Corn

[Mr. Hawk]

I know it's illegal but what percentage of turkeys killed in TN do u think are killed over corn/bait? My guess is 35%. Killed a big Tom a couple years ago and his stomach was full of corn and there is no farming within miles.

 

[megalomaniac]

I bet 25٪ of birds killed during 1st week of season are killed with the aid of bait. Probably less than 5% during second half are killed over bait.

In MS, well over half of hunters who tag out during 1st week of season killed their 3 over bait.... but baiting is even more common in MS than TN.

I've heard several on private lands move their legal corn feeders for deer hunting from 100y away from their shooting houses to 30 yards away from their shoot houses for turkey season. I just couldn't imagine anything more miserable than sitting in a shoot house during turkey season waiting for hours for a gobbler to show up.

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[poorhunter]

I've talked with guys in Lewis county that said they don't know ANYONE who doesn't kill turkeys without corn. They say it's not possible to kill them otherwise. Baiting is prevalent, but less effective than decoys.

 

[Rob-HC Hunter]

Whatever happened to woodsmanship and scouting. [emoji2377]


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[Andy S.]

Baiting is prevalent, but less effective than decoys.

As mentioned earlier, I think they are both just as prevalent the FIRST week of season. I too have killed turkeys in 100% hardwood environments for miles and found corn in their craw. Those turkeys usually weigh more too.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

It's high in my neck of the woods. Most of the older guys do it actually.

 

[th88]

As mega stated, baiting for turkey is horrible in MS since we legalized baiting for deer. Now we have a ton of deer hunters turned 'turkey hunters' who think its OK to just sit over bait like they do for deer. What really hurts MS is the early opener. Turkeys are much more susceptible to bait before the woods green up and when turkeys are still somewhat in a winter pattern. I suspect Alabama will start seeing baiting for turkeys rise now since they legalized baiting for deer.

 

[Bgoodman30]

I think it's a low percentage. Gobblers don't care much about feeding right now and hens are going to gobblers seems counterproductive to me..




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[cbhunter]

I think it's a low percentage. Gobblers don't care much about feeding right now and hens are going to gobblers seems counterproductive to me..




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Agree. I personally know people that hunt that way and they don't kill many turkeys. Not because they aren't there either.
Lots of baiters out there without a doubt but no way I could agree that more than 10-15% are killed over corn. 15 even sounds ridiculous number. Just my opinion of course

 

[Bgoodman30]

I think it's a low percentage. Gobblers don't care much about feeding right now and hens are going to gobblers seems counterproductive to me..




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Agree. I personally know people that hunt that way and they don't kill many turkeys. Not because they aren't there either.
Lots of baiters out there without a doubt but no way I could agree that more than 10-15% are killed over corn. 15 even sounds ridiculous number. Just my opinion of course

I know farms that feed and although it might help hold more birds they don't ever kill them over corn...


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[Roost 1]

Prolly more than 35%.... don't forget the legal baiting, feeding cows grain. Just a legal way to bait turkeys it's a very common practice and although the gobblers are looking for love those hens are hungary and the gobblers follow them right to the buffet. TN baiting law allowing feed up to 10 days before season makes no sense.

 

[TheLBLman]

The 3-yr-old Tom I killed on the 2nd day of this year's season
was approximately 3/4 mile from the nearest property line of a 1,000-acre-plus tract,
and much farther than that from any corn field.
I'm 99.99% certain there was no corn anywhere on this property.
But my bird had corn in his craw when I killed him around 10 a.m.

And I don't buy the idea they might be getting corn from last year's harvested corn fields.
That is all gone. Deer, flocks of blackbirds, crows, you name it, they've eaten it up well before turkey season opens.

Prolly more than 35%....

For the 1st weekend of the season, I agree.

That percentage probably drops thereafter for a variety of reasons.
But as to our annual reported turkey harvest,
I suspect at least 10% are killed within 100 yds of a corn on the ground.

Many are killed within 150 yds of the homes where the shooters reside,
often, a single person killing multiple turkeys on his 5-acre "mini" farm,
which is more than get killed legally on the surrounding several hundred acres of good turkey habitat.

 

[Hunt 365]

Why not use an AR-15, shoot em off the roost, year round if you're going to cheat. Killing, not hunting

 

[megalomaniac]

Why not use an AR-15, shoot em off the roost, year round if you're going to cheat. Killing, not hunting

There are several who roost shoot and kill with rifles. There are also those down here that hunt traditionally (calling) year round if they are still gobbling. (Before season opens and after season closes). There will always be outlaws. Most don't do enough damage to the resource to make an impact, but the handful of turkey slaughterers can devastate a population. MDWFP just wrapped up an investigation last month where a group of 4 turkey killers killed at least 125 birds last spring. I hope they bury them under the jail.

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