Well........ some things still amaze me

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
After last weekend I thought all the hunters killed all of the huntable gobblers we had on both sides of our road here in Harnett County but I saw 4 longbeard gobblers cross the road this morning a half mile down from my house. I couldn't believe it. On this 2 mile stretch of road we have gotten up to 14 people trying to turkey hunt this year. We dont even have that many folks deer hunting šŸ˜’.
I thought last year was bad because of covid but this Spring has made this road look like a small gameland. 2 years ago there was only 5 of us hunting.
I was sure tickled to see those 4 birds cross the road.šŸ˜šŸ˜‰
 
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Lucky Clucker

Old Mossy Horns
Next year is going to suck green persimmons ,seen 2 jakes all spring.one in sc. And one ran across a road. Seen more hunters this spring also than.last when everyone was not working. Been tons killed ,They not going to make it many more years if this keeps up. Several spots I hunt have not seen or heard a gobbler all season.It was full of jakes last season so not sure what happened. I'm looking at new states to go to next spring.Should have this year but job and time.goingbto have 3 weeks vacation next year so I'm going to be gone .lol There are 3 gobblers left at home and hope they make it.Not taken any here in several years just hate killing one at home.lol. I see one every day going to work in a field .going to try and get.permission to kill it by Saturday.He makese run off the road.lol.
 

Hrlhustler

Six Pointer
Haven't heard a bird since youth opener but have seen 10 or more long beards...I have an abundance of hens... one bird I tried to work mid morning this am was in his strut zone and had 8 hens still...I called in the dominant hen but he had no reason to follow with 7 others within 50 ft of him
 

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
Next year is going to suck green persimmons ,seen 2 jakes all spring.one in sc. And one ran across a road. Seen more hunters this spring also than.last when everyone was not working. Been tons killed ,They not going to make it many more years if this keeps up. Several spots I hunt have not seen or heard a gobbler all season.It was full of jakes last season so not sure what happened. I'm looking at new states to go to next spring.Should have this year but job and time.goingbto have 3 weeks vacation next year so I'm going to be gone .lol There are 3 gobblers left at home and hope they make it.Not taken any here in several years just hate killing one at home.lol. I see one every day going to work in a field .going to try and get.permission to kill it by Saturday.He makese run off the road.lol.
Now now... inquiring minds want to know ā€œJust how many have you and your boys killed in this ā€œhorrible yearā€???šŸ‘€šŸ¤Ŗ
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
After last weekend I thought all the hunters killed all of the huntable gobblers we had on both sides of our road here in Harnett County but I saw 4 longbeard gobblers cross the road this morning a half mile down from my house. I couldn't believe it. On this 2 mile stretch of road we have gotten up to 14 people trying to turkey hunt this year. We dont even have that many folks deer hunting šŸ˜’.
I thought last year was bad because of covid but this Spring has made this road look like a small gameland. 2 years ago there was only 5 of us hunting.
I was sure tickled to see those 4 birds cross the road.šŸ˜šŸ˜‰
Wait until they learn to kill them. :) when they quit parking in the flydown area.
Then you'll really be cussing them.
 

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
I've said for years that NC needs to cut the limit, or cut the season, or cut out the week of youth season. Those of us that hunt in Caswell know that some areas of the county have NO turkeys, other areas have barely enough to hunt, and only along the Dan River does it slightly resemble what it used to be. You can't kill all the turkeys and still have turkeys, how hard is that to understand?

Three of us hunting on our lease and we have killed one bird. If I can get one Friday I won't even try for number two.
 

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
and those of us hunting down this way know that when you all had a ton of turkeys, we had none,, back then if folks around here wanted to hunt turkeys they had to travel,,,

I expect biologists know what they are doing, within the political and "hunter dynamic" challenges of their job
And the day will come under the present trend when your area will become like Caswell is now. My opinion of the biologists and wildlife officials that make the decisions regarding wild turkeys in NC has not changed over the last thirty years. It is the opposite of yours.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
And the day will come under the present trend when your area will become like Caswell is now. My opinion of the biologists and wildlife officials that make the decisions regarding wild turkeys in NC has not changed over the last thirty years. It is the opposite of yours.


of course it will,,, as our population grows (country, states, counties) the habitat shrinks, diseases happen, animals die, etc etc ect

I NEVER expect things to "stay the same",,, whether turkeys, deer, elk, or grouse,,, it just isn't how it works,,, even back in the pre-colonial days, many (dare i say most) Native American tribes had to relocate occasionally due to a depletion of game in the area,,,,

My opinion of the biologists and wildlife officials that make the decisions regarding wild turkeys in NC has not changed over the last thirty years. It is the opposite of yours.

that's sad - I try to think the best of people until proven otherwise

so what has the NCWRC biologists and "wildlife officials" done that makes you think so poorly of them? Did they go to duke or UNC instead of State?
 

