Turkey Numbers up in Maine and NH, Good and Bad

[zelmo1]

More birds in northern New England than ever. NH went to 2 birds for the first year ever. This also brought the hunter numbers way up. They dwindled quickly with the heat and bugs, lol. But early pressure was intense. Almost every spot I have parked my truck in the past had people there at one time or another during the season. People don't like to scout, they like to horn in on other peoples work. Not a big problem. Lazy hunters rarely ruin a spot , but they can get the land posted. That is what I fear. Any similar experiences? anywhere?

[LaLongbeard]

Every state in the southeast has that problem. It's why I am shocked when I see the NE hunters talking up the populations and sending invites out on the internet lol. This might all be new for some of you in the NE but long before you had turkeys Mississippi Louisiana and any other southeast state was in the population boom which also brought with it the spike in hunter numbers. The more hunters you have the more lazy and unethical hunters you'll have. You can go anywhere in the SE on public land and it will usually be crowded and your chances of having someone mess up your hunt is pretty likely.
Landowners getting tired of the hoards of people and what that includes will lead to posted land. Next will be the landowners finding out how much there land is worth leasing hunting rights, then most of it will be posted which increases the small public land pressure to crazy levels. None of this is new none of it is surprising.When I was a kid very little of the land was posted and there was a fraction of the turkey hunters we have now. My advice is enjoy the abundance of land and turkeys while you can ....it will not last if history is any indication of the future. You might also want to cut back on the NE got a lotta turkeys sales pitch. I didn't make the trip but I know 7 guys from La and Mississippi that drove to NH this season and that's about 14 less Gobblers for someone  lol. They got the idea from right here on OG I doubt some of them knew were NH was before they read about it. Right now there probably selling someone on NH for next season... it is like a snowball effect. Kansas and Nebraska didn't start getting pounded until everyone started posting it on the internet. What makes it worse for y'all is SE hunters can finish there entire season at home before yours starts so it is even more likely to draw OOS hunters.

[WV Ridge Reaper]

Every state in the southeast has that problem. It's why I am shocked when I see the NE hunters talking up the populations and sending invites out on the internet lol. This might all be new for some of you in the NE but long before you had turkeys Mississippi Louisiana and any other southeast state was in the population boom which also brought with it the spike in hunter numbers. The more hunters you have the more lazy and unethical hunters you'll have. You can go anywhere in the SE on public land and it will usually be crowded and your chances of having someone mess up your hunt is pretty likely.
Landowners getting tired of the hoards of people and what that includes will lead to posted land. Next will be the landowners finding out how much there land is worth leasing hunting rights, then most of it will be posted which increases the small public land pressure to crazy levels. None of this is new none of it is surprising.When I was a kid very little of the land was posted and there was a fraction of the turkey hunters we have now. My advice is enjoy the abundance of land and turkeys while you can ....it will not last if history is any indication of the future. You might also want to cut back on the NE got a lotta turkeys sales pitch. I didn't make the trip but I know 7 guys from La and Mississippi that drove to NH this season and that's about 14 less Gobblers for someone  lol. They got the idea from right here on OG I doubt some of them knew were NH was before they read about it. Right now there probably selling someone on NH for next season... it is like a snowball effect. Kansas and Nebraska didn't start getting pounded until everyone started posting it on the internet. What makes it worse for y'all is SE hunters can finish there entire season at home before yours starts so it is even more likely to draw OOS hunters.

Seems like common sense!!!


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[Jstocks]

If I were you guys with good hunting, I'd stop posting about it.

Or

It will get worse faster than it already is going to.

[fallhnt]

The state will promote turkey hunting. What real turkey hunter doesn't look for an out of state adventure? Especially New England area. Whats there to scouting in the Spring? Get out of the truck,hear birds gobble,go scout. Just because a hunter hunts public land,doesn't make him lazy because he's in "your" spot. Even before the internet,magazines were advertising your turkey hunting. What's wrong with more hunters? Isn't that what the future of hunting is all about? Sounds like the New England area is doing well.

