Apparently the sky wasn’t falling that much.

[Harold Money jr]

https://www.tn.gov/twra/news/2019/5/30/ ... -2018.html
Still below the average but, with the online check in I'd say that any increase is very promising.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Assuming the overall turkey population is indeed shrinking in given areas, just means a larger percentage of the flock is being removed each spring. This happened in MO several years ago as harvest numbers stayed pretty steady but at the same time there were years of crappy hatches and poor poult recruitment. Then the bottom fell out...went from killing well over 60k birds in 2004 to 34k last year.

Just because harvest total remains relatively stable for a time might not necessarily mean the overall population is stable vs. declining.

 

[bloodtrailing]

All advertising spin in that statement. No hunter survey data or hunter participation. Looks like a marketing promo company wrote it.

 

[Andy S.]

Just because harvest total remains relatively stable for a time might not necessarily mean the overall population is stable vs. declining.

All advertising spin in that statement. No hunter survey data or hunter participation. Looks like a marketing promo company wrote it.

Ditto on both accounts.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Just have to really hope for some great hatches because we obviously aren't getting any changes out of TWRA.


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[Mike Belt]

Sounds like time for trapping and relocating birds out of high production counties to poor counties.... but what good would that really do if they can't figure out exactly why there's a decline in them to begin with.

 

[TheLBLman]

When did TWRA stop doing poult surveys?

 

[AT Hiker]

Just because harvest total remains relatively stable for a time might not necessarily mean the overall population is stable vs. declining.

All advertising spin in that statement. No hunter survey data or hunter participation. Looks like a marketing promo company wrote it.

Ditto on both accounts.

Your both incompetent buffoons...and I agree with both of you!

I spoke with a Stewart County wildlife officer last week. He said the harvest numbers were good in Stewart County but he simply doesn't see the birds.
So this tells me certain areas within the counties are supporting a majority of the birds. I have access to practically a thousand private acres in that county and I can assure you it doesn't have a gun table number of turkeys. A acquaintance of mine who hunts the same general area concurs but he did say go across the river in Carlisle and the place is full.

LBLman, I have no idea when they stopped.



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[TheLBLman]

You speak with Joe or Ricky?

I spoke with a Stewart County wildlife officer last week.
He said the harvest numbers were good in Stewart County but he simply doesn't see the birds.
So this tells me certain areas within the counties are supporting a majority of the birds.

For sure, there are certain areas with both more and less birds.
But what I believe even more:
We're killing a higher percentage each year (on average) of the available birds.

The only "saving grace" is many hunters are not killing jakes,
which then gives us a new supply of 2-yr-old birds the next spring,
most of which get killed.

LBLman, I have no idea when they stopped.

I believe it was many years ago,
but an annual poult count was a better reflection of the turkey population than the "harvest" data.

At one time,
County Wildlife Officers counted the number of bobwhite quail they heard whistling to have trend data about quail populations.

 

[AT Hiker]

You speak with Joe or Ricky?

.

Honestly forgot his name, we were both involved in volunteering for a 4-H camp at LBL so the conversation was short and in a haste. He was heavy set and used to work at Yanahli. Maybe mid 30's...nice guy.


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[TheLBLman]

Doesn't really sound like either of our two county wildlife officers.

Maybe mid 30's...nice guy.

That's close to right age for Ricky, nice guy would fit both,
but last time I saw Ricky, he looked more like someone running marathons.

 

[AT Hiker]

Doesn't really sound like either of our two county wildlife officers.

Maybe mid 30's...nice guy.

That's close to right age for Ricky, nice guy would fit both,
but last time I saw Ricky, he looked more like someone running marathons.

Lol, no offense to him but he is more of a lineman. You could put run him but if he ever caught you a world of hurt you would be in.
I kinda interpreted he was new to the area. Joe Griffey, the county Ag agent didn't know him either.
I'm asking who he is now. *Evan Gaskin is what my source said. Google says he was in Hickman County 2 years ago. I've noticed here In Montgomery County we have new ones that I've not met.


