Lower turkey populations

[J Hook Max]

 Wondering how many of our Deep South huntersare seeing a signiicant drop in the population versus 10-20 years ago. I live in South Alabama and our hatches have been bad for several years in a row. Even before that, hurricanes have wrecked much of what had been good woods.
I think those people who only started turkey hunting in the last 5-10 years don't notice thedifference, but compared to 20 years ago, it is not even close to the turkeys we had back then.
While I enjoy the longer season and liberal bag limit, I believe bth need to be cut back some to allow the population to recover.

[dirt road ninja]

I agree, over all the numbers are down compared to the mid 90's. I don't think it is the  fault of the hunters, seems more of how quickly folks are harvesting pine trees.

[J Hook Max]

I agree about the trees.

[bbcoach]

Not sure I understand the logic of the harvesting of pines contributing totally to the decline in turkey pops.  I live in Eastern NC and we have thousands of acres of Weyerhaeuser pine forests that are harvested about every 30 years (clear cut).  What I see here, is when a block of pines are clear cut and then replanted, the turkeys will use the clear cut for food but not totally vacate the area.  They will normally move their roosting site but the birds still stay in the area to feed and hatch their young.  Yes, is does take more scouting to find their roost sites every spring but the birds for the most part continue to use the area.  Could there be other contributing factors (i.e. increase in coyote pops, increase in raccoon and possum pops, wet nesting seasons, poor nesting by the hens)?  Educate me.   

[dirt road ninja]

Bbcoach- having never hunted in NC, I can't compare forestry practices. In my humble uneducated opinion it seems that the timber companies are harvesting way more frequently than they were 20 years ago. The trees are being taken at a smaller diameter then what I remember. Also, we get so much rain and such mild winters our clear cuts turn into jungles very quickly. Many of the larger timber operations also quit burning (I loved a fresh burn) they now spray chemicals or go in an do thinnings when the under brush gets to thick. Give me a block of 30 inch round pines with light undergrowth and I will bring you a dead turkey. Our habitat has just gotten thicker overall and I feel that has cause more problems then predation.
Now we still have birds, and plenty of them. Just not as many as before.

[J Hook Max]

Ninja is right. The woods are much thicker than in the past. Too many people are into short term profit instead of long term sustainability, hence the reason for the lack of controlled burns. Around here, those who burn are the ones with the turkeys. The hurricanes als resulted in much thicker woods and our birds never fully recovered. When I suggest lower limits, I just don't believe with the number of turkey hunters today, the amount of birds justifies that potential harvest. Our state has no way to measure the harvest. I have killed over 100 gobblers here since the esrly 80's and the state has never sent me a survey. They have no idea if I have killed one or 100.
The bottom line is loss of suitable habitat.

[silvestris]

In SW Mississippi, the good old days were just that, the good old days.  I attribute it to a number of factors, primarily changes in timber practices, conversion of grasshopper producing openings into pine plantations under CRP programs and the great increase in the number of turkey hunters.

[J Hook Max]

There are problems all over the Deep South including Georgia and South Carolina. I suspect the reasons are all related. My lontime hunting partner believes we also have a stagnant gene pool. He thinks the southern states should arrange for bird swaps with other states with newer turkey flocks. Eddie Salter told me the same thing. I plan to discuss this with our local biologist and ask his opinion.

[willy8457]

Here in central Pa we didn't seem to have the turkeys This year that we had last year. I'm not sure why  but the Bad winter, bad hatch and lots of coyotes might have something to do with it.  I"ve been calling in more and more Yotes every year while i turkey hunt. And it seems it's always at first light, Maybe thats why i haven't been hearing much Gobbling in the morning. Most of the gobblin I heard last year was later in the morning  not at first light.