Turkey season is next in Ga.

[Son]

In Ga, turkey season is next. DNR has cut weeks off the season, and reduced the limit to 2. Evidently they think hunting is reducing the numbers too much. When wild hogs and raccoons are the culprits. Along with the loss of habitat since hurricane Michael. Ga needs to take the season off raccoons, the fur trade tanked years ago. Coon hunters can manage coon numbers in their own lands. If people would do all they can to cut hog numbers, the state remove coon season. We would see the turkey numbers explode. I have 47 years experience in managing deer and turkeys. Here's a few photos. I enjoy turkey hunting, always use a box call. And only take doubles when my hunting days may be limited. Sometimes I use a decoy, sometimes not. Some old gobblers will shy from decoys late season.

 

[Quackmasterofgeorgia]

In Ga, turkey season is next. DNR has cut weeks off the season, and reduced the limit to 2. Evidently they think hunting is reducing the numbers too much. When wild hogs and raccoons are the culprits. Along with the loss of habitat since hurricane Michael. Ga needs to take the season off raccoons, the fur trade tanked years ago. Coon hunters can manage coon numbers in their own lands. If people would do all they can to cut hog numbers, the state remove coon season. We would see the turkey numbers explode. I have 47 years experience in managing deer and turkeys. Here's a few photos. I enjoy turkey hunting, always use a box call. And only take doubles when my hunting days may be limited. Sometimes I use a decoy, sometimes not. Some old gobblers will shy from decoys late season.

I wouldn’t mind seeing all WMAs opened up to trapping as well.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I’m not exactly counting down the days but I will be out there for Toms this year as well.

 

[Son]

I hate too many regulations, hoops to jump through, but I love to hunt. We either cow down to total control, or quit hunting. I took a ride through our woods this afternoon, the ruts were covered with turkey tracks. Hope they stick aroung

 

[rigderunner]

There’s not as many coon hunters as there use to be and half don’t kill coons. I take as many Turkey thieves as I can in a season to my dogs

 

[antharper]

I agree son , less regulations and more predators removed . I love trapping , and it helps . No wild hogs in my area , not sure why but they aren’t .

 

[buckpasser]

It’ll be a long, hard, late wait to opening day down here on the FL line…but it’ll be worth it. Now the Toms can survive long enough to get up the nerve to breed out and hatch some of those nests off as the hens weren’t doing a good enough job. Is Joe Biden running the GADNR? Also, since the Turkey Doc’s magical recipe was released I’m adding testosterone booster in with the feeder so some of my back up gobblers will be capable of breeding now without a two or three week delay (they do push ups and stuff maybe, learn to strut, and play the guitar? Not sure?).

I also learned from him that the coyotes basically play no role in hurting the turkey numbers, cause they couldn’t find no feathers in their doodoo. Rat snakes are as bad as anything on them, and habitat is king. I learned a lot. Thanks again TD! You’re the best!

 

[Son]

When I managed a farm for timber and hunting. Each year, red tail hawks preyed on turkey poults about as much as anything. There was one power pole in the middle of a 20 acre field a hawk would take poults to to eat. at the bottom of that pole was the evidence. I've seen red tail hawks take a brood of 12 down to two or three. Cattle egrets will eat young poults and young quail, i've seen it. The hawk photo is one I took of a red tail found impaled on a dead limb. The limb went through the breast and out the back. I pulled the limb out and he flew off.

 

[hrstille]

Predator control is #1. Hunters have very little to do with overall turkey population. My area was covered with coyotes, fox, bobcat, coons, ect.. & we have tremendously cut out the predator number over the past few years. Now our turkey population is booming again. There are several people hunting the birds in my area but the population is still climbing after we removed the predators. I don't know why the DNR is stuck on hunters being the problem. Its obvious that predators are the reason for decline.

 

[Son]

A few of my beard collection. I learned to put borax on then to keep the bugs from destroying them. bugs destroyed a cigar box of beards from years ago. I love hunting turkeys, using cedar boxes. I have a few boxes, old and new. most made by a friend

 

[Elkdog]

Predator control is #1. Hunters have very little to do with overall turkey population. My area was covered with coyotes, fox, bobcat, coons, ect.. & we have tremendously cut out the predator number over the past few years. Now our turkey population is booming again. There are several people hunting the birds in my area but the population is still climbing after we removed the predators. I don't know why the DNR is stuck on hunters being the problem. Its obvious that predators are the reason for decline.

I think predators probably are the main problem but hunters will have to be the ones to do something about it. Some coon hunters don’t kill many so they have plenty to chase. The DNR isn’t likely to try to control predators. It’s really not feasible. They can control the regs though. Time will tell if these new season dates will help.

 

[1eyefishing]

Love me some turkey season…

 

[six]

I’m sort of new at it myself. I may buy me a new turkey rifle and give it a try again this year When does it open?

 

[Son]

Only thing I didn't like about wild turkeys, was mounting them. Mounted a few during my commercial years as a taxidermist, and it's no picknick. It's so easy to mess the skin up on the top of the lower back. It's a real job. So now I merely enjoy eating fried turkey breast. And grind the dark meat up with venison.