Worst season ever

[luckybuck]

I have not had a single bird come onto our farm and gobble this year. We have had birds since the late 1980's when they reintroduced them. I have no idea what has happened to them but they are non-existent here. No one in the area is seeing more than a lone hen and hearing maybe a distant gobble all season.
10 miles down the road they are everywhere that they have never been before. We have big timber, small timber, pastures, creeks, clover, mountains, valleys, you name it, thickets they can nest in. Nada...
The only good day I have had all season is two boys I taught before invited me to their farm and I called in two for them and then later that afternoon I called in one for their dad. I was happy to help them out and know it wasn't me that was messing up.
Anybody else experiencing this????

 

[Ol Copper]

I haven't heard a turkey gobble in NC since March 15th...he gobbled once.
I don't even see turkeys anymore.
I heard more turkeys today in Ohio from 5:50 a.m. to 6:50 a.m. than I've heard in the foothills of NC in the past 2 years.
I know several bona-fide bird killers that haven't heard a bird all season in western NC.
I thought it was cyclical, but Im kinda starting to worry now.

I fully understand how turkeys explode in a new area, then reduce back in population relative to what the land can sustain...but these flocks exploded and went back to zero. The hunting pressure is terrible...I don't think that 99% of all "turkey hunters" or the ncwrc realize how truly fragile a turkey population is.

 

[xbowhuntonly]

I hunt wnc I called in 10 jakes the first 2 mornings when back to the same spot a week later nothing haven't heard a bird since the 2nd day of season and I have never had this problem I kill one Turkey off our 1500 acre tract a year and this year there are no birds around

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[g3trappernc]

I have not had a single bird come onto our farm and gobble this year. We have had birds since the late 1980's when they reintroduced them. I have no idea what has happened to them but they are non-existent here. No one in the area is seeing more than a lone hen and hearing maybe a distant gobble all season.
10 miles down the road they are everywhere that they have never been before. We have big timber, small timber, pastures, creeks, clover, mountains, valleys, you name it, thickets they can nest in. Nada...
The only good day I have had all season is two boys I taught before invited me to their farm and I called in two for them and then later that afternoon I called in one for their dad. I was happy to help them out and know it wasn't me that was messing up.
Anybody else experiencing this????

Those the boys I took out to AW one year?

 

[Zach's Grandpa]

As the long time folks on here will attest I’ve been saying for several years that the flock is in trouble in central and western NC. We have a few in the northern part of Caswell but as I’ve stated before they are widespread. The season needs to be closed for two years in some counties. I realize the chances of that happening is zero but that’s what is needed.


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[waymoe1]

Turkey numbers are no where near what they used to be. Now granted I have not been afforded as much time to hunt as i use to have. But i no longer see the number of birds in the fields in Person and Caswell county like I have in years past. Even hunting in places i have for years its been tough to get on anything. Just hoping for a better hatch this year, and farmers let some eggs hatch before they go to cutting hay. Would love to hear from wildlife resources about the turkeys surveys I filled out last year.

 

[woodmoose]

switch areas - what the game does

I used to hunt Bragg for deer,,,,they changed management methods (and training use increased big time) so I moved on,,,

areas that had birds don't,,,areas that didn't have birds now do,,,,,,

not a upland game biologist, so I trust what they have to say,,,

I used to envy the folks up in Caswell etc during the early/mid 90s when I first started turkey hunting with draw permits on Fort Bragg - only place down here that had birds back then,,,,now they are like vermin almost,,,tearing up corn fields and such,,,expect that will change one day as well

if there is an issue with the statewide flock, I expect the biologists are looking into it

 

[Greg]

I feel y'all's pain. I've laid eyes on exactly one turkey so far this season.

 

[Crappie man]

We usually have no problem getting on a turkey.Looks like we will not take one off my 300 acre lease and can’t remember that happening before in the 12 years I have had it. On Cape Fear river Northwest Harnett. Strange year for sure.

 

[Putt]

I have felt like that before. Just seems like the birds are ranging and they aren't on your property. I used Chufa and they come right back. Keep your head up they will range back toward your property for sure. Just catching them while they are there is the key. Seeing any coyote poop on the property could be a problem also. Keep them are bay!! Good luck Lucky..

