Finally did it!!

[timberjack86]

Called in a gobbling Longbeard on South Cherokee this morning. Had him within 30 yards. All I had to do was pull the trigger. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm done. I won and had him dead to rights. And I'm proud of that! Our turkeys are going the way of the grouse and quail and I'm not killing anymore until the population rebounds. I've hunted every weekend since it opened and that's the only bird I've Heard up there. Seen some sign but nothing like compared in years past.
Might possibly plan a hunt next year in another part of the country that still has turkeys to hunt.

 

[Crappieaddict]

Well done! Tremendous restraint!

 

[Gravey]

Glad you heard one but gotta ask…why go if you don't plan on pulling the trigger? It's too hot for that! Congrats on a successful hunt.

 

[timberjack86]

Glad you heard one but gotta ask…why go if you don't plan on pulling the trigger? It's too hot for that! Congrats on a successful hunt.

I was planning on it but at the last moment killing what seems like the last of the turkeys wasn't worth it. I'll gladly shoot one if the population rebounds.

 

[Hduke86]

Congrats, you're a better man than me cause it would've been….click….BOOM!!

 

[Huntaholic]

My hat is off to you kind sir. Job well done! Once we pull the trigger its over for that one. Sooner or later there wont be a next one. You did good! Id share a hunt or a camp with you anytime brother.

 

[Wrangler95]

That is great that you used great restraint and let him live,maybe he has provided some poults this year for rebuilding the gene pool for years to come!!

 

[bigtex]

Well done buddy!!

 

[GreeneGriz]

Called in a gobbling Longbeard on South Cherokee this morning. Had him within 30 yards. All I had to do was pull the trigger. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm done. I won and had him dead to rights. And I'm proud of that! Our turkeys are going the way of the grouse and quail and I'm not killing anymore until the population rebounds. I've hunted every weekend since it opened and that's the only bird I've Heard up there. Seen some sign but nothing like compared in years past.
Might possibly plan a hunt next year in another part of the country that still has turkeys to hunt.

Must be all the chicken litter their spreading up on those mountains. (Sorry, had to say it).
A family friend has a farm in western Polk county and says his turkey population seems to ebb and flow from year to year. He thinks it has to do with the wet or dry spring we have during hatches. He may be right.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Congratulations...there is satisfaction in knowing you could have but chose not to.

 

[Fatboy99]

Hmmm….

 

[Joe2Kool]

Hmmm . Catch and release turkey hunting.

But technically, you didn't win. Many turkeys walk away from from 30 yard trigger pulls! . Good restraint tho. And glad you had a fun hunt.

 

[Maude]

Congratulations! I've done that three times before and can remember the birds vividly, more so than a lot that I've actually taken. Only one of them have I regretted not shooting and that was at Yuchi not 10 minutes after legal shooting light on the 1st day of the hunt. I never got another opportunity on that hunt. Anyway, that's as close to "catch and release" as you get while hunting.

 

[GOHUNT]

but I guess I just don't understand that. Second one I remember reading about that's "gonna do their part". For the most part, the gobblers have done their job this season….most hens are nesting or have hatched off.
Maybe that's good practice for when they take our guns and we have to go out with a tobacco stick, call in a gobbler, point it and say "boom, I coulda had you"
Guess I grew up watching too much Roger Raglin

 

[13pt]

I agree...tremendous restraint! Maybe there's just one more hen that hasn't been bred yet this year. I hope your sportsmanship is rewarded. To that end, and I realize I'm a hike up the road from you in White County, but I'd like to offer our 130 acres for you to turkey hunt this last week. Our turkey population also ebbs and flows, but it's always at a pretty high level. This year is a good year, and I had some pictures of up to 80+ turkeys before the season opened. Since they broke up, I see 4 Toms running together and two groups of Jakes totaling 13 just about every day. Occasionally, I see a single Tom stroll through the yard. I know there were 9 Toms before the season opened, so I'm sure most are still here. I take a turkey about once every 3 years and this is year two not taking one. Just not a big turkey hunter, but a passionate deer hunter. All that being said, send me a pm if you'd like to take up the offer. Your sportsmanship is admirable!

 

[Willysman]

Called in a gobbling Longbeard on South Cherokee this morning. Had him within 30 yards. All I had to do was pull the trigger. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm done. I won and had him dead to rights. And I'm proud of that! Our turkeys are going the way of the grouse and quail and I'm not killing anymore until the population rebounds. I've hunted every weekend since it opened and that's the only bird I've Heard up there. Seen some sign but nothing like compared in years past.
Might possibly plan a hunt next year in another part of the country that still has turkeys to hunt.

Boy I understand where you're coming from. Have turkey hunted the South Cherokee since 1977. Each year seems to get worse. Spent 3 straight days in the "early season " heard one gobble a mile off. Very very little sign. In spite of what anyone says they are about gone.

