Arkansas

[Shiloh]

So the lack of responses to my question and lack of desire to derail the TN thread has me more and more curious.  Why does Arkansas turkey hunting suck?  I don't think we can make the same arguments as we make in other states.  What say y'all?  I honestly have no idea.

[turkeyfool]

I cant help answer your question but it does suck. That and Mississippi. Although I like being in Arkansas a heck of a lot more than being in Miss

[Shiloh]

I wish everyone else liked being in Arkansas more than Mississippi!

[deerhunt1988]

Never turkey hunted in Arkansas but the stories from the National Forest are flat out depressing. Personally know people who routinely heard a half dozen birds or more on a lot of hunts in the late 90s and early 2000s. Now they consider it a success to hear one.

I know there's been a little turkey research completed in the National Forests there. Seems like there'd be a lot more research focused on the state.  Especially considering all the season modifications they've made over the past decade with little improvement. Modifications such as the reduced season length, no jake rule, later seasons. And most recently the 1-bird first 7-days. It's obvious some of those changes didn't help. Its like slapping a band aid on something that requires major surgery. My fear is with the current push to enact similar regulations in other states, what if they really don't help? We have lost a lot of hunting opportunity for much of nothing.

I sometimes wonder if there's a 'hump' that certain turkey populations can't get over now. Populations declined for a variety of factors (mother nature, predators, habitat) and knocked them down so low that perhaps they just can't get over the 'hump' to increase populations given the current circumstances. They are stuck on 'maintenance' or even worse, decline. It'd require major cooperation from mother nature to get past the hump (streaks of cooperative weather, predator declines (like a distemper outbreak), and so forth). Or it requires intensive constant management which is extremely expensive and not quite feasible for most at the landscape level.

I've heard it theorized that there is a lag period between the time that a prey species is introduced and when predators learn how to hunt them most effectively. The longer the prey species (i.e.  is out there, the more effective the predators becoming at hunting them. The first generation of predators figures out there is a new prey species on the landscape.. The second generation becomes a bit more efficient at hunting the new prey species than the first, and so forth. Seems plausible and I think this could part of our current issue.

I believe there is a lot to be learned from the Arkansas case and hopefully future turkey research can make good use of it.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

I wish everyone else liked being in Arkansas more than Mississippi!

Me to

[Fdept56]

People, predators, and weather.

I heard the turkey biologist say that an estimate of turkey hunters in the state is 80-90,000. I know other states figure their turkey population at 10x the harvest. Our harvest this year was right at 7,000. 85,000 people hunting 35,000 (saying half are male and not taking out for jakes) isn't very good for anyone involved but especially not the turkeys.

I know people think that predators are bad in every state, but I would be willing to bet on our nest predator population against any other state in the US. My grandpa is a rice farmer and traps coons because they are a nuisance by digging the levees. He has had several years of catching over 100 and giving up because it doesn't make a difference and told me yesterday that he has never seen as many of them as this year. Everyone baits deer and that only gives the coons a surplus of food so they are more successful at reproducing every year. I wish we could have a requirement of turning in a number of predator tails before you can get your turkey tags.

I couldn't tell you the last time we had favorable weather conditions in the nesting season. Where I'm located, the rivers stay out of their banks and flood a huge amount of ground almost every spring. It seems like as soon as it dries up through the season, it starts raining again about the time eggs should be hatching.

I don't think these are the only problems but I think they are the main ones. Turkey hunting is "cool" now which will only lead to more people hunting. I read an article that stated our game and fish cited a huge increase of more people this year for hunting over bait or out of season. Everyone has to get a picture with a dead turkey so all their friends can pat them on the back and let them know how good of a hunter they are and they will do anything for it.

I hope we can figure out what is wrong and how to correct it soon, this was the first year in 10 years I didn't kill a turkey in Arkansas and I want so bad for my children to be able to experience it how it used to be and not the way it is currently.