 

[jug]

You going to have seasons like that luckybuck. I have had seasons like that in 2014, 2006 and 2001. Comes with Turkey hunting. I will probably get skunked this year but I can't take off to hunt like you need to do during Turkey season. The best Turkey hunters have to spend time in the woods. Some will get lucky but the better Turkey hunters spend time in the woods honing their skills each year. I find myself making mistakes Turkey hunting that I never would have made back 10 years ago when I spent more time Turkey hunting. Last Saturday I set up in a bad location and that is why the bird did not come in close enough.
Don't sweat it. You will probably tag out next year.

 

[blackice]

Northern Caswell has had a big drop in numbers. Live here and do not see near as many turkeys . I will not shoot a bird on our place because numbers just aren't there.

 

[GobblinNC]

Same story for me in Northern caswell county. The harvest numbers will show the population decrease in the county this year

 

[luckybuck]

Those the boys I took out to AW one year?

Yes sir, great kids, I mean young men!

 

[wolfman]

Caswell will definitely see a big drop in this year's final harvest total.

The 200 acre farm I tagged out on, I had not killed one there in 5 years. Not sure why they are there this year but I'm glad they are. The only significant changes are:
- Land owner thinned his pines so it is much more open
- Game warden has stepped up patrols and neighboring hunt club is likely not baiting anymore. Neither of my birds had corn in their craw unlike 5 years ago.

And with that I still suspect Lee Co will drop overall from 2017.

And my game camera is still seeing visitors. Hope I can get my daughter one but sure wish it wasn't supposed to be 90F on Saturday.

 

[luckybuck]

You going to have seasons like that luckybuck. I have had seasons like that in 2014, 2006 and 2001. Comes with Turkey hunting. I will probably get skunked this year but I can't take off to hunt like you need to do during Turkey season. The best Turkey hunters have to spend time in the woods. Some will get lucky but the better Turkey hunters spend time in the woods honing their skills each year. I find myself making mistakes Turkey hunting that I never would have made back 10 years ago when I spent more time Turkey hunting. Last Saturday I set up in a bad location and that is why the bird did not come in close enough.
Don't sweat it. You will probably tag out next year.

3 consecutive years of it are pretty obvious our turkeys are gone...not coming back for whatever reason. It has been terrible since 2014 when I killed the wild hogs...

 

[oldest school]

For those of you with disappearing populations. Ask Chris Kreh. That's his job for you at the NCWRC.
They have been anticipating this but may be lulled to inaction by record harvests.

Tellem what you are seeing.

 

[Lucky Clucker]

Its as bad as I seen it, bad hatches and too many hunters, loss of,habitat,etc.Acorn,crops really help the population, I have around 600 acres of private land to hunt that used to be infested with turkeys, I have not heard a gobbler on it or next to it in 3 years,it has hens but no gobblers. My hunt here at home is same gobblers leftnefore season,found one track the 4 the day but have not heard one or got,a gobbler on camera since march.timber cutting since season has ruined it.Only birds I got on Aand ,killed have been in,SC, and game land they are rare ther Uwharrie needs to be closed and restocked . Im already planning next spring and it will consist of alot of,out of state AMD eastrtn county hunts.

 

[GSOHunter]

As the long time folks on here will attest I’ve been saying for several years that the flock is in trouble in central and western NC. We have a few in the northern part of Caswell but as I’ve stated before they are widespread. The season needs to be closed for two years in some counties. I realize the chances of that happening is zero but that’s what is needed.


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Nothing for 3-4 years straight for me in Caswell. My aunt has seen a few this year but nothing like she used to see. I have access to a little acreage on a 500 acre tract in Guilford. The farm hands have not seen any turkeys this year. The coyote population has exploded in the past couple years in that area of Guilford.

 

[Winnie 70]

The reason for the declines in most places are the coyotes, raccoons, possums, and bad hatches....no one hunts coons or possums anymore...same for foxes, can't shoot them. All the nest robbers. This has been a gradual decline starting back in 2011 and 2012 in areas I hunt. Do not hear the gobbling we use to hear on those perfect mornings anymore, and haven't in years. Like it is non existent on most lands I hunt now. I stated on here few days ago I was passing up nice gobblers many years because could tell they were not quiet 19-20 lbs and beards not dragging the ground....them days are gone and probably never return in my life time. Don't have as many years left as I have gone thru and the sad thing about what we are experiencing is seems no one has any answers of how to turn it around.

