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Long Beards & Spurs
Fewer turkeys every year
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<blockquote data-quote="elknturkey" data-source="post: 5325696" data-attributes="member: 16297"><p>Wasn't directing it at you or really anyone whining cause I've done some myself. Nobody knows the exact seasons but let's go thru the potential problems and solutions.</p><p></p><p>1. Predators</p><p>Can't make force people to hunt or trap and in this busy world not many have time. Our grandfather's could and did for numerous reasons. What if it's owls, hawks or eagles? Good to know but nothing can be done. If nests are being destroyed I don't see any possible fix</p><p></p><p>2. Habitat</p><p>Again, can't tell someone how to use their land. Also, people need to realize it's not just private farms that have seen a decrease. Large chunks of mountainous national forest has as well. In fact, some of the areas I first started hunting I would put up against any private farm in the state. And again, not a dang thing anyone can do with the court system and tree huggers. In fact, I use to hunt a lot of wilderness areas. Those lands can never be touched. </p><p></p><p>Disease</p><p>Well we've seen how the states have handled cwd. Shoot em all! If it's from chicken manure you're right back in the hands of the land owners. If it is chicken crap it still doesn't explain the population decline in mountainous territory. </p><p></p><p>Weather</p><p>Obviously nothing we can do</p><p></p><p>Season /bag limits</p><p></p><p>This is the one thing we can control to a degree. Move the season and reduce the number of tags. Even do away with tactics that allow birds to be much easily harvested. No Jake's. All that COULD have an impact on the number of gobblers carried over from spring to spring. Maybe it would allow more hens to be bred and the population would grow. Maybe none of it would matter. </p><p></p><p>I did personally witness one thing. For the guys that don't know Johnson County well, it's mostly mountainous land with farms /fields in the valleys. Back in the 90s I would take a ride in mid March on a rainy day and literally see 3-400 birds. It was ridiculous. Hardly anybody turkey hunted and a knock on a door would get you permission. Deer hunting was out of the question tho. Turkey hunting started to explode and everything either got leased up or family hunt it. I still took my usual rides but it didn't take long after all that started for the population to take a huge hit. Coincidence? Possibly. I believe a big reason there was so many birds in the mountains at that time was cause there were so many birds in the valleys that it was way over capacity. As those birds disappeared, the mountain birds moved in and the populations decreased. I can't remember the exact year but it was around 2017 I went like 17 days without hearing a bird. In Virginia last year, I heard 1 bird on public. It was opening day and he came in but had no beard so wasn't legal. I heard more birds the first morning in Wyoming than I did in over 30 days combined in VA and Tenn. </p><p></p><p>Again, I'm not going to pretend I know what it is. I'm in the boat that's it not one particular thing. What I want to hear is what guys think it is AND a solution for said problem. I gave mine</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="elknturkey, post: 5325696, member: 16297"] Wasn't directing it at you or really anyone whining cause I've done some myself. Nobody knows the exact seasons but let's go thru the potential problems and solutions. 1. Predators Can't make force people to hunt or trap and in this busy world not many have time. Our grandfather's could and did for numerous reasons. What if it's owls, hawks or eagles? Good to know but nothing can be done. If nests are being destroyed I don't see any possible fix 2. Habitat Again, can't tell someone how to use their land. Also, people need to realize it's not just private farms that have seen a decrease. Large chunks of mountainous national forest has as well. In fact, some of the areas I first started hunting I would put up against any private farm in the state. And again, not a dang thing anyone can do with the court system and tree huggers. In fact, I use to hunt a lot of wilderness areas. Those lands can never be touched. Disease Well we've seen how the states have handled cwd. Shoot em all! If it's from chicken manure you're right back in the hands of the land owners. If it is chicken crap it still doesn't explain the population decline in mountainous territory. Weather Obviously nothing we can do Season /bag limits This is the one thing we can control to a degree. Move the season and reduce the number of tags. Even do away with tactics that allow birds to be much easily harvested. No Jake's. All that COULD have an impact on the number of gobblers carried over from spring to spring. Maybe it would allow more hens to be bred and the population would grow. Maybe none of it would matter. I did personally witness one thing. For the guys that don't know Johnson County well, it's mostly mountainous land with farms /fields in the valleys. Back in the 90s I would take a ride in mid March on a rainy day and literally see 3-400 birds. It was ridiculous. Hardly anybody turkey hunted and a knock on a door would get you permission. Deer hunting was out of the question tho. Turkey hunting started to explode and everything either got leased up or family hunt it. I still took my usual rides but it didn't take long after all that started for the population to take a huge hit. Coincidence? Possibly. I believe a big reason there was so many birds in the mountains at that time was cause there were so many birds in the valleys that it was way over capacity. As those birds disappeared, the mountain birds moved in and the populations decreased. I can't remember the exact year but it was around 2017 I went like 17 days without hearing a bird. In Virginia last year, I heard 1 bird on public. It was opening day and he came in but had no beard so wasn't legal. I heard more birds the first morning in Wyoming than I did in over 30 days combined in VA and Tenn. Again, I'm not going to pretend I know what it is. I'm in the boat that's it not one particular thing. What I want to hear is what guys think it is AND a solution for said problem. I gave mine [/QUOTE]
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