Wild turkey population declining in Mississippi

Brad_Colvin

Eight Pointer
Yes,I'm aware of their size restrictions. They've been on the books for quite a while and have had no effect on the population. In my opinion that is a very dumb law.

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turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
i sure hope NC's decline takes awhile. I have enough trouble as it is.

I'm with you were just lucky to be in the expansion years it will come just like all the southeast has to level off at some point can't boom forever. Even Va had 16% or so decrease in harvest last year hope that wasn't sign of things to come
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
CRC says it's easier when there's less turkeys.

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Heck he is covered up with em but I still have never heard a tale of successful hunt or seen a pic yet.You would have thought he would have accidently walked up on one and got a shot by now being there are soo many
 
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Brad_Colvin

Eight Pointer
Heck he is covered up with em but I still have never heard a tale of successful hunt or seen a pic yet.You would have thought he would have accidently walked up on one and got a shot by now being there are soo many
Lol

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oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
CRC says it's easier when there's less turkeys.

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i would disagree with on that. having hunted for several years in Texas, eventually those odds (with too many hens) swing to the hunter's favor.

and i damn sure would rather be chasing henned up gobblers than listening to silence and seeing nothing. :)

CRC - I know what you meant but just dont see that as an issue. dont want to argue.
 

Brad_Colvin

Eight Pointer
i would disagree with on that. having hunted for several years in Texas, eventually those odds (with too many hens) swing to the hunter's favor.

and i damn sure would rather be chasing henned up gobblers than listening to silence and seeing nothing. :)

CRC - I know what you meant but just dont see that as an issue. dont want to argue.
Agree %100

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woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Heck he is covered up with em but I still have never heard a tale of successful hunt or seen a pic yet.You would have thought he would have accidently walked up on one and got a shot by now being there are soo many

I expect he only "trophy turkey hunts",,,,,,hasn't seen one worthy of him killing it yet,,,,,,,,,:cool::wave:
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
Over the years I've migrated towards hens. If I have to choose between chasing a gobbler that I think may be by himself, or chasing one with hens, I'm heading towards the one with hens. Got no time for timid walk-away birds that are scared of a butt whupping if there is a lover boy and his harem around.
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
Over the years I've migrated towards hens. If I have to choose between chasing a gobbler that I think may be by himself, or chasing one with hens, I'm heading towards the one with hens. Got no time for timid walk-away birds that are scared of a butt whupping if there is a lover boy and his harem around.

I agree with you from a hunting success perspective, but the walk away birds need killing IMO. We don't need tight lipped, shy birds proliferating.
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
I agree with you from a hunting success perspective, but the walk away birds need killing IMO. We don't need tight lipped, shy birds proliferating.

They definitely need killing. But it's rare that I am successful with them. And I ain't got time fo' dat walk away game, typically.

The last day of the season last year, I saw a silent bird up on top of a hill in a cutover strutting. Didn't see any hens with him. But there was a 2nd gobbler with him. I watched his reaction as I sweetly (I thought) called to him. He dropped out of strut and both of them walked 180 degrees away from me.
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
I had another day last year where I got set up on a hard gobbling bird on the roost. And there were two more gobbling off to my left.

Long story short, they all 3 got together and walked off directly away from me, answering my pleading calls once in a while, till they were out of ear shot....
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
please everyone share your strategy for killing those tight lipped, walk away, shy birds. :)

They can be tough but can be killed I don' like to fool with em unless one makes me real mad then I'll get serious on him and have found one way is to use a crow call if he will gobble then you work ahead of him knowing the land is key you can about guess where he will end up if you have the right setup like he is going toward creek bottom or a small field. Now if he pops out n large say 20 acre field then your probably done. Have also found with them if you can close the distance with a locater call then set up and just scratch in leaves surprisingly he'll show up silently
 

wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
I had another day last year where I got set up on a hard gobbling bird on the roost. And there were two more gobbling off to my left.

Long story short, they all 3 got together and walked off directly away from me, answering my pleading calls once in a while, till they were out of ear shot....
I always assumed hens dragged them off. Otherwise I have to blame my calling.....
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
I always assumed hens dragged them off. Otherwise I have to blame my calling.....

Yeah, that's what we are told. And sometimes, I think it is indeed the case. But I think hens often get blamed for things they don't do....
 

wturkey01

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Yeah, that's what we are told. And sometimes, I think it is indeed the case. But I think hens often get blamed for things they don't do....


I think you're right with this.......I've heard people say that the hens got jealous when they heard another "hen" calling but I'm not sure they have the reasoning powers to do that!

I think the hens just go where they are going.........if the other "hen" wants to follow, come on along!!
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
In addition to the 2 instances last year dealing with walk-away birds (the two that I watched walk away from me, and the 3 I never saw but got together and walked away from me) I killed one that was out in a field but wouldn't come. When I first moved on him up close to the field, I didn't know if he had hens or not. I assumed he did though. But after about a half hour of working him with little to no movement my way, I decided to try to get a visual on him. I eased up carefully to where I could see his head and neck, and the top of his fan when he strutted. By the way he quickly opened his fan and then closed it back down, and the way he kept his neck stretched up most of the time, I knew he wasn't out there strutting around with hens. And I figured he was a timid bird and by himself. So, I called a couple times and watched his reaction. He didn't move but stuck his head up to see where I was.

I then decided to quit calling and carefully move closer where I could watch his movements.

After I had quit calling for about 5 minutes, he started easing towards a gobbler who was still gobbling back in the woods, in the direction I had just eased up from. Within about 20 minutes he had picked up his pace and was hurrying right by me, towards the gobbling bird. So, I killed him.

I could pat myself on the back and claim that he was going back to where he had last heard me calling, and that my shut-up tactic broke him. But the more I thought about what happened, and then when I witnessed those same birds get together and walk away from me later in the season, I just don't believe he was going to where I had just been calling from. I believe he was avoiding me and was much more interested in getting up with his buddy that he heard gobbling.

Turkeys fascinate me.
 
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turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
I think you're right with this.......I've heard people say that the hens got jealous when they heard another "hen" calling but I'm not sure they have the reasoning powers to do that!

I think the hens just go where they are going.........if the other "hen" wants to follow, come on along!!

I don't think its jealously either I think its just the nature of them I usually have no problem knowing when a hen drags the Tom away I hear them in tree and either 2 things happen either I will mimic her sounds and she will drag him in or she want nothing to do with another hen and they go straight away It is lot fun to challenge a hen and it work they come in all fired up and ready for fight. As far as the walk away gobbler they are tough I've had several sit in tree gobble their heads off when they hear call and not budge till the hen comes to him its all in the fun
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
since i have seen henless gobblers walk away from live hens yelping i don't beat myself up too bad if they fail to come to me.:)

walkaways are a part of the game.

Fortunately their polar opposites, the "walk ups", will level some of that stuff out.

Nice on you Hal for admitting they just walk up. Most hunters really think they caused it with some great calling strategy.
 
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