Stop the belly aching please..

Helium

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
Everyone blaming too many Turkey hunters as the reason for # kills...

Yet only a small % even kill 1..much less 2

NCWRC says:
“North Carolina’s turkey hunting season opens the second Saturday of April each year and closes in early May. A week-long, youth-only hunting season opens the first Saturday in April. Hunters are allowed two bearded or male turkeys each year. Approximately 70,000 hunters pursue turkeys in North Carolina each year. About 15 percent of them will harvest one turkey and only 5 percent harvest their two-bird limit. “
 
Lucky Clucker

Lucky Clucker

Old Mossy Horns
Lots of guys on this forum tagged out,to much hunting pressure in some areas hurt the population, I,remember hinting pee Dee refuge in somenof the first turkey seasons it had,took my cousin on. 3 youth hunts and he killed 4. One youth hunt was a 2 weekend hunt,I killed some on it onvthe adult hunts and called in several for other hunters on it,you could hear 10 to 25 gobble regularly on the hunts,80 hunters a hunt on it now, barely kill 7 in 3 weeks of hunting, They been killed out.Lots of other public areas get hammered to much also,Habitat changes and predators account for alot of ups downs,hopefully with a good hatch some places can build up. Been hearing of alot of newnpoults seen this week,small compared to what some seen earlier, Looked like,a,later,hatch. Has been good so far.
 
Greg

Greg

Old Mossy Horns
I'm wondering how they figure how many people actually go. I used to hunt them every year ... I haven't gone the last few years. Not a lot around to hunt, and no place for me to hunt them around here. In fact, a friend asked me if I'd take his daughter turkey hunting. I said I would ... but it would be a waste of time as there really isn't a huntable population around me where I have permission to hunt them.
 
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wolfman

wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
I thought I heard years ago it was 100K turkey hunters and a 10% success rate.

This forum is not a good gauge for turkey hunting success. You'll see a lot more success here as posters willing to visit and discuss wild turkey hunting on a message board are more passionate about turkey hunting than the general population of hunters as a whole.
 
turkeyfoot

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Way to many hunters and they have killed most the birds especially the older breeding stock out were doomed for sure and soon. As I see it the only solution is to try get as many as we can to take few years off maybe alternate years of hunting so everyone has fighting chance to at least hear one. On serious note though with hatch reports and the ideal situation we've had this spring/summer mark it down I'm calling it 2021 will break a record and it won't be close. The entire state will be booming with 2 year olds. The mtns were down this year but I forsee a strong comeback to pick up slack to add to the loaded piedmont and especially eastern parts
 
turkeyfoot

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Like wolfman said I pay little attention to that 5% stat many only go opening day maybe another sat and only of weather is good and they ain't fishing or got ball practice and such. There are lot things that take up people time in spring from play to work
 
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Ol Copper

Ol Copper

Twelve Pointer
turkeyfoot said:
On serious note though with hatch reports and the ideal situation we've had this spring/summer mark it down I'm calling it 2021 will break a record and it won't be close. The entire state will be booming with 2 year olds. The mtns were down this year but I forsee a strong comeback to pick up slack to add to the loaded piedmont and especially eastern parts
Click to expand...

If what Im seeing and hearing about holds true Im getting excited about our beloved mountains again. I think 2021 will be a good year. Now we just need another great hatch next year and some cicadas hatching and my head will go thru the roof ?
 
CutNRun

CutNRun

Ten Pointer
Contributor
I only got to use one tag this year. My sure thing spot for the past 6 years was a dud this season. Never mind that I saw 8 jakes there on the last day of the season 2 years ago. Go figure?

I've seen more poults than usual this this summer. The future looks bright. Hope it's that way everywhere.

Jim
 
jug

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I dont put much faith in anything the NCWRC says as a public statement anymore...
I have no idea how many people Turkey hunt but there are ALOT of deer hunters trying to Turkey hunt this day and time
...... I know that;)
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Winnie 70 said:
Reason being, the 95% don't know which end of gun that bang comes out and ain't going to learn.
Click to expand...
and there is the rub on the turkey killing.
they are dying like flies at the hands of folks who know little more than which end of a gun to hold.
I mean exactly how much knowledge and skill do three yr olds have?

the decoys and blinds have dumbed it down to the level of needing only a spot to "set up'.
the turkeys won't survive the new methods. we can kill them faster than they can keep up.
if you don't believe me; gander at the other south east states.
Just go down one state and see where we will have to head.
After the thrill of our explosion of population in the east.

and just so we understand that's my opinion; others will vary.
Mine just happens to have history on it's side. :)
 
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Winnie 70

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
Got to get one with the latest and greatest gadgets out there, all these ole time guys don't know what they missing sitting in a blind watching them $300 decoy sets, watching that gobbler put a whipping on that tom...even got a camera set up catch all the action, post it on facebook tonight. Now, that is the way to git it dun!
 
hawglips

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
oldest school said:
and there is the rub on the turkey killing.
they are dying like flies at the hands of folks who know little more than which end of a gun to hold.
I mean exactly how much knowledge and skill do three yr olds have?

the decoys and blinds have dumbed it down to the level of needing only a spot to "set up'.
the turkeys won't survive the new methods. we can kill them faster than they can keep up.
if you don't believe me; gander at the other south east states.
Just go down one state and see where we will have to head.
After the thrill of our explosion of population in the east.

and just so we understand that's my opinion; others will vary.
Mine just happens to have history on it's side. :)
Click to expand...

I pretty much share your opinion. Mine is that the best thing that could happen to the future of the wild turkey and it's hunting, is to outlaw the use of decoys.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
hawglips said:
I pretty much share your opinion. Mine is that the best thing that could happen to the future of the wild turkey and it's hunting, is to outlaw the use of decoys.
Click to expand...
it is an interesting thought.
here are some facts.
Alabama was the envy of the world with it's turkey hunting for decades. Decoys were illegal.
They put them in play and the state of affairs on turkeys down there seems to be staright downhill.
Correlation? I sure don't know, but I hear alabama turkey hunters that think that is a big contributor.
 
Greg

Greg

Old Mossy Horns
Where I live, I doubt it was hunting. I believe it was change in habitat. Clearcuts right near me turned "big woods" into thickets.
 
Lucky Clucker

Lucky Clucker

Old Mossy Horns
oldest school said:
it is an interesting thought.
here are some facts.
Alabama was the envy of the world with it's turkey hunting for decades. Decoys were illegal.
They put them in play and the state of affairs on turkeys down there seems to be staright downhill.
Correlation? I sure don't know, but I hear alabama turkey hunters that think that is a big contributor.
Click to expand...
I know alot of guys,who,would never,kill,one,without a decoy,they,can't call and use,blinds,and $200 decoys,then,brag on FB and instant gram about tagging out first 2 days,,got videos,and all,never hear a call made but tent blinds a decoys in field.That would be a good start to ban decoy use,shorten and close,seasons,also.
 
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