How Can We Help Turkeys

[Zach's Grandpa]

Closing the season wouldn't bother me at all since I've only killed two in the last seven seasons and none this year or last year. LOL Seriously I hunt in TN where there are birds, numbers were down but have made a decent recovery, I'm planning on NE and maybe another state or two next year.

 

[Justin]

I have several properties I no longer hunt due to low numbers in those areas. Have I completely stopped. No. The club I’m in has a bunch of land and has sustained a good population for years. So I hunt there. And a couple of other private farms in areas with good numbers.
I’ll entertain an different question. IF a decline became so severe that the whole season state wide needed to be closed for 2-3 years who would be in favor of this. Who would graciously go fishing in April and leave the birds alone. I’d do so in a second. I can just about promise you I’d be in the minority.

i don’t Turkey hunt but do have an interest in why things seem they way they do. That said…. Y’all find something else to doin April. Water has enough folks on it

 

[ctsnow]

Interesting that this has been posed a few times and only one person has spoke up and said “I’m not….”

Yep, most people aren’t willing to do that. This morning was the first time I have hunted within 1.5 hours of my house for that very reason. The population is terrible and they need all the help they can get here at home.

 

[CutNRun]

I didn't get to use a tag this Spring and never got a gobbler in range all season. Part of that is my fault for not securing enough good places or traveling far enough to hunt more populated areas.

That said, I feed the turkeys by my house every day in an area that's off limits to hunting. I figure that since I take from somewhere, I need to give back somewhere too. I've watched a nice longbeard and a jake every day for the past 2 months, along with several hens that have fed here every day for the past few months. It is frustrating to get taunted by gobbles from the backyard, then hear nothing in the woods where I hunt. The hens end up bringing poults around to feed here and the little ones will get a better chance at surviving. One hen here last year had 12 poults and 10 of them survived(!). Some of those birds will spread out and help populate other areas. I know its not much, but it is something that can help sustain the local turkey population.

Jim

 

[Lowg08]

I am glad to see the interest in help. I noticed down state some new burns. Now I’m not sure if it was a prescribed burn or not. Just seemed a horrible time to burn in April. Raccoons are bad, opossums and crows. Coyotes and us. I have had cameras out going on two years. I can tell you I have gotten 2 pictures of a turkey. I don’t even try in these areas to hunt them. I do hunt them in areas with lots of sign. I’m not an expert in turkey at all. Closing a season might help or taking James off the menu. A fall hem season might help. Heck I don’t know. The spring burn doesn’t make allot of sense to me. I saw allot of young last year. But the Nantahala hunt proved that doesn’t mean anything

 

[Mack in N.C.]

I havnt turkey hunted in a few years but I see plenty while hunting other species, fishing, hiking etc........I have seen more than than normal in the last 2 years.

For instance just today i saw a huge flock on the 43rd Air squadons area . probaly had 20-25 birds in it.

 

[turkeyfoot]

I am glad to see the interest in help. I noticed down state some new burns. Now I’m not sure if it was a prescribed burn or not. Just seemed a horrible time to burn in April. Raccoons are bad, opossums and crows. Coyotes and us. I have had cameras out going on two years. I can tell you I have gotten 2 pictures of a turkey. I don’t even try in these areas to hunt them. I do hunt them in areas with lots of sign. I’m not an expert in turkey at all. Closing a season might help or taking James off the menu. A fall hem season might help. Heck I don’t know. The spring burn doesn’t make allot of sense to me. I saw allot of young last year. But the Nantahala hunt proved that doesn’t mean anything

burns in April are bad short term but the long term benefit greatly outweighs short term

 

[turkeyfoot]

I'm not sure any closing of season is a solution at most would only be short term help when comes to turkeys in most these areas the issue is localized you would have to close only certain areas of counties or certain counties which in turn is gonna add pressure to open areas not to mention its not gonna happen as long as the overall state is stable or in east increasing. More of a bandaide type thing instead of addressing underlying issue. NC harvest has increased more years than not for some time for bit now lot of it thanks to east boom but last year or 2020 neither one was horrible enough to start closing down counties this year was for much due to bad hatch in 20 it was predictable next year will be better hatch last year was better and the uptick in Jake harvest showed it for many counties. All in all we might just have to accept the fact that bird numbers just might be pleateauing after booms combined with increased hunter effort makes for tough situations in some states and some areas of NC but not the state overall