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
I donā€™t know what schools have to do with it, I didnā€™t attend any of those schools and really donā€™t care who did.

Years ago many of us tried to tell them what was happening in Caswell and they refused to even listen to us. With a declining population they opened a stupid winter season and a youth week. Compared to other states NC has always seemed uninterested in managing the wild turkey flock. My opinion and it wonā€™t change until I see some positive action.

I canā€™t speak for other counties but in Caswell the area west of hwy 62 and south of hwy 158 needs to be completely closed for two or three years. The rest of the county with the exception of north of the Dan River needs to be a one bird limit. Youth season needs to be the weekend before regular season not the week before season. I realize there is no chance of that happening but other states have done exactly that in counties where the population had seriously declined. Thatā€™s called management.
 

JWH15

Six Pointer
I've said for years that NC needs to cut the limit, or cut the season, or cut out the week of youth season. Those of us that hunt in Caswell know that some areas of the county have NO turkeys, other areas have barely enough to hunt, and only along the Dan River does it slightly resemble what it used to be. You can't kill all the turkeys and still have turkeys, how hard is that to understand?

Three of us hunting on our lease and we have killed one bird. If I can get one Friday I won't even try for number two.
Then stop hunting them and let them repopulate on your lease.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
So hunting and killing a small population of birds is going to help?
He's not killing any hens ground nesting birds are whole different ballgame nothing like deer and other critters the small places he is hunting killing a couple gobblers off would have no effect on bird numbers for the area. Turkey populations thrive in right conditions despite hunter pressure his issue is more about hatching in areas he hunts than killing gobblers
 

JWH15

Six Pointer
He's not killing any hens ground nesting birds are whole different ballgame nothing like deer and other critters the small places he is hunting killing a couple gobblers off would have no effect on bird numbers for the area. Turkey populations thrive in right conditions despite hunter pressure his issue is more about hatching in areas he hunts than killing gobblers
If that's the case the record number of birds killed this year should have no effect on the population that you referenced in the other thread since they are just gobblers and no hens.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
If that's the case the record number of birds killed this year should have no effect on the population that you referenced in the other thread since they are just gobblers and no hens.
The record number killed was last year not this year and as you can tell didn't hurt anything by killing record number last year this is is almost as impressive. Which makes my point killing gobblers doesn't have huge impact as hatch. The hatch always has and always will control turkey populations and its has and always will be an up and down thing its just way it is with ground nesting birds. And reason next year we will likely kill couple thousand less birds than last 2.
 

JWH15

Six Pointer
The record number killed was last year not this year and as you can tell didn't hurt anything by killing record number last year this is is almost as impressive. Which makes my point killing gobblers doesn't have huge impact as hatch. The hatch always has and always will control turkey populations and its has and always will be an up and down thing its just way it is with ground nesting birds. And reason next year we will likely kill couple thousand less birds than last 2.
You kill the couple gobblers of your lease, who then breeds the hens so they can nest? They will then move to another area to find a gobble to breed with. That is my point.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
You kill the couple gobblers of your lease, who then breeds the hens so they can nest? They will then move to another area to find a gobble to breed with. That is my point.
I see what your saying but it doesn't seem apply where he is hunting the bird numbers are down overall in that part his county not just his lease its a bigger issue. Season is set where most breeding is already done by time opens well at least for adults but that's another can worms.
 

buckshooter

Old Mossy Horns
I donā€™t know what schools have to do with it, I didnā€™t attend any of those schools and really donā€™t care who did.

Years ago many of us tried to tell them what was happening in Caswell and they refused to even listen to us. With a declining population they opened a stupid winter season and a youth week. Compared to other states NC has always seemed uninterested in managing the wild turkey flock. My opinion and it wonā€™t change until I see some positive action.

I canā€™t speak for other counties but in Caswell the area west of hwy 62 and south of hwy 158 needs to be completely closed for two or three years. The rest of the county with the exception of north of the Dan River needs to be a one bird limit. Youth season needs to be the weekend before regular season not the week before season. I realize there is no chance of that happening but other states have done exactly that in counties where the population had seriously declined. Thatā€™s called management.