 

[exarcherman]

Called in a gobbling Longbeard on South Cherokee this morning. Had him within 30 yards. All I had to do was pull the trigger. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm done. I won and had him dead to rights. And I'm proud of that! Our turkeys are going the way of the grouse and quail and I'm not killing anymore until the population rebounds. I've hunted every weekend since it opened and that's the only bird I've Heard up there. Seen some sign but nothing like compared in years past.
Might possibly plan a hunt next year in another part of the country that still has turkeys to hunt.

what county is South Cherokee?? taking a gobbler has no effect on the population at all... here in hawkins county the turkey's probably moved the grouse out,,, we have as many as ever in my area (hawkins/greene county line) , quail out for years because of habitat loss, houses and development with clean mowed properties don't go with quail..... I remember when my dad quit hunting quail in the early 70's because of low numbers,, & he just killed 150 or so that yr.. ,, i haven't seen a grouse on my property in 20 yrs now though,,, Turkeys went up as grouse went down,,, i doubt that was coincidence.. i saw 8 gobblers together feeding yesterday,, seems they are through as they wouldn't talk... & these are not hunted.. 2 weeks ago i saw a hen running flat out across a neighbors hay field,, bout 100yds back were 2 big strutting toms... she wanted nothing to do with them... seeing only "lone" hens now.. so they are nesting.. Having fun is the main thing,,, your not killing a tom helped the population by (1) bird.. To thine own self be true!! Take a kid hunting!!.

 

[timberjack86]

what county is South Cherokee?? taking a gobbler has no effect on the population at all... here in hawkins county the turkey's probably moved the grouse out,,, we have as many as ever in my area (hawkins/greene county line) , quail out for years because of habitat loss, houses and development with clean mowed properties don't go with quail..... I remember when my dad quit hunting quail in the early 70's because of low numbers,, & he just killed 150 or so that yr.. ,, i haven't seen a grouse on my property in 20 yrs now though,,, Turkeys went up as grouse went down,,, i doubt that was coincidence.. i saw 8 gobblers together feeding yesterday,, seems they are through as they wouldn't talk... & these are not hunted.. 2 weeks ago i saw a hen running flat out across a neighbors hay field,, bout 100yds back were 2 big strutting toms... she wanted nothing to do with them... seeing only "lone" hens now.. so they are nesting.. Having fun is the main thing,,, your not killing a tom helped the population by (1) bird.. To thine own self be true!! Take a kid hunting!!.

Yeah I hear ya, and enjoy the turkeys while you got em . I've been hunting Polk mostly but have been in the McMinn and Monroe portions of the forest too. I've watched the population dwindle these past 5 years. You used to be able to hear a gobbler on almost every ridge. Would always see plenty of sign. Every year has been less and less turkeys in these mountains. There are pockets of turkeys in the mountains. I found one yesterday. If the turkeys die off like the did in the past hopefully these pockets will hold them like they did before. Not saying someone won't walk in and kill that bird but he was at almost 3000 ft elevation and a 3 mile walk uphill from the truck.

 

[13pt]

what county is South Cherokee?? taking a gobbler has no effect on the population at all... here in hawkins county the turkey's probably moved the grouse out,,, we have as many as ever in my area (hawkins/greene county line) , quail out for years because of habitat loss, houses and development with clean mowed properties don't go with quail..... I remember when my dad quit hunting quail in the early 70's because of low numbers,, & he just killed 150 or so that yr.. ,, i haven't seen a grouse on my property in 20 yrs now though,,, Turkeys went up as grouse went down,,, i doubt that was coincidence.. i saw 8 gobblers together feeding yesterday,, seems they are through as they wouldn't talk... & these are not hunted.. 2 weeks ago i saw a hen running flat out across a neighbors hay field,, bout 100yds back were 2 big strutting toms... she wanted nothing to do with them... seeing only "lone" hens now.. so they are nesting.. Having fun is the main thing,,, your not killing a tom helped the population by (1) bird.. To thine own self be true!! Take a kid hunting!!.

To say, "taking a gobbler has no effect on the population at all" is a bold statement. Considering the bag limit is for male turkeys only, then why does TWRA even impose limits and modify seasons if how many males are taken (and when) has no impact on the turkey population? The below statements are copied and pasted from turkeymanagement.com. No doubt the focus should be on the survival rate of the hens and their offspring, but clearly the harvest rate of gobblers has some impact.

Turkey harvest rates can vary depending upon the timing of the season. Obviously, if the season starts after the peak of the breeding season then harvest rates will be low. On the other hand, if the spring season "captures" the peak of the breeding season, gobbler harvest will increase. Regardless of success rates, no more than 20% of the gobbler population should be harvested each year.

In summary, there is a lot of year-to-year variation in wild turkey populations due to the effect of weather and other factors on productivity and survival. The best way to cope with these changes is to continually change season length and bag limit based on changes in size of turkey populations. Often times, this is not feasible at a state or agency level, but can be done on your property if you choose to do so. It's not a bad idea to harvest turkeys, just make sure the population can handle the losses.

 

[th88]

Regardless of success rates, no more than 20% of the gobbler population should be harvested each year.

Yeah that number is just more Chamberlain BS. Numerous studies show gobbler harvest rates WELL in excess of 20% on areas and turkeys do just fine. Matter of fact, you will find harvest rates as high as 40-50% on some heavily hunted public lands. And year after year. Yet turkey aren't extinct. I've heard Chamberlain mention 20-30% a couple times then have a someone come speak right behind him who found 30-40% harvest rates with their study.

I'd venture to say places now days that have a harvest rate 20% or less are in the minority.