 

[oldest school]

I'm not sure any closing of season is a solution at most would only be short term help when comes to turkeys in most these areas the issue is localized you would have to close only certain areas of counties or certain counties which in turn is gonna add pressure to open areas not to mention its not gonna happen as long as the overall state is stable or in east increasing. More of a bandaide type thing instead of addressing underlying issue. NC harvest has increased more years than not for some time for bit now lot of it thanks to east boom but last year or 2020 neither one was horrible enough to start closing down counties this year was for much due to bad hatch in 20 it was predictable next year will be better hatch last year was better and the uptick in Jake harvest showed it for many counties. All in all we might just have to accept the fact that bird numbers just might be pleateauing after booms combined with increased hunter effort makes for tough situations in some states and some areas of NC but not the state overall

Half of the kill is coming from one region. Mtn and Piedmont are both going to exceed 20% or more decrease from last year.
I sure hope it gets hot and dry quickly

 

[turkeyfoot]

Half of the kill is coming from one region. Mtn and Piedmont are both going to exceed 20% or more decrease from last year.
I sure hope it gets hot and dry quickly

Sometimes with turkeys you just gotta wait till next year I'd bet next year piedmont and mtns will at least have decent harvest numbers. It also wouldn't surprise me the coast holds serve or increases again

 

[turkeyfoot]

Half of the kill is coming from one region. Mtn and Piedmont are both going to exceed 20% or more decrease from last year.
I sure hope it gets hot and dry quickly

I can't speak for piedmont but mtns still got henned up birds I gave one pass Thur that still had 4 hens and he was still gobbling trying round up some more. I know of few that are like that later hatch might mean better survival for those at least or I like to at least think that

 

[oldest school]

I can't speak for piedmont but mtns still got henned up birds I gave one pass Thur that still had 4 hens and he was still gobbling trying round up some more. I know of few that are like that later hatch might mean better survival for those at least or I like to at least think that

Selfishly I want perfect turkey raising conditions for as long as possible starting soon and ending mid June. We need it badly. IMO.

 

[oldest school]

Sometimes with turkeys you just gotta wait till next year I'd bet next year piedmont and mtns will at least have decent harvest numbers. It also wouldn't surprise me the coast holds serve or increases again

After the accuracy of your prediction for this year I sure ain’t betting against you.

 

[turkeyfoot]

After the accuracy of your prediction for this year I sure ain’t betting against you.

Even a blind squirrel sometimes we are so limited on brood range on mtn ntnl forest I pray for perfect hatch conditions yearly takes lots and lots little ones to make few big ones in that scenario maybe one day things will change the potential is there

 

[Lowg08]

burns in April are bad short term but the long term benefit greatly outweighs short term

I do agree. Like I said. I am not an expert and my ideas some times only sound logical to me lol. I am thankful for some burns. It will be a great help for browse

 

[turkeyfoot]

I do agree. Like I said. I am not an expert and my ideas some times only sound logical to me lol. I am thankful for some burns. It will be a great help for browse

No doubt several good years of it plus makes life little harder on predators make em work for a meal

 

[Duckmauler dhc]

I don’t see a need in changing limits. People would kill the one bird in western part of state then invade the eastern part of the state for a second bird. I wouldn’t mind them change hunting time to sunrise to 12 noon. That would cut out a lot of still hunted turkeys and give them a chance to step out in a field without getting shot at. Think that would reduce number of gobblers killed by a lot.

Actually if they would limit hunting time from noon til sunset that would weed out 75% of the “hunters”

 

[Duckmauler dhc]

i don’t Turkey hunt but do have an interest in why things seem they way they do. That said…. Y’all find something else to doin April. Water has enough folks on it

Yes please…..I beg all of you to stay off the water…it is full enough already…and EVERYone please go back to work in person.

 

[oldest school]

Yes please…..I beg all of you to stay off the water…it is full enough already…and EVERYone please go back to work in person.

You are your own worst enemy showing the catches. Just sayin.

 

[Tar Heel Sportsman]

Kind of mind blowing to me to look through this post and not see a mention of fanning.