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[scn]

Twenty + years ago when we had kill tags and mandatory physical check stations and it required a certain skill level to kill a gobbler, I had some faith that kill figures gave a pretty good indication of the actual turkey population. One year of being up or down didn't show much, but, you could get a pretty good grasp of the population trends over a few year period.

With the advances in the turkey decoys, reaping bs, LONG range ammo, etc, I have zero confidence that kill figures now indicate what is on the ground. It now takes very little skill to shoot a limit (or more) of gobblers if that is what you want to do. I think it is just as likely that we are killing a bunch of birds as our turkey population goes down the toilet. When hunters across the state are reporting that their local populations are a half or third of what they were just a few years ago, I put a little more stock in their observations than kill figures that were obviously questionable all year in the reporting system.

So, yes, I am still VERY concerned.

 

[Shooter77]

Twenty + years ago when we had kill tags and mandatory physical check stations and it required a certain skill level to kill a gobbler, I had some faith that kill figures gave a pretty good indication of the actual turkey population. One year of being up or down didn't show much, but, you could get a pretty good grasp of the population trends over a few year period.

With the advances in the turkey decoys, reaping bs, LONG range ammo, etc, I have zero confidence that kill figures now indicate what is on the ground. It now takes very little skill to shoot a limit (or more) of gobblers if that is what you want to do. I think it is just as likely that we are killing a bunch of birds as our turkey population goes down the toilet. When hunters across the state are reporting that their local populations are a half or third of what they were just a few years ago, I put a little more stock in their observations than kill figures that were obviously questionable all year in the reporting system.

So, yes, I am still VERY concerned.

Seems like very logical thinking! I agree the boots on the ground are the best indication of what is happening, not someone setting at computer looking at kill data!

 

[volsrock]

Twenty + years ago when we had kill tags and mandatory physical check stations and it required a certain skill level to kill a gobbler, I had some faith that kill figures gave a pretty good indication of the actual turkey population. One year of being up or down didn't show much, but, you could get a pretty good grasp of the population trends over a few year period.

With the advances in the turkey decoys, reaping bs, LONG range ammo, etc, I have zero confidence that kill figures now indicate what is on the ground. It now takes very little skill to shoot a limit (or more) of gobblers if that is what you want to do. I think it is just as likely that we are killing a bunch of birds as our turkey population goes down the toilet. When hunters across the state are reporting that their local populations are a half or third of what they were just a few years ago, I put a little more stock in their observations than kill figures that were obviously questionable all year in the reporting system.

So, yes, I am still VERY concerned.

Seems like very logical thinking! I agree the boots on the ground are the best indication of what is happening, not someone setting at computer looking at kill data!

what about counting 100 + coming off roost landing in field watching from my recliner too damn there is a turkey out there. ina matter of a few years in south wayne co. it sucks ill tell u !!!

 

[volsrock]

apparently no one wants to address the situation in southern wayne and lawerence counties. iv allready had one thread deleted where i stated facts. im just calling it like i see it. more chicken houses. turkeys disappear. please give me a valid argument otherwise!!!!!

 

[scn]

apparently no one wants to address the situation in southern wayne and lawerence counties. iv allready had one thread deleted where i stated facts. im just calling it like i see it. more chicken houses. turkeys disappear. please give me a valid argument otherwise!!!!!

You haven't stated FACTS. You have stated your opinions, which is fine. There have been valid arguments against your OPINIONS posted throughout the threads.

 

[TheLBLman]

. . . . . more chicken houses. turkeys disappear. please give me a valid argument otherwise!!!!!

HAPPENSTANCE.
It may (or may not) be that simple.

Just saying,
turkey populations have severely declined in many areas with zero chicken houses,
while other areas have had both chicken houses, increasing chicken houses, and increasing turkey populations.

None of this is to say there may or may not be some correlation between chicken houses and turkey populations, and I personally believe the possibility of correlation needs to be continuously monitored.

But simultaneous events do not necessarily equal a direct correlation,
especially when in the majority of similar events, there is no correlation.

 

[woodsman04]

apparently no one wants to address the situation in southern wayne and lawerence counties. iv allready had one thread deleted where i stated facts. im just calling it like i see it. more chicken houses. turkeys disappear. please give me a valid argument otherwise!!!!!

