TOO MANY-- BLACK BEARS,DOES, + TURKEY HENS.

[quavers59]

   Right now my area of New York has a new " Anterless " Deer Season going on. Started on September  10 to the 18th.
     Just too many Does Running around. Early Black Bear is also on.  Those Bruins are everywhere! Don't fall asleep near a Huckleberry Patch!!
  And in my area-- Turkey Hens are everywhere.  As,I wrote in the new " Jake Thread"-- I had 10 Turkey Hens fly down in front of me and they Milled around a bit. I blasted one that finally stepped away from the others.
   Weird how some areas or " Dry Pockets" hold very few Turkeys. Alot of ti.es these are large Rural areas and other areas are more urban with Turkeys seemingly in all Backyards.
    This Fall on October  15th,I hope to nail a Plump Jake or  a Big old Hen Turkey. 

[quavers59]

   Hope to connect 2 Falls in a row. Going right to the same  popular  Fall Roost area as last Fall. Perhaps another Hen and -- another Hen Turkey wingbone will be made.

[WV Flopper]

Great time of year to be in the woods. Hope you have a great experience.

Wanting to get into the squirrel woods in a couple weeks myself, maybe even run into some turkeys. Would be great! Love the fall, not as much as spring but I do love the fall.

[silvestris]

"90 % of turkey country is void of turkey life."  Kenny Morgan said that to me on numerous occasions.

[quavers59]

Silvestris- a number of the old time Turkey Masters like Turpin,Davis ,Jordan who killed Piles of Wild Turkeys themselves and towards the end of their Hunting careers expressed concern over dwindling  populations.   Never mind that they and others took the Motherlode of Turkeys when they themselves were younger.
    The one good thing about Technology  today is with Trail Cameras + Cell Phones- if one regularly  takes over the Limit or Poaches before the Season starts- eventually  they will get Snagged.
 

[Cottonmouth]

I would never get anything out of shooting a hen. I'd rather shoot a tame rooster, at least then I'd know I wasn't killing the egg layers just to be shooting something. Maybe we can get some turkey farms to allow shooting tame birds and get some "thunder chicken thug" window stickers to show off with the buddies.

[quavers59]

   Cottonmouth-- Definitely To Each- Their Own...

[Cottonmouth]

Keep shooting those "plump fall hens". Don't complain when you are not seeing any longbeards. Population decline is happening everywhere.  Chew that 1 lb hen breast slowly. Not worth it to me.
I guess if it's legal it's fine. That's what matters apparently.

[quavers59]

  Cottonmouth- plenty of Turkeys in my area. Definitely  up to the individual  as far as what Turkey to take in the Fall and no one should pass Judgement  on others....

[rifleman]

I used to hunt fall turkeys and even used a dog.  I have quit in recent years due to the low number of turkeys in the areas that I used to frequent.  Some of the larger farms still hold a good population.  But as someone said they are in one area and another is devoid of turkeys.  Such as a large junk of mountain property in my home county that I hunt small game and deer.  Recently the state opened a week long fall season for turkeys in my county.  OK on the farms I guess but not my 1300 acres. 

[Cottonmouth]

I would like to apologize to quavers59 for my previous comments.  I let my personal opinion get out of hand and shouldn't have on a public forum. I've seen population decline in my state for 3 decades and took it out on the wrong person. Again, I apologize for being disrespectful to you. Enjoy your turkey hunts this fall and best of luck.

[quavers59]

   Cottonmouth-- you are quite the Gentleman  Sir!
   I have only taken 1 Turkey in New York during the last 7 years in the Fall since the DEC Major Season change back in 2015. Just 1 Fall Hen of last year. I have been out 9 Mornings so far this Fall Season in Multiple  Use Areas. 10th time this morning  coming up. Season ends this Friday.
  Back in 2015- New York DEC moved the Fall Turkey Opener of October  1st way back to October  15th of this year. They cut the take of 2 Fall Birds to just 1. And Slashed the Fall Turkey Season from 6 weeks to 2 weeks in most of NY..
    Most Fall Turkeys are now being taken on Private Lands .Multiple Use areas right now have been pressured since October  1st when everything  opens. Pheasant,Rabbit,Bow Deer,etc. And Up here in New York and North New Jersey- Mountain Bikers seem to rule the Multiple  Use Areas. The  Turkeys are all in the Wetlands and Swamps now along with the Deer Ticks. Not many up here in New York hunt for Fall Turkey Exclusively anymore.

[troutfisher13111]

 NY numbers are down as a whole, some sections of the state have been hit harder than others. We certainly have not seen the population drop that some of the southern states have though. In one of my areas it seems numbers are up, and going by the poults I've seen I'd say that trend will continue. If you feel the area you are hunting is in good shape, I wouldn't hesitate to take a single hen. Hunters just have to use their best judgement.


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