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[Bay1985]

What's wrong with more hunters?

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Not everyone is happy to shoot a poult lol. Some of us prefer to hunt Gobblers. More hunters = less Gobblers really not that complicated.

[fallhnt]

What's wrong with more hunters?

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Not everyone is happy to shoot a poult lol. Some of us prefer to hunt Gobblers. More hunters = less Gobblers really not that complicated.

More hunters are the future of hunting and wildlife.

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[zelmo1]

Not complaining about more hunters, worried because there are more " slobs".

[GobbleNut]

I'm glad to hear that turkeys are doing well in those northeastern states.  I hope to one day in the not-too-distant future experience hunting that region.

As for the debate on telling turkey hunters about it, that is a fine line we walk.  Personally, I always want to help my fellow turkey hunters out if I can,...but I also want to be discreet about how I do that.  However, there is a big difference in pointing out that turkeys in an area the size of New England are doing well as compared to giving specific details on where to go hunting there.  In other words, good luck finding zelmo's hotspot from his initial comment of "more birds in northern New England than ever".

As for "slob hunters",...there is really no such thing.  There are "hunters" and then there are "slobs",...those folks who do nothing but carry a gun and license to the woods with no concept of respect for the game we pursue and the habitat in which they live.  Each of us needs to look in the mirror and see where we fit. 

In addition, real "hunters" have an obligation to do all they can to first try to educate the "slobs" and if that does not work, do our parts to weed them out.  Hunters have this annoying habit of looking at disgusting behavior by the "slobs" and just saying "it's not my problem".  News Flash:  Yes. It. Is.!!

[Bay1985]

Can someone tell me what state needs more turkey hunters? The number of hunters declining bit is talking about overall liscence sales that's duck, deer,rabbit or pheasant hunters etc. I hunt a lot of states and I can't remember ever seeing one that "needs" more turkey hunters. As for us needing more hunters to stave off the anti hunters that's more BS. In my lifetime antis have targeted Bear hunting with hounds or bait and running deer with dogs, when and were have you heard of anti hunting groups trying to stop turkey hunting? They are more interested in mammals not birds.
I don't care what the activity it is sporting or otherwise the more people you add the worse it becomes.
The OP asked about similar experiences with more hunters and lazy people. Yea ...anywhere I've ever hunted. It's been pointed out and I agree the Northeast hunters haven't had enough turkeys for long enough to know what is going to happen. I made the trip to NH this season with 3 other hunters. When you can hunt nearly any private parcel without even bothering with public hunting areas no one needs Zelmos spot. There's only 6 or so hunting zones were your allowed to kill two  and guess what that's were everybody is going.
Just like everywhere the turkey has been reintroduced the birds adapt to the hunting pressure. Well no offense to the New England brethren but the ones we met would starve to death in La. I don't think the NE hunters have any idea the intensity at which we hunt turkeys in the south. We had planned to hunt 10 days if needed we were done in 2 everyone. Our small group won't make a difference but 500 small groups will. It's not the lazy slobs with NH plates you need to watch out for lol.
Hopefully your right and piles of OOS hunters heading NE because of the turkey boom that's being preached on the internet won't make a difference,I mean y'all got plenty of turkeys and open land what could possibly go wrong lol it could never end up like Mississippi or Kansas right?
It's clear some of you will argue the opposite of whatever is being discussed just to hear yourself talk.

[GobbleNut]

This discussion makes me wonder about a number of things.  First, exactly how many folks from distant parts of the country are actually avid enough turkey hunters to head to New England because of the positive reports of turkey numbers there?  I would bet that 99% of the folks that hunt up there are from that area or from the close-by surrounding states.  ...And those folks that are in that category,...if they are serious turkey hunters,...already know about the turkey population status there.   I would also bet that 100% of the folks that have hunted that area have done so without ever seeing zelmo's post on here from a couple of days ago.   

