Fewer turkeys every year

[gobbler32]

I mainly hunt Hickman County but do stray into Dickson co some too. I was fortunate for many years to have some excellent ground to hunt that was full of birds. I can attest the last 3-5 yrs in Hickman County have shown a complete flip flop of hearing and seeing birds. I do have 2 places that have a few turkeys but not even close to what it once was and I am pretty much the only one hunting turkey at both places. One farm I've hunted for over 20yr used to be loaded and could hear 10 to 15 birds in a morning ,now you're lucky to hear one. Dickson co is absolutely loaded with turkeys though.

 

[THE DUKE]

Same in Wilson Co where I hunt sad sad times

 

[drake799]

Same here. I've never seen as few turkeys pre season as I have this year. Even the groups I've seen are smaller than normal. We're not gonna have a season if things keep progressing like they are

 

[deerfever]

Yep , If you heard 10 to 15 a morning I would be thankful for the memories! I have never heard that many in a morning in my life and been doing it 41 years here in TN. I don't think hearing that many is the norm in any area around the state at this point. On a good note there used to not be any around some of the parts that I go now and hear some on various mornings.

 

[Gobble4me757]

Could it be that they just shift over time? I'm just saying as I've seen an uptick in places I hunt in Bama. Another place I've been to they just have moved to different locations and don't use that farm anymore.

 

[gobbler32]

Could it be that they just shift over time? I'm just saying as I've seen an uptick in places I hunt in Bama. Another place I've been to they just have moved to different locations and don't use that farm anymore.

They must have moved out of the country, I believe disease is a major factor but who knows .

 

[gobbler32]

Yep , If you heard 10 to 15 a morning I would be thankful for the memories! I have never heard that many in a morning in my life and been doing it 41 years here in TN. I don't think hearing that many is the norm in any area around the state at this point. On a good note there used to not be any around some of the parts that I go now and hear some on various mornings.

I actually heard 18 one morning, no joke.

 

[deerfever]

I actually heard 18 one morning, no joke.

That is unreal, I have went a whole season and not heard near that many back in the day! I wish I could tell you what happened but it's beyond me. I have read Various articles on a population explosion then a drop to carrying capacity, but if it's a complete disappearance, I have no clue, I hope it gets better.

 

[hbg1]

Welcome to our world. We were seeing this 8-10 years ago but our voices were overlooked because our counties seem meaningless to the Twra. I wonder if it's too late for us.

 

[TnKen]

I had a couple places that you would hear double digit gobbling on the roost. I think the most I've heard in the past few years is 4.

 

[Andy S.]

One of my best friends has exclusive hunting rights to right at 2,000 acres in southwest Hickman and his experience has been identical to original poster. What was once a turkey mecca is now pretty much barren, with turkeys spotted occasionally throughout the year. He's a diehard turkey hunter but refuses to shoot the 1-2 longbeards that shifts on/off his land last few years. Prime habitat too with mix of hardwoods, pines, cutover and agriculture.

 

[timberjack86]

Until twra implements more predator control options such as night time predator hunts the decline will continue imo

 

[scn]

The season is too long and the bag limit is too high. Unfortunately, our agency and Commission are more concerned with license $$$ than they are the resource. It is circling the bowl. We haven't had a turkey biologist that truly cared about the birds since Jack Murrey retired. Glad I am at the end of my hunting career.

In a very few years, particularly with what is getting ready to happen, I won't be surprised to see them at a quail level.

 

[Wrangler95]

The season is too long and the bag limit is too high. Unfortunately, our agency and Commission are more concerned with license $$$ than they are the resource. It is circling the bowl. We haven't had a turkey biologist that truly cared about the birds since Jack Murrey retired. Glad I am at the end of my hunting career.

In a very few years, particularly with what is getting ready to happen, I won't be surprised to see them at a quail level.

I agree fully with you,TWRA is doing nothing to help the dire straits of the turkey ,most southeastern states are changing start times plus lowering the limits and at least they are trying,wish I could say that about Tennessee!

 

[Iglow]

The season is too long and the bag limit is too high. Unfortunately, our agency and Commission are more concerned with license $$$ than they are the resource. It is circling the bowl. We haven't had a turkey biologist that truly cared about the birds since Jack Murrey retired. Glad I am at the end of my hunting career.

In a very few years, particularly with what is getting ready to happen, I won't be surprised to see them at a quail level.

Scn, I heard ya. I loved quail hunting more than any hunting I've done. My last dog was in the mid 90,s but the birds were gone by then. It took me a while to accept it was done and they would never rebound. I have had a fear that the same will happen with turkeys since they started going away. Yes the season is too long and 3 is too many especially season length. I know Virginia had hunting only till 11:00 am and no Sunday hunting at one time. My opinion is a 30 day spring season and 15 day fall season 2 bird max per year regardless of spring/fall or county. If that doesn't help go to 1 bird and 30 day spring only and no hunting past 12:00.

 

[Sam Davis]

Another issue that affects turkey population. They nest in hayfields and unfortunately there nest's get broken up when hay is cut. I have broke up several over the years and it can't be helped. If you see them in time and go around them predators get them that night.
They suffer the same fate in other agriculture fields.

 

[Iglow]

Another issue that affects turkey population. They nest in hayfields and unfortunately there nest's get broken up when hay is cut. I have broke up several over the years and it can't be helped. If you see them in time and go around them predators get them that night.
They suffer the same fate in other agriculture fields.

It seems everybody and their brother has a bush hog now and it's the thing to sterilize their land so it's useless for any type of wildlife.

 

[Flintlocksforme]

The season is too long and the bag limit is too high. Unfortunately, our agency and Commission are more concerned with license $$$ than they are the resource. It is circling the bowl. We haven't had a turkey biologist that truly cared about the birds since Jack Murrey retired. Glad I am at the end of my hunting career.

In a very few years, particularly with what is getting ready to happen, I won't be surprised to see them at a quail level.

That's the absolute truth. Way to little management. I make the season length being too long every time there is a chance to comment. The hunt every day of the season kill as many as you possibly can Robin Hood hunters have always been around and near impossible to catch. At least limiting the hunting window to April would help.

 

[WilcoKen]

Same in Wilson Co where I hunt sad sad times

Yes Wilson Co is way down.

 

[poorhunter]

I mainly hunt Hickman County but do stray into Dickson co some too. I was fortunate for many years to have some excellent ground to hunt that was full of birds. I can attest the last 3-5 yrs in Hickman County have shown a complete flip flop of hearing and seeing birds. I do have 2 places that have a few turkeys but not even close to what it once was and I am pretty much the only one hunting turkey at both places. One farm I've hunted for over 20yr used to be loaded and could hear 10 to 15 birds in a morning ,now you're lucky to hear one. Dickson co is absolutely loaded with turkeys though.

I live in south western Hickman, and have experienced the same. 10-15 gobblers on the roost was norm. Two or three winter flocks of 30+ gobblers was the norm. Winter flocks of over 100 hens. One winter they practically all died. Boom, gone. I have 12 different farms ranging from 45-250 acres that I have basically sole hunting rights to spread out over a 10 square mile radius. In between the farms I hunt are similar sized farms where they are either leased or hunted by the owners and they kill at will both deer and turkey all they can. Things are looking up this year compared to the last 5 so we'll see. I've only killed one bird in the last 5 years total, knowing they need all the help they can get.