I have a dilemma

[zelmo1]

I talked to a warden today, at length about our localturkey population. Maine has gone to a 5 bird limit in certain units for the fall season. I asked him why and he explained that the population has reached its potential and they fear that it will get much worse. There is one more year on their study but it looks like they will have to net a bunch of birds and transplant them up north, which isn't a terrible idea. He said they are encouraging taking hens to curb the population and keep the spring hunt in tact. My dilemma is that most of my hunting spots are in the biggest area of concern to them and they are not optimistic about the outcome. There are a ton of birds around here and human interaction is getting higher all the time. More houses and dam condos being built every day. Do I buy into this and go on a seek and destroy this fall and urge my buddies to do the same?, or do I just let it ride? We could actually thin them out a bit with all of us, but shooting hens is not my thing. Just looking for everybody's opinion. Thanks, Al

[Rzrbac]

That's a tough one. Myself I wouldn't shoot the hens, that's just me. Perhaps a Jake or two but that's about as far as I would go. We can shoot hens in the fall here and I don't think our population can afford to have any hens removed. Best of luck with your decision.

[guesswho]

Your decision.  But there may be a day in the near future that you wish you and your buddies hadn't filled all those tags.  But there are states that have done it for years with no issue's.  Here in the South AL/GA we don't have a fall season, but yet our populations have steadily declined in most areas for several years.  I'd choose wisely.  I'd treat an excess of turkeys like an excess of money.  Just because you have a little extra doesn't necessarily mean you should spend it.  It may come in handy during harder times.

[Greg Massey]

It's all a management strategies, and i'm sure they are thinking this is a way to keep the flock balance. I think in deciding to take hens it all depends on the amount of good habitat you have in your area, if i had less birds , maybe it's wish to hunt different area with great numbers of birds. It's your decision to kill or not to kill... just my opinion ..

[Happy]

You are really the only one that can make that decision. Think it over and make a decision. Just remember "no regerts"

[Spitten and drummen]

I have never killed a hen and most likely never will. Same with jakes. I dont think over population of turkeys are the same as with whitetails . Lifes hard on turkeys and 2 consecutive years with poor hatches will reduce that population quickly. Im in the camp that if you want plenty of gobblers to hunt , dont kill the egg layers. What others do is their own business but this is the way I see it and my personal management.

[Sir-diealot]

I do not know as much as many here do, but I just view it as killing the future by killing hens. I have chosen not to shoot doe with fawn in the fall as well, people say I am nuts, I have read a few things that say the longer a fawn has it's mother the more likely it will live longer and maybe get those large racks, I reckon it is much the same with turkey. (Though I think poults leave the hen much faster that fawns/yearlings do.

[zelmo1]

I have never hunted in the fall, this may be my first time. If I do, I already made up my mind to hunt a couple old dinosaurs that I got permission to crossbow hunt. No guns on this farm. If I could gun hunt this, my wife and daughter would have had a good chance on winning the local gun shop's pool  .

[fallhnt]

You can't stock pile wildlife. The predator population is about to explode and your losing habitat.

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[paboxcall]

A lot of people above my pay grade are doing the research to assess populations and carrying capacity of specific areas within your state. I respect their professional opinion if they think the average fall hunter success rate can handle a harvest using 5 tags.

Pennsylvania has a long fall season tradition, its one bird either sex and I enjoy a fall hunt as much as the spring. Five tags seems like a lot given what I'm accustomed to, and if I lived there I doubt I would fill but one or two.

But outsmarting a gang of reclusive longbeards or breaking a fall flock to hear the entire turkey vocabulary as they gather back is a ritual I cherish each and every season but personally I don't need five punched tags to check that box.

[Hook hanger]

I would just shoot 5 Tom's and smile real big with each trigger pull. I shoot 4 Tom's in my state in the fall but 2 have to be with a bow.

[tracker#1]

In WNY state wildlife biologist sat on their "hands" and watched the turkey take plummet from 2002 to 2015 before acknowledging and reacting to the problem. Hunter's complaints fell on "deaf" ears for years. There reaction was to take away 2 weeks of fall hunting and promote shooting gobblers only. Years ago, late 1950s, WNY sent trap and transfer birds to promulgate the whole east coast, including Maine. I haven't hunted the fall season in 10 years. I used to love it. I wish we had your problem.....

[Spitten and drummen]

You can't stock pile wildlife. The predator population is about to explode and your losing habitat.

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Yes sir. Kill as many as you can and hope everyone else thats hunting does the same. We dont need to save any of them. Consider them a unlimited resource.

[tal]

 Let your conscience be your guide. I started hunting in the fall several years ago, it was a chance to be in the woods. I didn't hunt properties big enough to bust'em up the traditional way. I relied on gentle or lost calling. Hens are legal but I shot jakes or better. They're a different bird outside of the breeding cycle. I learned a lot and really enjoyed it. We only get a week in October and a week in December for firearms. I use most of the squirrel season to scout birds.

[zelmo1]

You can't stock pile wildlife. The predator population is about to explode and your losing habitat.

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Yes sir. Kill as many as you can and hope everyone else thats hunting does the same. We dont need to save any of them. Consider them a unlimited resource.

Not looking for an argument, just opinions on the situation. I figured some of the old timers here have lived through similar situations and looking for feedback. I understand that I am my own master and will let my conscience be my guide. Just a huge jump in the fall limits and I want to learn more to be better equipped to make good decisions. Thank you all for your input. Al Baker