 

[g3trappernc]

Yes sir, great kids, I mean young men!

That is awesome man. Probably the two most polite and appreciative youths I have had the privilege of meeting, much less take hunting. Somebody raised them right! Or maybe a good teacher or two!

 

[MJ74]

Seems like I hear this same story every year so whats the deal?
If the population is so low why don't they lower the tags down to just 1 or try something different with length of season?

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[wolfman]

Nothing will change statewide as long as harvest numbers stay high and that summer survey keeps a 2:1 hen to gobbler ratio.

 

[jug]

You are right wolfman. Turkey numbers flunctuate every where. Rockingham county is just like anywhere else. I have not heard a bird on the mayo river side of Smith road where I hunt since 2014. In 2013 the birds were all on that side of the road.
Some parts of the counties are going to be covered up because birds are going to be in the best places with the best habitat. The birds around here in Harnett are not all in the same places as last year because of all the rye that has been planted. They hate the rye.
Luckybuck, sounds like the birds have found better places to go . I hate that for you...
My dad and I would see birds move off farms one year and then come back the next up in Stokes county. Nothing more aggravating where you kill gobblers and the next year not a bird one.

 

[pir8rn]

Seems like this is a bigger issue in the central and western part of the state. My uncle has close to 100 acres on his cattle farm in Stanly county, and it has been overrun with birds for years. I hunted there once last year and shot the biggest of a pack of three toms and two hens, while my brother saw multiple birds every time he hunted.
I haven't been out there this year because he's said it's no use. He's only seen birds once, and heard them a couple more times.
But for me here in Eastern NC, where I didn't even see a single bird last year, I've heard gobbles on all but one trip, and seen multiple birds on at least half my hunts. Strange thing thus turkey hunting is...

 

[luckybuck]

That is awesome man. Probably the two most polite and appreciative youths I have had the privilege of meeting, much less take hunting. Somebody raised them right! Or maybe a good teacher or two!

Josh put a bird to roost tonight and sent me video of it. I am pretty sure he could have killed it before dark but he was afraid to go into the woods after it with not much daylight left. It gobbled nonstop on two videos he sent me. They still mention you and had a good time with you. I called one in for their dad a week ago on their place but he could not get a shot. I could have knocked its head off when I first saw it but he has never killed one and I was doing my best to put it in his lap....

 

[luckybuck]

You are right wolfman. Turkey numbers flunctuate every where. Rockingham county is just like anywhere else. I have not heard a bird on the mayo river side of Smith road where I hunt since 2014. In 2013 the birds were all on that side of the road.
Some parts of the counties are going to be covered up because birds are going to be in the best places with the best habitat. The birds around here in Harnett are not all in the same places as last year because of all the rye that has been planted. They hate the rye.
Luckybuck, sounds like the birds have found better places to go . I hate that for you...
My dad and I would see birds move off farms one year and then come back the next up in Stokes county. Nothing more aggravating where you kill gobblers and the next year not a bird one.

I know where some of them went, just can't hunt them. On the south side of our mountains on another property a lady is feeding a big flock of them so no one can kill them. Just found that out when a friend of mine(her neighbor) told me about how many was in her yard today. If they get too used to people they will get wiped out...hopefully they hatch a bunch and some come back...especially since we have the best hardwoods for miles around and the oaks are blooming like crazy this year. I would imagine we will have a bumper crop of acorns...even my pecan trees are maxed out blooming. I did see a hen yesterday while walking the farm and she is in a good place to raise little ones.

 

[stilker]

She probably thinks she's helping them ,but she's doing more harm than good,imo^^^^

 

[oldest school]

if putting out corn hurt turkeys would not NC be in trouble given the baiting that we do for wood goats?
smart folks "bait" them with chufa to hold them. kinda like that women is doing. Sure does suck being her neighbor though.

 

[stilker]

if putting out corn hurt turkeys would not NC be in trouble given the baiting that we do for wood goats?
smart folks "bait" them with chufa to hold them. kinda like that women is doing. Sure does suck being her neighbor though.

I don't think the corn hurts them just the addiction to it...