Help with public land in Mississippi?

[Turkeyman]

LaLongbeard's two posts pretty much tell it like it is. If you can hunt unpressured birds they'll be no different than what they were, say, 40 years ago. If you're hunting pressured public land be prepared for a "different" bird and hunt accordingly. Unfortunately in the mix are two things: 1) almost nationwide turkey populations are decreasing and added to this, 2) there are far more knowledgeable guys out there turkey hunting...right from the get go. How could there not be with every Tom, Dick and Harry with an ego posting hundreds, if not thousands, of YouTube videos? Oh...by the way...forums e.g. this and others are no different than the multiple YouTube videos...experienced turkey hunters telling all they know.

[ShootingABN!]

update

[Howie g]

Mississippi, especially South Mississippi, has some real problems, re: turkeys.  I am in the worst season in over 40 years.  In Southwest Mississippi I have heard only two gobbles on the same morning, one gobble apiece from two different birds, followed shortly by a shot for each.  This is in locations that I have had good success in the past.  I went back yesterday, hoping that they may have turned on, but, nothing.  Only saw one other hunting vehicle so apparently the word has gotten out.  I was in paradise in the 80s, now there is only desolation.  I can think of several explanations, but it is likely a combination of several explanations.  I don't see turkey hunting back anytime soon.  Near extinction is my conclusion.

I know a couple older turkey hunters that have shoe boxes full of beards and spurs and they haven't killed a gobbler in Louisiana in years. I think they are stuck in the 1980's there were lots of turkeys few hunters and expanding populations. They wore the gobblers out back then they have all kinds of stories about limiting out in the first 3 days of the season then driving to Mississippi and getting 3 more in 3 days, calling up groups of two year olds etc etc. Along about the late 90's early 2000's there success ratios took a sharp decline. As the gobblers adapted to the increased pressure and more and more people took up the sport they failed to adapt. One guy in particular told me this season he drove to a spot opening day and heard one gobble one time in a place that had 8-10 gobbling on opening day 1985 I had to laugh I told him this ain't 1985 and if you heard one you were in a good spot lol. I did not hunt the early days when the turkey population was high I learned to hunt pressured birds on public land I'm kinda glad I don't have anything to compare it to. There's some lean times in some of the southeast Mississippi and Louisiana for sure if you cannot learn to adapt you will be left bemoaning the good old days that are long gone. There's still gobblers to be killed even in Homochitto you just ain't gonna cut on a box call and have 3 run up to you waiting to be shot.

.  I was a teenager in 85 and hunted sw ms and La , the hunters where few and the gobblers where plenty . I still get my share yearly in the same area , but I sure miss the old days !!

[Mountainburd]

update

Nicely done!

[Spitten and drummen]

try driving to the homochitto national forest.  should be an hour or so from you in SW Mississippi

That is where I have been trying to find one.  It is like finding a dinosaur.

It's a big national forest and
I haven't hunted that area in 20 years but the area between liberty ms and gloster ms there is a corner of the forest were there was always turkeys. Find the hardwood areas. Good luck


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