Id love to see that in Milton. Also up around the mountain hill rd area. Both of those places have seen a terrific drop in numbers.
 

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
The number of birds killed means nothing unless you add in the number of hunters and days hunted. In 1994 there were at least 50% fewer turkey hunters that killed those 345 birds. In the community Dan and I grew up in there was only five or six people hunting turkeys in the early nineties. That number grew to at least 25 or 30 hunting the same four square mile area by the early 2000ā€™s. Put enough hunters out there and the kill numbers will stay up until the birds are gone. The problem is and has been for years that the number of hunters is increasing faster than the population of birds. Counties with high kill numbers are seeing exactly what Caswell saw. Too many hunters not enough birds.
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
We have set a record with 9 killed this year.....plenty of hens and jakes running around.....6 or 7 more 2 year olds running around still......I have always said that if we kill 10 it would worry me a little......at this point next year may be a one bird limit, but we will evaluate that as the rest of the year goes on....visual head counts by deer hunters always provides good intelligence......it definitely takes a lot of perfect conditions for a good hatch.....and also nest raider control......plus the yotes and bobcats
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
Iā€™d say the numbers even in the areas of Caswell that still has good bird #s is declining. I donā€™t see near the number of hens specifically that I used to. Still decent turkey numbers but nothing like it was.

South side of river, Yanceyville area, has been hit hard. Guy I know that many of you know was talking about seeing a field with 126 turkeys in it about 10 years ago.....now there are none in that same area. He used to be able to hear 6 or more gobblers on any given morning. Again none now. Hunting gobblers only is not responsible for a total population collapse. There is something or a bunch of somethings afoot that has caused this and is continuing to march into the northern part of the county.

Canā€™t speak to other areas. Have turkeys in my back yard in wake county where we didnā€™t used to. Other areas seem to have birds that historically didnā€™t. Itā€™s strange. Given the time and money theyā€™ve spent capturing and restocking areas youā€™d think there would be great interest in figuring out why areas are empty of birds that were once strongholds. Guess same strategy that they take with deer they take with turkeys.....not much of one.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I see what your saying but it doesn't seem apply where he is hunting the bird numbers are down overall in that part his county not just his lease its a bigger issue. Season is set where most breeding is already done by time opens well at least for adults but that's another can worms.


that's most likely because of what I said earlier - habitat

and yet folks want to rail on hunting

I'm all for shutting her down,,, but if it's not about the dead gobblers, why worry on shutting down the season or such?

habitat is what affects hens,,, not the hunting season
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Caswell had 345 turkeys killed in 1994; They had 347 killed last year.
In 2002 it peaked at 482.

https://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Hunting/Documents/Turkey/1977-2020-Turkey-Harvest.pdf


yeap,,, they had a few years here and there out of the last forever that were higher than last year,,,,,

and seems every low year is followed by a "high" year (generally)

the average since 1998 is 363 birds/year,,,, so 2020 at 347 birds isn't that far off,,,

but then if you look at current reporting,,, the three year trend shows lower numbers than the actual harvest report..... WHAT to believe now??

caswell turkeys.png



and I know,, many folks aren't like me,,, they want to hunt the same three fields they have always hunted,,,, me? I go where the game is,,,, always have,,, always will,,,, till I run out of Earth to chase them on,,,
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
yeap,,, they had a few years here and there out of the last forever that were higher than last year,,,,,

and seems every low year is followed by a "high" year (generally)

the average since 1998 is 363 birds/year,,,, so 2020 at 347 birds isn't that far off,,,

but then if you look at current reporting,,, the three year trend shows lower numbers than the actual harvest report..... WHAT to believe now??

View attachment 65781



and I know,, many folks aren't like me,,, they want to hunt the same three fields they have always hunted,,,, me? I go where the game is,,,, always have,,, always will,,,, till I run out of Earth to chase them on,,,
the current harvest numbers reflect where we are at the season to date. Not totals for year.
It should clear up by next Monday or indeed there is an issue.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
the current harvest numbers reflect where we are at the season to date. Not totals for year.
It should clear up by next Monday or indeed there is an issue.


yes, I understand that for THIS year's numbers - I was referring to the column titled "Total turkeys past 3 year range" - and the high for that range shows as 314, when last years was supposedly 347

Math,,, it's fundamental

maybe that's why @Zach's Grandpa has no faith in them,,, they can't get their math right!
 
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