turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
Correct years ago they used list bearded hen kills now it's just by beard length i could pull numbers but they were miniscule in regards to population numbers
Input on proposing a rule change.
- Thread starter Bperry
- Start date
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
I don't but one thing I never do is compare turkey management to deer it's apples and oranges. I never understood the protecting colored deer but I'm not a deer guy so maybe reason I don't know
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
Heck now you got me second guessing myself well now I gotta go pull out some old books or I'll never sleep tonight
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
Well I shoulda known better. I stand corrected looked back 20 years and no record i coulda sworn they kept record but I'm from VA so I think I was picturing them instead NC.
slugoo
Six Pointer
I can't imagine that it would change anything, so why make another rule?
Hunting Nut
Old Mossy Horns
No, I'm just referring to the don't kill the pretty (species) don't kill the different looking (species) crowd.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
Gotcha reminds me of other thread bout Fox squirrels at pee dee
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
Just add to that VA estimate is 5% and specifically says" in some areas" . Lots hunter's go whole life with no shot at one even if wanted to kill one
You and @DRS ....Heck now you got me second guessing myself well now I gotta go pull out some old books or I'll never sleep tonight
There's a lot of things he would know, if he had actual hands on practical experience. Not keyboard experience.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
Hard argue with logicThere's a lot of things he would know, if he had actual hands on practical experience. Not keyboard experience.
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
Maybe instead of this minor change you can use your influence for some more meaningful beneficial changes.
The youth week and trapping laws seem to be a consensus adjustment that fits with the continuing research into early harvest and nest predator impacts on the population
Thanks for asking and continued good luck with your work on behalf on the turkeys and turkey hunters.
I concede that the % of bearded hens could be < 10%. Audabon says 10% while NC Wildlife says 5%. WTH really knows? I still think from a wildlife mgmt. stance hen harvest should be off limits, period. I also agree there are a lot of other more important ways to boost the Turkey population rather than necessarily changing the NCWRC regulation.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
As far as hens being off limits 2 states that just had record years have fall sessons with hundreds dead hens. Once again its just an opinion of an old fart but I think its such an insignificant number its really meaningless. To be fair if NC bird numbers started to go way of say Arkansas I might change my mind. Could just be my heritage growing up in state with fall season makes me bias in my opinion I've killed bunch hens will kill few more good lord willing and I have no issue with it. As far as increasing numbers I've said it more than I can count. Could you imagine NC turkey numbers ifbwevstull had active timber management in mtns creating better nesting and more important better brood range who knows what harvest would be us mtn hunters always bringing up rearvthese days.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
I have no desire get into the youth fight but it is a valid point bioligically its to early and goes directly against all recent studies and states with later start dates seems a wknd is enough. Wouldny bother me if they had our opening Sat and Sun then adults start on Mon. But nothing gonna change unless numbers completely nose dive so no use in talking bout it.
TomstoSwans486
Four Pointer
I've never had the opportunity to harvest a bearded hen, so who cares.
Yall ever think the NCWRC will do a 'zones' approach? Delay dates for breeding in some areas, or liks SC and only allow 1 tag in the first week of the season? The map that was shared from 2005 has grossly changed since then...
Most people saying "turkey populations are down" are in the Piedmont which was historically very high. Now you have Duplin, Pender, Craven, Bladen counties slam full of turkeys. I drove i-40 to Wilmington in May and saw more turkeys off the interstate, between Newton Grove and Wallace than I did on some days hunting.
Yall ever think the NCWRC will do a 'zones' approach? Delay dates for breeding in some areas, or liks SC and only allow 1 tag in the first week of the season? The map that was shared from 2005 has grossly changed since then...
Most people saying "turkey populations are down" are in the Piedmont which was historically very high. Now you have Duplin, Pender, Craven, Bladen counties slam full of turkeys. I drove i-40 to Wilmington in May and saw more turkeys off the interstate, between Newton Grove and Wallace than I did on some days hunting.
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
Sure there is use in talking about it.
Have them primed when it’s apparent “something needs to be done”
To clarify just reduce it to a Weekend. The idea is great but the length just lets the cheaters cheat too easily while the birds have their most value reproduction wise and most vulnerable.
Hunting Nut
Old Mossy Horns
I agree in reducing youth season. Also, if they are hunting in "youth" season, they need to be escorted the entire time by a properly licensed adult.
I let a full fan gobbler walk because he didn't have a beard a few years ago. Regulation said Bearded birds only back then. Sorta seems to me like genetically selecting for a beardless trait. Glad they changed the rule.
I've had bearded hens around the house for several years. They're safe around me anyway. I hunt for meat, so why kill a turkey half the weight of a grown gobbler? My grandfather always taught me that killing your egg layers was counter productive.
One hen in the loop of the vine has a beard, as does one to the left side of the pic. None of their poults survived this year, unfortunately.
Jim
I've had bearded hens around the house for several years. They're safe around me anyway. I hunt for meat, so why kill a turkey half the weight of a grown gobbler? My grandfather always taught me that killing your egg layers was counter productive.
One hen in the loop of the vine has a beard, as does one to the left side of the pic. None of their poults survived this year, unfortunately.
Jim
Hunting Nut
Old Mossy Horns
I see him most days. I think seeing him helps keep me sane... as close as I can get anyway.
Jim
ezdemon72
Six Pointer
There’s people on here that have trouble identifying a hen from a gobblerI am red/green colorblind & have no trouble identifying a hen from a gobbler. I am in favor of Gobblers only regulation. Wild Turkeys, especially poults have a very low % of survival, so why shoot a hen? If you can't tell the difference between a hen & gobbler maybe you should be playing golf.
The population may be growing statewide, but where I started hunting them in Central Piedmont Fairfield Co, SC in the early 90's Turkey #'s are down. I would concede that it would depend on the locality that you hunt.Population in NC is not dropping...... if you want to help the population reduce youth only season back to a day. The overall season according to biologists opens to early then they tagged a week of youth hunting on the front of it.
I'm not saying they should do that cause things are fine here in NC.
Why go looking for a new law that won't amount to a hill of beans in the overall population?
I've got no issues with killing bearded hens I've killed a couple but passed on many more. They eat good.
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oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
what you say is easily seen in 90's central NC strongholds -the east is carrying the state and hiding the central fall off.
Thank God for Great hatches.
Ok experts, I might have to eat my smart... words about Turkey ID & golf,
but please tell me the 2 bottom left corner & bottom right corner Turkeys are males in addition to the one strutting. Note the black-tipped wing feathers. It is March & all Turkeys flock together. The one in the vine loop is definitely a hen w/ a beard.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
East wasn't carrying the piedmont last year or in 20 they did just fine on their own in record years.
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
it was better than 22 by a country mile but i dont remember any record setting counties in the piedmont in 23 but I could be wrong.