I get it. Its the first week of the season and everyone and their brother is all talking about that one dominant bird that is out pimping his hens in the middle of the field. "damn man he was out their gobbling but never could get him to slip away". historically, hunters have always left scratching their heads pissed because they cant get the tom to give them the time of day. Meanwhile, he goes about his business breeding his hens. Well thanks to the great "hunting gurus" such as michael waddell, the image of crawling behind a fan and reaping the dominant bird has been something that has been praised all too often.

over the past two years I cant tell you how many videos ive seen of people sucker punching a strut decoy and hitting a fighting purr only to have the dominant bird come charging out during times of the year that typically they could have never been killed.

i love listening to guys like dave owens and andy gagliano talk about this topic and find it interesting that influencers such as waddell refuse to have conversations with them regarding the manner.

I am sure that there have been threads about this but figured id toss this out on this one as i do see it as a vital piece in helping the future of the gobbling bird we all love.

 

[Brad_Colvin]

I'm getting my

Kind of mind blowing to me to look through this post and not see a mention of fanning.

I get it. Its the first week of the season and everyone and their brother is all talking about that one dominant bird that is out pimping his hens in the middle of the field. "damn man he was out their gobbling but never could get him to slip away". historically, hunters have always left scratching their heads pissed because they cant get the tom to give them the time of day. Meanwhile, he goes about his business breeding his hens. Well thanks to the great "hunting gurus" such as michael waddell, the image of crawling behind a fan and reaping the dominant bird has been something that has been praised all too often.

over the past two years I cant tell you how many videos ive seen of people sucker punching a strut decoy and hitting a fighting purr only to have the dominant bird come charging out during times of the year that typically they could have never been killed.

i love listening to guys like dave owens and andy gagliano talk about this topic and find it interesting that influencers such as waddell refuse to have conversations with them regarding the manner.

I am sure that there have been threads about this but figured id toss this out on this one as i do see it as a vital piece in helping the future of the gobbling bird we all love.

Popcorn ready

 

[Tar Heel Sportsman]

I'm getting my
Popcorn ready

someone had to say it

 

[MJ74]

Kill the predators and stop hunting them for a season or two.
I dont hunt them but I've never really noticed a decline in them from year to year.

I guess its a location thing and maybe the habitat just isnt there for turkeys in some places? Or maybe its due to loss of habitat from building.

 

[Hunterreed]

Old thread but my opinion is hunting pressure in my area is ridiculous. No loss of habitat here I live right in the heart of it,no shortage of hens when 15 or 20 eat half my deer corn every week. Used to hear multiple gobblers daily in spring but last few years may go two weeks without seeing or hearing any. A lot of road frontage on the fields near me and Turkey seasons are a parade of trucks riding the roads looking for them

 

[hawglips]

I would guess that it would be safe to assume that for every best predator killed your will save at least one turkey nest.

I would guess that hunters could double or triple the number of poults in their area by engaging in serious nest predator reduction

 

[nccatfisher]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=731668011299637

 

[agsnchunt]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=731668011299637

cut, then burn

 

[Tipmoose]

Is Somebody DOING Something??!!

 

[Buxndiverdux]

Kind of mind blowing to me to look through this post and not see a mention of fanning.

I get it. Its the first week of the season and everyone and their brother is all talking about that one dominant bird that is out pimping his hens in the middle of the field. "damn man he was out their gobbling but never could get him to slip away". historically, hunters have always left scratching their heads pissed because they cant get the tom to give them the time of day. Meanwhile, he goes about his business breeding his hens. Well thanks to the great "hunting gurus" such as michael waddell, the image of crawling behind a fan and reaping the dominant bird has been something that has been praised all too often.

over the past two years I cant tell you how many videos ive seen of people sucker punching a strut decoy and hitting a fighting purr only to have the dominant bird come charging out during times of the year that typically they could have never been killed.

i love listening to guys like dave owens and andy gagliano talk about this topic and find it interesting that influencers such as waddell refuse to have conversations with them regarding the manner.

I am sure that there have been threads about this but figured id toss this out on this one as i do see it as a vital piece in helping the future of the gobbling bird we all love.

Andy Gagliano from Birmingham, Alabama?

 

[agsnchunt]

Is Somebody DOING Something??!!

Well, I invite them to dinner every so often.