double bearded young bird down in Ky

[joey46]

Never worry when people say that.  A legal bird is a legal bird.  Western KY isn't easy this year with all the bad weather.  A long time western KY hunter just posted up a double bearded jake on another forum.  He was happy to get it.  Congrats!!  Just a guess and no reply necessary but was it Clarks River?

[Ky strutt n bust n]

Never worry when people say that.  A legal bird is a legal bird.  Western KY isn't easy this year with all the bad weather.  A long time western KY hunter just posted up a double bearded jake on another forum.  He was happy to get it.  Congrats!!  Just a guess and no reply necessary but was it Clarks River?

yeah it was clarks river. you from around here i'm guessing?

[JVA54]

          Congrats!!

[joey46]

I lived in Marshall County for nine years.  I hunted Clarks River from about the first day it opened.  I spent a lot of time in LBL but the season is too short over there.  Check out those areas shown on the KY Fish & Wildlife site as the Kentucky Lake WMA.  Took deer and turkey in several "secret spots" around the Lake.  The only problem you will have is when the abutting landowners try and tell you "you can't hunt here".  In most cases you can.  You just need to be sure you are right before you push it.  I used a 12' jon boat to access many of these spots.  Great hunting if you don't mind doing a little homework.  Good luck and again congrats on the bird.

P.S - with the Lake level rising most of the Kentucky Lake WMA will be under water now (it's all below the 375 mark).  Keep it in mind for this deer season and next turkey season.

[joey46]

Whenever I see a Kentucky post I always have to mention what a great reporting system they have for both turkey and deer.  With the little bit of info this poster gave, and about two minutes of computer time, I think I now have his full name from the telecheck system.  Not everyone is always really thrilled with this (some claimed they could no longer call in sick from work to hunt) but it sure keeps people honest.  It is a super tool for the game managers.  They can see a daily report of legal harvest numbers and never have to do a lot of guessing.  Let's see if I'm right.  Nine birds harvested so far in the Clarks River NWR.  Only one on Thursday 4/21.  This bird checked by a person with the initials "SAR" (full name is listed).  I did see my old hunting buddy from the neighborhood is still blank.  He never could get one without my help .   Yes I am bored today.

OOPS - forgot parts of Clarks River are in McCracken County.  A bird was taken there on 4/21 by "CTW".  That will add to the Clarks River total and deepen the mystery.  Telecheck is a fun system to play with.  None of my old hunting buddies from KY can call and brag without having an official "back up".

[Ky strutt n bust n]

i like it too. bc some people actually brag about killing birds and sometimes get caught not calling their birds in. thanks for the insight on the WMA up there. i have heard of it but noone i see hunts it very often. which could be a good thing. good to know theres someone on here thats very familiar with the area as myself.
P.S. i think you might be on to something on the 4/21 mccracken county Clarks river turkey killer. lol. killed it at 7 pm that night

[joey46]

Good luck in the future.  Hope you get a second bird before the season ends.

[woodchip]

 Not everyone is always really thrilled with this (some claimed they could no longer call in sick from work to hunt) but it sure keeps people honest.  It is a super tool for the game managers.  They can see a daily report of legal harvest numbers and never have to do a lot of guessing.

The Ky system only keeps honest people honest and is a very poor tool for game managers.  Tons of people never call and check their kills and keep right on hunting.  Once they get the game home and in the fridge there is no proof that they have killed anything if they get checked by a warden later.  There's no telling how many turkeys and deer are actually killed in KY.  It's really a very poor system.  However, I guess there is no sure fire way to make a person check in their harvests so they have to obey  the game limits. 

[Remington924]

i shot a double bearded jake 2 yrs ago and it didnt have the typical longer middle feathers of that of a jake but instead had 3 feathers on its left side that were shorter then the rest, i asked lovett and he said thats because he had molted the rest of them and was probably an early hatch the prior yr so its possible instead of killing an 8 or 9 mos old jake you killed one that was about 1 yr old( in NH breeding season is typically april-june, and we see poults anywhere from late may to july, this guy probably was hatched early may or late april and was older than some other jakes born 2-3 months later in june or july)

[joey46]

woodchip - ALL check in systems only keep the honest people honest.  Cheaters always cheat but with the KY system they can't brag about it or someone may burn them.   It sure takes a lot of the fun out of it for them when they are always looking over their shoulder to see who is coming for them..  A KY hunter says he got a great longbeard or ten point buck.  Take a look at Telecheck and see if he is an honest hunter or just another poacher that is either lying or did not check his kill.  One of the best systems in the country and KY should be applauded for it.

BTW - how in heavens name could a system that gives a daily updated record of legal harvest be a poor tool for game managers?  What is your alternative?  Do you think a KY hunter that did not report his bird would post it on this forum?  The young man that started this post shot a legal bird in a hard hunted public area.  He obviously telechecked his bird as required and has something to be proud of.  Congrats to him again.

[turkey slayer]

congrats!

[woodchip]

I wasn't talking about the hunter( or any hunter) in this thread.  I just mean it really can't be that great of a tool for the wildlife managers because they still don't know how many turkeys or deer have been killed they only know what has been called in.  I bet it would blow people minds if they knew how many turkeys were actually killed in Ky.  The only real way a person is going to get caught is if they get checked by a warden right after they killed a bird and moved it without filling in the info on the tag, but if they make it to the house without filling in the tag they are free and clear, and I know people who do it year after year (five and six times per year) and they talk.  The chance of getting caught by word of mouth is very very slim with only one warden per county.  I wish there was a better way to stop the cheating.  Just in case you want to check me out you can search my last name: Brister, it may sound like I'm one of these people but I'm not.  I just don't see it as a good management tool when it's an estimated number but it is a good effort.

[Ky strutt n bust n]

well thanks guys for the congrats. the system is a good one in my point of view. if someone is not respectful of the telecheck and the laws and tags given forth to them each and every year ( and i know there are thousands of people who kill and kill, but yet not report any) are the ones who don't value hunting, aren't true sportsmen. just goes to show the ones you shouldn't be congraduating or honoring for helping conservation. i was brought up with my parents and family teaching me to follow the laws and be respectful for the animals i kill. if i kill it, i eat it. if it is a legal animal that requires limits, being telechecked, i do so. and others that do the same i respect. it is a fairly accurate way to show how many honest outdoorsmen that are hunting and how many legal birds are taken. yes there are more than likely a shocking number taken illegal, for i know of several dishonest, losers out there that have killed more than their share of turkeys this season and haven't telechecked any of them. just sickens me and it should everyone else.

[Ky strutt n bust n]

and joey thanks for the input on the WMA out on the lake. i have been looking at maps and i have never noticed this ever being hunted. looks to be a lot of hunting along the shore lines. have any tips on hunting these birds? i see where a boat could def be handy in hunting these birds, for i have never hunted birds in this area. not looking for any secrets to hunting this WMA but just a little help if i was to hunt it. thanks