How did the 2016 hatch turn out in your area?

[turkaholic]

I have lived on my farm in NE Connecticut for 17 years. When I first moved here there were large flocks of 50 to 70 bird around all winter. You could take a drive in late March and see them in most hay fields and pastures everywhere. Now I pretty much have one flock with about 25 on my farm. You drive around and see none mostly. They are still around in numbers but no where near like 2001. My young of the year usually amounts to a half dozen successful broods or so. This year I have only seen 2 brood flocks. There are probably more that have moved into fringe areas, I hope. I wonder what you guys are seeing in your areas. I hunt my farm in May but spend most of my turkey hunting time in N.Y. in the Cobelskill area. Bird numbers are crazy low there now. It used to be awesome.    WHY?

[deercamp]

Interesting.  I'm south of Boston and I've noticed the total opposite this year around my area then what you are seeing.  I'm in the suburbs and years ago it would be like a little after turkey season the turkeys would vanish like ghost until the following spring. For the past couple of years and more so this winter I'm seeing them everywhere it's great.  They are definitely over populating around here, but I'm not complaining.

[fallhnt]

Habitat change, most likely, is why you think your area bird numbers are down. Turkey flocks change dynamics for any number of reasons. I have a spot on public that I hunt in the fall. Over the years I have hunted around a little Valley that had 60 - 100 birds in it. I've seen this and hunted this twice in over twenty years. Bird numbers are always good on this ground so just because you don't see them doesn't mean the numbers in your area are low. In my part of central IL bird numbers run about 30 birds per 1000 acres on GOOD habitat. The area I hunt in the fall is approximately 7000 acres. I was told that area held about 200 birds over twenty years ago when I stated hunting it. So doing the math ,that held water then and still does today. Approximately 1/3 to1/2 of the birds were in that valley. I hunt another area in the spring that I estimate has approximately 30 birds on it. It is just over 2000 acres. But the birds are almost always on the edge of private. It is an area where almost nothing is there in the fall but come spring ,there they are. Turkeys in a part of MO reached a peek in early 2000. The numbers are now steady and good. This area is "fair" habitat IMO but I bet it holds 20 birds per 1000 acres. I can go into one little area in mid October and kill my 2. Ask your biologist what he or she thinks about your area. I'm sure the NWTF biologist would answer your questions.

[Spring Creek Calls]

Here's a quick cell phone video of a winter flock I came across on my daily cruise a couple days ago. Have seen multiple flocks so far but this is the biggest. I'm in SW Michigan.


https://youtu.be/qZwRr-R12Ic

[Bowguy]

Around the same timeframe-late 1990s early 2000s there were flocks round here every where. It was nothing to see flocks in the 150 range n 50-60 was just a smaller one in winter.
Now w less farmers the birds are left to the woods. The farmers would spread manure n birds were all over.
Coyotes are everywhere same for bears. The hawk population is sky high too. Jrrodc mentioned that to me last year, about them taking poults. Shortly after I saw it.
We had some rough winters n wet springs n our flock numbers fell.
Past few years were good, same predators but farmers are back in the area again n the weather has been better. Numbers are again climbing.
Funny thing last year was the poult reproduction seemed so spread out. On some years always there's a few odd balls. Last year it seemed some  were born early, normal or late so it was very spread out.
Hopefully the winter stays good, right now lots of ice on the ground. Hope it melts

[Happy]

Pretty decent hatch here. This is my back yard last week. They were headed to the pines on the back of my property. All hens and poults

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[jordanz7935]

I think that we had an OK hatch in my area of CNY for 2016. I know there were a lot of Jakes last spring in my area so hopefully theres a good number of 2 yr old gobblers come spring. I have seen a few winter flocks with around 25-40 birds in each group. Seems like the  population is slowly rising from the low bird numbers we've had the last few years. I feel like the last few years here that you really need to scout hard to get on birds and 90% of the time they are found on prime habitat(farmland). The local
Turkey contest had over 90 people enter last spring, only 16 birds were entered for the whole season and that's with a 2 bird limit for NY. Hopefully it gets better from here on out.As to why I think numbers are down I believe its a lot of things, but in my area I think the big issues have been poor hatches, hard winters,more predators  and less farming.

[MK M GOBL]

We have had several years with good hatches and seeing larger winter flocks than normal. Flock behind the farm is a good 90 birds this year, few years ago was 50-60 birds. Same reports from other farms I hunt!!

MK M GOBL

[fenderhunt4]

Central Ohio had a great hatch. Dry spring weather and a huge crop of the 17 year cicadas really gave our poults an awesome start. Flocks are bigger this fall and winter than we've seen in the last 5 or 6 years.

[Greg Massey]

This pass deer season in West Tenn. we saw a lot better number of new birds. So the hatch looks a lot better than the last 2 years.

[Marc]

I think we had a hatch last spring (which likely did not happen the previous 2 springs with our drought).

I have not seen a jake in at least two seasons, and the birds were slim pickens last year.  I am seeing some birds, but no toms, only jakes and hens.  Might be a good season to kill a jake, but will likely be a very tough season to kill a tom.

[kjnengr]

My buddy whose land I hunt on had a lot of jakes last year and should be covered with longbeards.  That's really surprising considering the record flooding we had last spring.

[cbhunter15]

This pass deer season in West Tenn. we saw a lot better number of new birds. So the hatch looks a lot better than the last 2 years.

I hope that's the case in Carroll county. Seems like there just aren't half as many birds as there was 10-15 years ago


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[Greg Massey]

This pass deer season in West Tenn. we saw a lot better number of new birds. So the hatch looks a lot better than the last 2 years.

I hope that's the case in Carroll county. Seems like there just aren't half as many birds as there was 10-15 years ago


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agree, 10 -15 years ago the turkeys were just starting to be hunted in some counties and as time came about the number of birds drop for hunting and such.. I wish they would do away with a fall season and the taking of hens in low bird area's in Tenn...But i think this year will be a little better from what i have seen this pass deer season..   

[snapper1982]

Have seen alot more birds than in the last several years. I bought 9 acres and have 50-75 on cam just about every day and there are at least 16 jakes in it. I know because i counted that many while deer hunting.