17 hens 1 jake zero toms

[wlf89]

9hrs hunting today didnt see the first tom, had one gobble twice at some metal banging on neighboring property, but zero on the limb or responding to calls. all lone hens besides one group of two.

 

[catman529]

Dang you gave it some effort though. I was out for 3 hours yesterday like I said, with nothing responding to a call, not one gobble heard. Hope they are heating up this weekend. The birds are there, just not acting right.

 

[megalomaniac]

ouch... how many toms removed from that property already?

 

[Setterman]

ouch... how many toms removed from that property already?

And now many last year including jakes?

 

[Andy S.]

I'm seeing the same thing on some farms in middle Tn and I can promise you the decline is not because of the harvest, this year, last year etc. If anything, I see less hunters and less camouflage in trucks and restaurants than I ever have. The terrain is too much for an average Joe, you got to want it and love it to traverse some of these areas. I suspect it is tied to several less than ideal hatches in the immediate area, and predation, but no way to prove it.

 

[wlf89]

ouch... how many toms removed from that property already?

And now many last year including jakes?

way to many

 

[Boll Weevil]

I'll offer a different perspective; having that many hens is fantastic when it comes to future production. I'd honestly rather see tons of hens and work/kill the occasional gobbler than the alternative. That being said, I also understand the frustration of either a low population or toms that won't gobble...or both. Although I sincerely hope it's not the case for you guys, might be seeing what some of us experienced over the course of several years with regard to fewer turkeys.

 

[Andy S.]

.....having that many hens is fantastic when it comes to future production. I'd honestly rather see tons of hens and work/kill the occasional gobbler than the alternative.

I agree 110%. With that said, a lot of the areas we have hunted in middle TN for 15+ years, where turkeys were once very visible from the road, have all but disappeared, even on the highly regulated private farms that we cannot access. No long beards is one thing, but we are hearing little to no gobbling, and furthermore, seeing little to no scratching in the woods and tracks in the logging roads, as well as seeing very very few turkeys in the fields and pastures, where we used to see a very healthy population of birds. Furthermore, we are seeing very few turkey hunters compared to 15 years ago, so it is very perplexing to say the least.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Dang Andy, this sounds eerily familiar. I mean what you describe is EXACTLY what I saw maybe 5 years ago. No tracks, scratching, poo, feathers, dusting sites...I mean the turkeys just weren't there. I remember one perfect spring morning being completely worn out from walking all over the farm trying to strike a bird saying out loud, "What the heck is going on?"

One more thought: any major changes in forestry or farming nearby? Thinning, clearcuts, development, conversion to tillable, chicken litter fertilizer etc?

 

[Beard Buster]

3 things come to mind
over harvest
poor hatches
liberal limits
JMO

 

[PickettSFHunter]

3 things come to mind
over harvest
poor hatches
liberal limits
JMO

yep!

 

[stringtalker]

Coyotes have a lot to do with it too

 

[catman529]

ouch... how many toms removed from that property already?

And now many last year including jakes?

unknown number, all I can say is I know where he was, and I know I saw over 200 birds in one field in that same area back in January. And I heard several on roost on opening day. The birds are in good numbers and scattered all around there, just being real quiet lately.


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