fairchaser
Well-Known Member
I agree that something needs to be done because I see the declines too. But, one thing at a time please. Throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks is not management but desperation.What about the GPS collared studies proving the majority of nest initiation in TN isn't until late April / early May? It's well known that turkey hens allow toms to mate with them about 8 to 10 days before they initiate nests, and will allow multiple toms to mate with them if males are still alive to ensure maximum fertility during egglaying.
Forget the 'dominant tom' theory... in many places there may only 1 or 2 toms for miles. Kill them off before the hens have bred and see how many eggs hatch even if every single predator is removed.
Now don't get me wrong... nest predation is the single no 1 reason for loss of adult hens and their eggs. But good luck getting more than 2 to 3% of even the most avid turkey hunters to run traps. We got lucky last spring in TN with the dry weather... simply because the predators had a harder time smelling for wet hens setting.... it wasn't due to more turkey hunters removing more nest predators.