Do any of us really think that the folks from Pennsylvania or New York that regularly complain about the status of their turkey populations and the number of hunters are not already aware of the hunting conditions just to the northeast of them? 

Here's another thought.  The far northeast corner of the United States is, from the last I saw, pretty far out of the way from places in mid-America like Kansas and Nebraska.  In addition, most of the folks that are really serious turkey hunters are from the southeast where the exact same subspecies of turkeys lives.  Kansas and Nebraska are relatively close to a lot of folks,...and they hold two of the subspecies that serious Eastern wild turkey hunters want to get. 

Since I appear to be in the betting mood today, I would also bet that the number of Eastern-subspecies hunters that will head to Maine to kill another Eastern wild turkey (besides those from the aforementioned nearby states) is probably a small fraction of those that will head to Kansas or Nebraska to kill a Rio or Merriam's. 

Don't get me wrong.  I am not discounting the fact that states like Kansas and Nebraska have seen an influx of turkey hunters to the degree that it has really impacted the quality of the hunting there.  From all reports, it has.  However, I feel pretty confident that zelmo's post will probably not result in a mad stampede of new non-resident hunters,...other than the one's that have already been going there for a while,...to the northeast.    ...And certainly not from the far reaches of the country.

There are just too many places where a guy can kill an Eastern Wild Turkey that are considerably more convenient than making the trek to Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont.  Bottom line is that in this specific case, it is much ado about nothing.   

[Bay1985]

This discussion makes me wonder about a number of things.  First, exactly how many folks from distant parts of the country are actually avid enough turkey hunters to head to New England because of the positive reports of turkey numbers there?  I would bet that 99% of the folks that hunt up there are from that area or from the close-by surrounding states.  ...And those folks that are in that category,...if they are serious turkey hunters,...already know about the turkey population status there.   I would also bet that 100% of the folks that have hunted that area have done so without ever seeing zelmo's post on here from a couple of days ago.   

Do any of us really think that the folks from Pennsylvania or New York that regularly complain about the status of their turkey populations and the number of hunters are not already aware of the hunting conditions just to the northeast of them? 

Here's another thought.  The far northeast corner of the United States is, from the last I saw, pretty far out of the way from places in mid-America like Kansas and Nebraska.  In addition, most of the folks that are really serious turkey hunters are from the southeast where the exact same subspecies of turkeys lives.  Kansas and Nebraska are relatively close to a lot of folks,...and they hold two of the subspecies that serious Eastern wild turkey hunters want to get. 

Since I appear to be in the betting mood today, I would also bet that the number of Eastern-subspecies hunters that will head to Maine to kill another Eastern wild turkey (besides those from the aforementioned nearby states) is probably a small fraction of those that will head to Kansas or Nebraska to kill a Rio or Merriam's. 

Don't get me wrong.  I am not discounting the fact that states like Kansas and Nebraska have seen an influx of turkey hunters to the degree that it has really impacted the quality of the hunting there.  From all reports, it has.  However, I feel pretty confident that zelmo's post will probably not result in a mad stampede of new non-resident hunters,...other than the one's that have already been going there for a while,...to the northeast.    ...And certainly not from the far reaches of the country.

There are just too many places where a guy can kill an Eastern Wild Turkey that are considerably more convenient than making the trek to Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont.  Bottom line is that in this specific case, it is much ado about nothing.   

Thank you keyboard commando I'm sure you feel better now that you have blessed us from your wealth of what you think is knowledge. Now you can hit the several other forums you frequent with the same emojis and expert opinions lol. If you ever leave NM you might see what some of us already know

[FL-Boss]

The U.S.population adds over 2.3 million people per year.  The U.S. loses over 2 million acres in habitat each year to development.
Let that those number sink in, try to imagine how public land will look in 20-30 years if hunting remains as popular as today. Good luck to you younger guys. Your going to need to some serious $$$ to hunt - unless you don't mind public land with 100 other hunters on top of you.  It's already the case in Central Florida.

