Would you ever consider missing a season if..

[kdsberman]

This is kind of related to a thread I did a couple days back about declining turkey population in my area.

If you for roughly 5 straight years saw no more than 2 toms in the flock, and some times only ONE, would you ever consider skipping a season?  This is assuming this property is the only one you hunt?

I wrote my situation in that thread so I won't ramble on about it again, but this has crossed my mind as I have not seen more than 2 toms since last spring, and now I'm only seeing one, and significantly less hens.




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[dirt road ninja]

Nope, I'd hunt him them look for green pastures.

[Chris O]

This is kind of related to a thread I did a couple days back about declining turkey population in my area.

If you for roughly 5 straight years saw no more than 2 toms in the flock, and some times only ONE, would you ever consider skipping a season?  This is assuming this property is the only one you hunt?

I wrote my situation in that thread so I won't ramble on about it again, but this has crossed my mind as I have not seen more than 2 toms since last spring, and now I'm only seeing one, and significantly less hens.




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That would be a tough decision. You could always hunt them with a video camera and if you got him with in 40 yds you pretty much know you could have killed him. Maybe you would wise them up and and they would be harder for someone else to kill.


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[3bailey3]

Missing a season NO, but I would do everything I could to find a better place to hunt, in state or out!

[bobk]

Missing a season NO, but I would do everything I could to find a better place to hunt, in state or out!


X2

[kdsberman]

IF I could hunt another piece of property I'd consider it, but as of now this is all I have. 

Trust me, I don't WANT to skip a season as turkey hunting is my favorite thing in the world, I just thought maybe it would be smart in the long run?


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[Happy]

I would leave those birds alone and find elswheres to hunt personally

[WiLL B]

Go somewhere else. Public if necessary.

[Chris O]

There are usually more birds around than what you actually see. And 1 Tom can breed quite a few hens. One thing you could do this fall to help is set some traps for predators. Opossum and Raccoons are hard on nests and coyotes and bobcats are superb turkey killers.

[MK M GOBL]

I wouldn't give up the hunt, but would definitely be on some other ground, private or public whatever it need be.

MK M GOBL

[kdsberman]

There are usually more birds around than what you actually see. And 1 Tom can breed quite a few hens. One thing you could do this fall to help is set some traps for predators. Opossum and Raccoons are hard on nests and coyotes and bobcats are superb turkey killers.

I started doing this last year, and got roughly 20 raccoons.  Hoping this is a good start.


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[Spitten and drummen]

Nope. It's also strange that when you kill a gobbler , another takes his place. As long as you have hens , there will be a gobbler close by.

[TauntoHawk]

Never. I only have one piece of family owned private land in the state I live in, at sometimes there's no birds around it. I hunt public land lots and lots of scouting goes into this I also hunt out of state every year both private and public.

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[Chris O]

There are usually more birds around than what you actually see. And 1 Tom can breed quite a few hens. One thing you could do this fall to help is set some traps for predators. Opossum and Raccoons are hard on nests and coyotes and bobcats are superb turkey killers.

I started doing this last year, and got roughly 20 raccoons.  Hoping this is a good start.


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I am sure you saved a few eggs. If you want to learn more about trapping check out Iowa trappers talk.com and look through some of the archives. There are some really good trappers on there that catch incredible amounts of predators. I know quite a few of them. You will probably have to register and join but it's no big deal.

[Goodtimekiller]

I think it depends on the land.  If there had been 5-6 regularly hanging out in past seasons and now 1, i would not hunt him, unless i was seeing some jakes. But there probably are more than you actually see unless its a pretty small farm.  On my farm i usually see 2-3 every year. I take 1 occasionally 2, the next year there are 2-3 again. Like others said, i would hunt public and take some time to go to another state if i was worried.


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