Bird Report

Please advise on your county and birds being seen or photos off trail cams. Bird #'s are way down in Hardin County. Numerous reports are the same as mine in this County.

Seen hundreds at least 300-400 in last week they are doing there thing the same as always this time of March, counting down the days till juvi here in Claiborne

Few of cam pull

Wilson Co. group of 20+ toms hanging around the house since Jan. Hope they hang around through juvenile.

I didnt get a pic last week. Hardin county. But that's my lease. They show up over night. But there is this picture.

knightrider":3pbms01y said:

Seen hundreds at least 300-400 in last week they are doing there thing the same as always this time of March, counting down the days till juvi here in Claiborne

Click to expand...

I used to wear them out up there when I went to LMU.

Looking good on the plateau.

However we only had one gobbler on the place last year. He got a pass. Looks like he made good use of it !

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk

Cumberland County

Saw about 30 birds Saturday on my lease in White Co mostly hens with a couple gobblers in the bunch

Went by one of my farms Sunday evening, had 14 jakes in the field next to the rode!
Was shocked to see that many.

Went to my little spot in Bradley and saw one gobbler in the field. I got back in the woods from a little stroll through the woods and had 6 ticks in me. Two on my hand and four on my left pant leg.

Ive not seen a turkey since before last years deer archery season,no one else is either,I fear a major die off like those counties in south Tennessee!

they are gobbling the heads off right now, makes trying to work difficult :bash:

They're doing fine here in Williamson and Maury counties


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I saw a group of 20 toms in Dickson Co last week while she'd hunting. This week in Rutherford my trail cam shows at least 35 birds on a 130 acre parcel


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

tree_ghost":1zhwpen6 said:

This week in Rutherford my trail cam shows at least 35 birds on a 130 acre parcel

Click to expand...

Wonder how many birds exist a mile in every direction around that 130 acre parcel?

I'm finding VAST bird-less areas, then small areas with huge flocks.

Flocked birds should be starting to disperse now into their surrounding areas,
but seem to remain more flocked up than normal for this time of year in Stewart Co./LBL areas.

Can't really say if bird population is more or less than immediately pre-season last year,
but will say the eagles, coyotes, and bobcats have been reducing their numbers here over the winter.
I did see a flock of about 20 birds last week, all of which appeared to be jakes.
Just not seeing as many older Toms as I'd like to see now,
and not as many 2-yr-old birds now as the number of jakes last year suggested we "should" have now.

Am wondering if that extreme cold weather we recently had here for about a week (coldest week here in decades) didn't kill a significant number of birds. Some flocks may have had no water for days as frozen up as things were.

Did see two longbeards crossing a field a few days ago, which appeared to be a couple dispersing from a nearby flock, as no birds period had been seen in that field since October. Sure hope that wasn't all that had survived from that flock!

My current thoughts are these birds will still be mostly flocked up when the TN statewide season opens.

One more thing:

I believe the fall hen to poult ratios are becoming a less accurate predictor of coming spring populations.

Believe we're getting more winter predation than in times past.
For sure we have more coyotes and bobcats than decades ago,
but they appear to be doing relatively more of their hunting during mid-day,
and that appears to be primarily targeting turkeys.
That is a significant behavioral adaptation.

Then, there is the growing number of eagles that seems to be finding turkeys better tasting than ducks.

Not only are the predators appearing to adapt more to hunting turkeys,
but the turkeys seem to be adapting as well,
by not coming out into fields as much, at least in some locations.

I'll agree with the eagles for sure. We had a pair roofs on our lease one year. That was the worst year turkey hunting I've ever seen at our spot.

River rat I have located 3 gobblers. Way below what I had located last year at this time. We will see how the year goes but looks tough right now.

TheLBLman":3pec4vjb said:

......but the turkeys seem to be adapting as well,
by not coming out into fields as much, at least in some locations.

Click to expand...

My dreams are finally coming true. Coming from a hunter who loves and promotes woods hunting...... :tu: