Good season?

[Farmboy27]

Hey guys. I haven't been on here much but season is pretty much wrapped up and I wanted to tell you about my spring. It was by far the worst season of my hunting career as far as gobbling and bird sightings. To be fair I also listened and hunted less than ever because of a very late spring and therefore a very late start on farming. Once the weather finally broke it was pretty much all out field work for a few weeks. But even before season the sightings were dismal and gobbling practically nonexistent. Now for the good. I managed to get out 5 times and my 11 year old son and I both managed to kill longbeards. But every time someone asks how we made out and they say "good season", I just shake my head no. I'm beginning to think that the turkey population isn't going to recover around here without some major changes. And I'm not sure what is causing the problem. My question is how many on here would consider it a good year just because you tagged out. Or would you factor in the lack of gobbling and turkey population and call it a poor year like me? 

[Dr Juice]

This season was my worst in NY since I started about 30-years ago. I hunted more; seen and worked less birds than ever. Most of my gobbler sightings during the season were near people's yards. I hope it's better next year.

Where do you hunt?

[Happy]

Like you I got out less than I wanted. Maybe 12 times. 4 birds died and 3 more should have. Two opportunities were my boys and I picked the wrong bird to position on when I knew I was already in the right spot for the one. I only heard two toms gobble in Wv for the season. That's due to poaching getting worse as well as a bad hatch. They get pretty closed mouth fast in the first two weeks of season. Lack of foliage made it difficult to get on tight to birds and well it was just weird weather wise. I think we did ok for what we had to work with. Definitely not as many two year olds this spring. But that varies from year to year. So no it wasn't the best year but it wasn't the worst. Things could definitely be changed to make it better but I doubt it will happen.

[Tail Feathers]

AL public land was tough.  I heard three birds gobble I think and I killed one of them on the last day.

Locally, I heard more birds than any other season ever here, and despite being in birds every hunt, it took me 9 or 10 mornings to get one on my home turf.  I managed to make every mistake in the book and boogered several birds before I found one that was hot enough to throw all caution to the wind.

I had longbeards in front of my two grandsons (one at 3 yards) and they got caught moving and didn't get the kill.  And their hunting opportunities were limited due to school obligations.

2018 goes down locally as a great season with lots of gobbling and lots of gobblers.

[JonD.]

I tagged out this year, but this was definitely the worst turkey season I've ever seen around here.(KY)Weather was terrible all season, cold, turkeys are a month or more behind normal breeding cycle, and so is the entire spring season. All the blooms were/are a month or more behind. Saw less turkeys before season than I ever have and heard no gobbling. I heard two gobbles on opening day, once on the roost and once that afternoon which was a bird I killed. No gobbling at all after that until the 3rd weekend and I got one stirred up and coming off the roost. I didn't get him, but killed a jake that came in from a different direction and messed it all up. Even if I hadn't killed the jake, I wouldn't have been able to hunt after that, but I live close to my hunt area and haven't heard any gobbling at all since. I've been seeing gobblers strutting with hens out in the fields while going to work. Way late for our normal season. The real late cold weather definitely slowed them down a lot, but hopefully they will still make a good hatch after everything finally warmed up.

[spaightlabs]

Watched a few sunrises in the woods.
Would have been a great season if that was it.  I feel lucky to have the opportunity to getup and hunt.
Talked with a few birds.
Carried a couple of birds of my own and helped a couple others tag one.

[Farmboy27]

Watched a few sunrises in the woods.
Would have been a great season if that was it.  I feel lucky to have the opportunity to getup and hunt.
Talked with a few birds.
Carried a couple of birds of my own and helped a couple others tag one.

I do love the sunrise!  But if a pretty sunrise is all that matters, then Turkey's are a non factor. And if that's the case, then there are 11 other months to enjoy sunrises while hunting all sorts of critters. (Or just getting out of bed before sunrise). What i am saying is that even though my son and myself tagged birds, the population is down and the overall turkey hunting experience has been getting worse by the year.

[Gooserbat]

I heard birds, saw birds, but finding cooperating birds was a different story.  I ambushed two of my three Oklahoma birds. 

[dejake]

My Delaware season was great, lots of birds, did a lot of homework, and tagged out opening day.  Pennsylvania was a different story.  Not many birds at all.  I feel fortunate to have gotten one.  But it still beats working.  Out in the woods and fields watching His creation reinforced just how amazing He is.

[BrowningGuy88]

South Alabama was rough.

Population is way down and pressure is up.

[joey46]

Scouted a lot from February on, ran multiple cameras, tried to hunt as often as possible, took two Osceolas, one on the second to last day of the FL season.  Except for this last hunt never had the birds fully figured out.  Never saw/heard so much roost gobbling followed by hours of totally silent birds.  Weird but successful season for me.  I hoped and planned to hunt at least one other State but it never happened.  Maybe next year.

[JMalin]

Did great in Texas.  Killed four for myself and called in two more for others.  Had to work harder in New Mexico hunting public land, but managed to get two there as well.  Nebraska was rough, but not from a lack of birds.  The weather was terrible and I still haven't learned how to hunt those birds when they move out of the drainages they roost in and move into wide open pastures and ag fields.

[Divenut2]

I pulled 2 late season tags this year, May 16th-22nd, in Door County WI. Was concerned the birds would be henned up by then. However, a crazy Spring snow storm dumped 30"s of snow in late April, days before the 1st season. I think this helped me as the birds were extremely active when my turn to hunt came. And I was fortune enough to tag out with a nice double minutes into my 1st day. Also, I stayed on the property to do some work for the rest of the week and heard gobbling every morning and early evening. Guessing that early Spring storm pushed things back some...much to my benefit    Now to start thinking about the fall turkey season and deer hunts!

Be well folks/

[Marc]

Turkey populations are going to vary regionally to a significant degree....  It is most notably easier to kill turkeys when there are turkeys to kill, and this season we had a definite increase in the population from the past 5-6 years.    I was able to kill toms with each of my young daughters, and killed a nice one on my own...  So I had a good season.

As far as what causes population shits?  Generally weather and habitat short term, and farming and habitat loss long-term.

In California, clear-cutting ditch-banks for better water movement and control (destroying nesting areas) as well as improved farming practice (farming every square inch farmed without a weed to be seen) has most certainly hurt our long-term game populations in this state...

On one of the ranches I hunt this season, there are new houses coming in, and new developments in nearby areas...  This is all long-term loss of habitat in productive areas.

Without programs such as CRP, or hunters taking steps (through private funding) not only to maintain, but to improve habitat where possible, I believe we will see short-term fluctuations in populations due to weather, with an overall drop in populations over the coming years.

[Turkeyman]

My season went well but not without a couple hitches. I started in MO the 2nd day of their season. It took me 7 hunting days to kill my 1st bird, then got the 2nd bird on the 9th day. I would have never guessed it would take that long. I was going to hunt KS but, due to the time in MO, cancelled and came back to NY. My first two days in NY I had birds gobbling well but they went with hens. I got out the next week and got 2 birds in 2 days...no hens involved. I took my grandson out three times and we were into birds but he didn't shoot because he thought the tom was too far away. Only 35 yards...after that I had a rangefinder on him!