You haven't stated facts, your just spewing up what you think. Chicken houses are all over the southeast US and have been for a long time. It ain't the chicken houses.

Why don't you, give us facts as to why it is chicken houses other than once you saw chicken houses in Lawrence county the turkeys went away? instead repeating chickens kill turkeys tell us why and what you think.


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[volsrock]

apparently no one wants to address the situation in southern wayne and lawerence counties. iv allready had one thread deleted where i stated facts. im just calling it like i see it. more chicken houses. turkeys disappear. please give me a valid argument otherwise!!!!!

You haven't stated FACTS. You have stated your opinions, which is fine. There have been valid arguments against your OPINIONS posted throughout the threads.

check the dates of chicken houses on the rise and turkey population decline!!!! facts and the location of said chicken houses!!! facts

 

[scn]

Opinions.

There were chicken houses and manure spreading going on when those turkey populations were at their peak. And, in other counties where the populations have fallen off the cliff, there isn't a commercial chicken house within a hundred miles.

Your inability to understand the difference between facts and opinions leads me to believe that we may be discussing things with someone that isn't out of high school.

 

[volsrock]

Opinions.

There were chicken houses and manure spreading going on when those turkey populations were at their peak. And, in other counties where the populations have fallen off the cliff, there isn't a commercial chicken house within a hundred miles.

Your inability to understand the difference between facts and opinions leads me to believe that we may be discussing things with someone that isn't out of high school.

hahaha first off i live here and have lived here in south wayne co all my 44 yrs being on this earth!!! the name calling can stop now!!!! we are not in kindergarten anymore well im not anyway!!!! check ur facts......chicken houses exploded in south wayne county and turkeys dissapeared!!!!!!!!!!!! GIVE ME A REASON FOR THEIR DECLINE OTHER THAN CHICKEN HOUSES!!!!!!

 

[volsrock]

GO AHEAD AND DELETE THIS ONE TOO IF U CANT ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!!!!

 

[volsrock]

GO AHEAD AND DELETE THIS ONE TOO IF U CANT ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!!!!

AND please dont piss down my back and tell me its raining!!!!! if u dont know just tell me!!!

 

[woodsman04]

So what did the chicken houses do/not do here in Wayne/Lawrence that killed the turkeys? What did the chicken houses do/not do in the entire south east to not kill turkeys for instance in south Alabama and South Georgia where chicken farming is king?

Why are there populations declining in areas that do not have chicken houses?

Why don't you give a fact on to why it was the chicken houses instead of just happenstance?

Could chicken houses effect wild turkeys? I absolutely believe that they can. Did they cause the demise of Lawrence, Wayne, and Giles county? I seriously doubt it because chicken houses has been a way of life for the southeast for a long time, yet other areas that's had chicken houses since the 70s have had turkeys then too.

Chicken houses have been in Giles, Lawrence, and Wayne county way before the population went away anyways. I've lived my whole life around there too.


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[elknturkey]

Why did the decline in the mountains start the same time as on farms and honestly haven't had an uptick in several years. There's zero chicken houses around

 

[volsrock]

So what did the chicken houses do/not do here in Wayne/Lawrence that killed the turkeys? What did the chicken houses do/not do in the entire south east to not kill turkeys for instance in south Alabama and South Georgia where chicken farming is king?

Why are there populations declining in areas that do not have chicken houses?

Why don't you give a fact on to why it was the chicken houses instead of just happenstance?

Could chicken houses effect wild turkeys? I absolutely believe that they can. Did they cause the demise of Lawrence, Wayne, and Giles county? I seriously doubt it because chicken houses has been a way of life for the southeast for a long time, yet other areas that's had chicken houses since the 70s have had turkeys then too.

Chicken houses have been in Giles, Lawrence, and Wayne county way before the population went away anyways. I've lived my whole life around there too.


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if uv lived here all u life. how many chickin houses were here 10 -15 years ago and tell me how many turkeys were here then. i dont know the answer to the decline but give me ur reason!!!