This year the opening day numbers are from March 30th. I know public now opens later, but going back to 2016 the first day of the season (private or public) has the highest # of kills.

If anything, it shows how bad the turkey numbers were a few years ago since just private is producing higher numbers than when private and public opened on the same day.

The turkey numbers are lower than I've seen them in eons. Harvest data is up because more people are turkey hunting now.

 

[cowhornedspike]

The turkey numbers are lower than I've seen them in eons. Harvest data is up because more people are turkey hunting now.

And also a larger percentage of are hunters participating in the reporting every year I believe.

 

[antharper]

The turkey numbers are lower than I've seen them in eons. Harvest data is up because more people are turkey hunting now.

I think it’s from more people actually reporting them

 

[Sixes]

I wonder if the DNR checks on the hunters that reported kills on the 29th, which is the day before it opened

 

[Huntinfool]

I do agree that these number are probably very muddy. Higher numbers of kills does not, necessarily, equal higher numbers of turkeys. It could very well be a result of larger numbers of hunters and much easier reporting than in the past. But, it could also be an indicator that things are improving.

It seems like the consensus so far in this thread (including the property I hunt) is that good turkey hunters, in general, seem to indicate that they are seeing and experiencing lower numbers still.

We are just a few years into the changes. I wouldn't expect to see significant changes yet. But it will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next 2-3 years.

20 years ago, the property I hunt was loaded with turkeys. Was not uncommon for me to hear 6-8 birds gobbling within earshot on any given day. Now, I'm lucky if I hear 1-2 and those are typically so far off my property that they aren't worth trying to hunt.

I still love every second of it. But it's definitely harder year after year.

 

[Huntinfool]

I wonder if the DNR checks on the hunters that reported kills on the 29th, which is the day before it opened

Man I hope so!

 

[Kev]

I thought I was an expert turkey hunter 15 years ago but these days I stink at it. It’s extremely hard to get on a turkey now. It has been for some time. I know people that have an abundance of turkeys in isolated areas but we don’t have many on my tracts.

 

[sportsman94]

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