On the flip side,  I could also see hunting in the future (40+ years) will be pretty much non existent, the same for meat consumption in general. They already have a meatless Whopper....seems just wrong, but it's happening.  So who knows what happen in the future... 

[GobbleNut]

This discussion makes me wonder about a number of things.  First, exactly how many folks from distant parts of the country are actually avid enough turkey hunters to head to New England because of the positive reports of turkey numbers there?  I would bet that 99% of the folks that hunt up there are from that area or from the close-by surrounding states.  ...And those folks that are in that category,...if they are serious turkey hunters,...already know about the turkey population status there.   I would also bet that 100% of the folks that have hunted that area have done so without ever seeing zelmo's post on here from a couple of days ago.   

Do any of us really think that the folks from Pennsylvania or New York that regularly complain about the status of their turkey populations and the number of hunters are not already aware of the hunting conditions just to the northeast of them? 

Here's another thought.  The far northeast corner of the United States is, from the last I saw, pretty far out of the way from places in mid-America like Kansas and Nebraska.  In addition, most of the folks that are really serious turkey hunters are from the southeast where the exact same subspecies of turkeys lives.  Kansas and Nebraska are relatively close to a lot of folks,...and they hold two of the subspecies that serious Eastern wild turkey hunters want to get. 

Since I appear to be in the betting mood today, I would also bet that the number of Eastern-subspecies hunters that will head to Maine to kill another Eastern wild turkey (besides those from the aforementioned nearby states) is probably a small fraction of those that will head to Kansas or Nebraska to kill a Rio or Merriam's. 

Don't get me wrong.  I am not discounting the fact that states like Kansas and Nebraska have seen an influx of turkey hunters to the degree that it has really impacted the quality of the hunting there.  From all reports, it has.  However, I feel pretty confident that zelmo's post will probably not result in a mad stampede of new non-resident hunters,...other than the one's that have already been going there for a while,...to the northeast.    ...And certainly not from the far reaches of the country.

There are just too many places where a guy can kill an Eastern Wild Turkey that are considerably more convenient than making the trek to Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont.  Bottom line is that in this specific case, it is much ado about nothing.   

Thank you keyboard commando I'm sure you feel better now that you have blessed us from your wealth of what you think is knowledge. Now you can hit the several other forums you frequent with the same emojis and expert opinions lol. If you ever leave NM you might see what some of us already know

Why is it that some "contributors" here feel like they have to take offense at every comment made by someone else?  Personally, based on where you are from, I suspect it is a function of "genetic stagnation", but who knows for sure?... (insert favorite emojis here)
...And yes, you can consider yourself blessed. 
Now, if you want to take a vote from the rest of the members here to see which one of us they would like to see stay,...you or me,...I will be happy to leave the site if you should win....
Finally, I hope I am not overstepping when  I suggest you check your local community college for classes in reading comprehension and writing composition...  I suspect it will take you a few years, but you might get the hang of it  (more emoji insertions here)
Last but not least:  My apologies to Shannon and all here for this outburst,...some folks just need to hear it...

[Bay1985]

Gobblenut I think your the one that needs a writing composition class everything you post looks like a text message from a 6th grader. I don't think anyone is offended by your posts someone would have to care about your opinions to be offended. If I left this forum I'd be ok you on the other hand would dry up and finish withering away. You spend a large part of your life sitting in front of a screen spreading your drivel lol. This is the only forum I ever frequent but I have been on others and there you are with the same tired know it all garbage. Thousands of posts on different forums you must really have no life outside your pretend forum world.
Over 51 days worth of time sitting on this forum alone. I'm betting no one in real life wants to hear anything you say so  you spend your life here and on other forums I'm not on Facebook but I'd bet a thousand dollars your preaching over there also.... sad just really sad.