[Paulmyr]

 Spent a week hunting Arkansas 3 years ago in the Ozarks National forest. Heard gobbles every mourning, multiple birds gobbling on most days. Had a couple close but couldn't seal the deal. It was not nearly as bad as Ive heard most say the last few years. Granted the woods were not lighting up with gobbles but that's hardly the case most places when I hunt public land.

[PNWturkey]

Everyone baits deer and that only gives the coons a surplus of food so they are more successful at reproducing every year.

How long has deer baiting been legal in Arkansas?

Deer baiting is becoming more restricted in many states (partly due to CWD concerns of concentrating deer).

Would be interesting to compare turkey populations in states with baiting vs. states without baiting.  This may or may not be a big variable in turkey declines, but as you say - giving nest predators free food (bolstering their populations/reproduction) likely doesn't help the turkey situation!

[derek]

Had the pleasure of experiencing Arkansas turkey hunting for the first time this spring.  Had a lot of momentum coming from a dang good swing and about hit a brick wall crossing into Arkansas. I found a bird or 2, but it seemed they were all well known and every gobbling bird had 4-5 people actively hunting them. Ran into more people in the woods in Arkansas than anywhere else I've hunted..  I had 3 people tell me that it's been years since they had killed a bird, like as many as 8 years.. and it didn't seem like it was for a lack of trying.   I was the only nonresident plates I saw hunting.  Also saw 4 bobcats in just a few days. 

Arkansas has some bigger problems adjusting regulations just won't fix. I was tight to a pair of jakes one morning. They flew down in range of me, confirmed they were jakes and I let them walk off. When I got back to the truck someone was at their vehicle next to mine. They had heard the birds gobbling and was expecting me to come out with one. I explained they were jakes, without hesitation he said "aw I'd have dusted em. I ain't killed a bird in 4 years."  He went right in behind me after I left.  Heard from another local, there are 2 seasons in Arkansas... salt and pepper. The few birds I saw in fields bolted at the sight of a vehicle.

Ended up running out of time and not filling a tag in Arkansas, but it was some beautiful country I don't mind returning to.. I hope the changes do make some good though.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Wigsplitter]

Coming from southeast Arkansas myself - my opinion is we don't have the turkeys for a two bird limit- our season should be 1 bird and one week until things swing back upward- killing one in Arkansas is quite an accomplishment these days!!

[nativeks]

If Arkansas residents poach at home like they do in other states its a small miracle there are any birds left.

[owlhoot]

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission - Commission seeks ...https://m.facebook.com › ARGameandFish › photos
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard the first reading of new regulations concerning ... The raccoon population is way out of control around here.

[owlhoot]

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission - Commission seeks ...https://m.facebook.com › ARGameandFish › photos
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard the first reading of new regulations concerning ... The raccoon population is way out of control around here.

In absence of trappers, Arkansas issues cull permits .
Sep 24, 2019 — Furbearers such as bobcat, coyote, gray fox, red fox, opossum, raccoon and striped skunk may now be hunted year-round on private land in the ...
The beauty of raccoon hunting for me was that I was able to easily include my young family. I rarely went raccoon hunting last winter without taking one of my kids. It didn't take them long to begin to love hounds the way I did. There is something adventurous about being in the woods at night chasing a hound, and raccoon hunting is a great way to introduce kids into the outdoors and hunting. There's no need for long sits without moving—raccoon hunting is a social sport designed for talking and human interaction. Additionally, raccoon populations are very good in Arkansas and need to be controlled by hunting. Raccoons are ground nest predators (turkeys and quail), poultry killers, bird feed raiders and a general nuisance.

[silvestris]

My father did his part until the dogooders killed the fur industry.  He was one of the fur dealers located in central Arkansas until he relocated to Louisiana.  The only thing good about his death in 1989 is that he didn't have to experience the demise of the fur business.  With the increasing population, things will only get worse.

[jhoward11]

Never been to Arkansas.....But my guess would be , just like Clinton, the birds never have relations with each other. LOLLLLLLLLLL