traditional archery only for turkey season should help those populations, only hickory bows and catgut strings allowed with cedar arrows fletched with feathers. ... and no decoys or tents.
Would you support moving the seasons to make sure all or the vast majority
- Thread starter CRC
- Start date
lasttombstone
Kinder, Gentler LTS
A couple of questions for you. Mind saying what county you are in since it isn't your profile? How as the turkey population there 20 years ago? It is impossible to judge what the wole state is looking like from one small area or county. 20 years, when I came to northern Granvville, I saw the first wild turkey I had ever seen. I had been hunting Franklin Co. since I was 12 and there were no turkeys there at all.
In 2003, Granville posted 310 turkeys and Caswell, 443. Duplin posted 83 and Pender 108. Want to compare those numbers today? When I first arrived here there were plenty of turkeys. Now I'm doing good to even see one on a game camera. And I have been doing all I can do to improve the habitat on my place for them. I've seen one tom this year and I won't hunt him.
Nature changes and we can't do a lot about it. All we can do is see what the resource is and try not to abuse it.
I live in the NW piedmont and 20 years ago we just started seeing one here and there. We decided not to hunt them in hopes they’d get established and we hunted the first time in 2008. In 2009 I counted 54 turkeys at one time during deer season. Here there is roughly 600 acres that 3-4 people hunt. So there is little hunting pressure and its really good habitat here for turkeys. In 12 years I’ve killed 7 turkeys off my land, 4 long beards and 3 Jakes.
Have gun - will travel
Duckmauler dhc
Old Mossy Horns
I would take a 1 day season on any given day between February 20th-march20th with a 1 bird limit than to have the season come in, in mid April. Heck, I would rather have a lottery system like they do for swans just to have the opportunity to hunt in March. I’ve killed my fair share in April, but only once have I ever killed one in may. But I have never ever seen the birds act in april like they do in February and March. Yes I know it could be bad for the population to hunt them in peak rut with the format we have now being able to take 2 birds, but the thought of hunting them in the peak rather than the post rut season we have sounds wonderful.
I'd rather see a no jakes policy during regular season, but allow jake harvest during youth week.
Jim
Middle Age Crazy
Guest
What's the survival rate of a jake to make it to being a gobbler? I've had coyotes and even a red fox try to steal my hen decoy. I don't have a feel for how many jakes or gobblers are taken out by predators.
Average life span of a turkey is 3 at most 4 years
Question what exactly does a no Jake policy do to benefit anyone except those who just want to shoot longbeards? Just like the QDMA crowd wanting antler restrictions what does it do to benefit anyone except those wanting to shoot “trophy” animals.
As far as getting every hen bred, a hen needs only to breed one time to fertilize all of her eggs, there is no need to be visited by a gobbler before laying each egg. The gobbler is like pretty much any young male animal... ready and willing every day during this time. Delaying opening of turkey season "until all hens are bred" means a different thing depending on location and could change a bit year to year. I wouldn't have a problem starting a week later. Another way might be to limit the first 2 weeks to one male bird, sort of how we limit the youth hunter to one bird during youth week.
timber
Twelve Pointer
I dont care what somebody shoots on there land. But dont see shooting a mature bird is about a trophy. A big part of shooting a mature bird is the challange. To me its about same as shooting a button head deer. If thats what you want to do go for it. But there is not alot of challenge to it
ive had long beards run in like nothing and had jakes stay out of range....turkeys are a fickle bird.
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
well we better be doing something they are all getting killed.
strut buster
Eight Pointer
It scientifically proven that some, but not all Jakes are fertile. Same goes for jennys. My personal suspicion is that the older jakes with the full gobble, strutting, and acting like the man that some exhibit are the fertile ones. All and all , they are not as common as the standard keep your head down jake. So in heavily hunted areas, a no jakes policy could ensure that at some for sure mature birds (2+ year olds) are available at the beginning of the next breeding season.
TarheelTurkey
Six Pointer
I would 100% support a slight change week or so especially youth and first week and/or to limit how many can be taken such as stated above. Maybe divide state like deer, coast , central mountain or north south.
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Hunting Nut
Old Mossy Horns
Of what Veteran days are you talking about?
I've looked and was unable to find anything listed in NC.
I know they added 2 days for waterfowl. Not finding anything for turkeys.
Buxndiverdux
Old Mossy Horns
You may be right? I just assumed it included all youth days. I'm not sure. My apologies if I was incorrect.
it only applies to waterfowl
Hunting Nut
Old Mossy Horns
Thanks for clearing that up Woodmoose.
I was scheming for NEXT year !!!
I was scheming for NEXT year !!!
30/06
Twelve Pointer
Don’t think the season dates effect population much. Where I’ve seen a decline there are still gobblers around which means the hens will be breed. The issue is hen numbers are way down. Used to see big ol boss gobbler with 10+ girlfriends strutting around the pastures. Now you see a gobbler with hens it’s 1-3. Groups of hens we see in the fall went from 10-50+ down to 3-5, sometimes a few more and less frequent sitings.
np307
Ten Pointer
The presence of a gobbler doesn't automatically mean a hen gets bred. If the tom they selected gets killed before breeding, they'll re-evaluate all of their options trying to find the best candidate. If a suitable candidate isnt found, they may even forego breeding. All of this also pushes nesting time later and results in smaller clutches. Thus you end up with fewer turkeys overall, as you've observed.
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
In which part of the state have you noticed the decline?
30/06
Twelve Pointer
Caswell, in southern Caswell tracts I use to hunt that were covered in birds have very few. Now in the northern part of the county still have good numbers but not near the numbers we had just 5 years ago.
Well..... in Halfax county we had Gobblers still grouped up during the first week of the season.....we killed 5 gobblers and a newby killed a jake. We don’t shoot jakes typically.... birds got quieter as the season progressed (as usual)..... timing of the spraying and planting has worked in our favor this season and I think our hatch is going to be the best in years..... last day of the season birds strutting and covering a lot of ground looking for that last hen......so no I don’t want anything changed......it works in this area!