Interesting read

[big 8s in Weakley county]

Seeing the post about the turkey decline makes you wander about this.

As Southeastern Sportsmen Face Dwindling Turkey Numbers, Should States Be Courting Nonresident Hunters?

As turkey populations decline across the Southeast, should state agencies promote nonresident hunting opportunities?

www.fieldandstream.com

 

[paboom]

Turkeys were on the decline long before youtube, TSS and covid. Yes, those things contribute to turkey populations. But none of them are causing the significant decrease in poult survival rates which in my opinion is the big issue.

Still lots of questions without answers unfortunately.

 

[Kyboy]

Yeah turkeys have and are continuing in a downhill spiral, I believe trapping and killing coons, opossums and other nest raiders make a huge difference in turkey numbers, as well as, not being around crop fields. The pesticides that are sprayed year after year, and the seeds that are planted are all coated with poison. Us hunters will never win the battle with the farming. Notice how cow fields and big chunks of hardwoods always have a lot of turkeys? There is a reason for that.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

Yeah turkeys have and are continuing in a downhill spiral, I believe trapping and killing coons, opossums and other nest raiders make a huge difference in turkey numbers, as well as, not being around crop fields. The pesticides that are sprayed year after year, and the seeds that are planted are all coated with poison. Us hunters will never win the battle with the farming. Notice how cow fields and big chunks of hardwoods always have a lot of turkeys? There is a reason for that.

I don't necessarily disagree, but I hunt 95% big ag and while we have years that are better than others, and might have seen a slight decrease over the last 10 years, we still have a healthy, huntable population for the time being.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Notice how cow fields and big chunks of hardwoods always have a lot of turkeys? There is a reason for that.

Big chunks of woods, like LBL? Something to think about.

 

[deerhunter10]

Yeah turkeys have and are continuing in a downhill spiral, I believe trapping and killing coons, opossums and other nest raiders make a huge difference in turkey numbers, as well as, not being around crop fields. The pesticides that are sprayed year after year, and the seeds that are planted are all coated with poison. Us hunters will never win the battle with the farming. Notice how cow fields and big chunks of hardwoods always have a lot of turkeys? There is a reason for that.

Don't necessarily disagree. But personally I see why more turkeys in ag fields then cow pastures. What not getting talked about in all this blaming farmers is the position the government has put all of us in. They are more to blame than the farmers they are put between a rock and a hard place.

 

[Kyboy]

Don't necessarily disagree. But personally I see why more turkeys in ag fields then cow pastures. What not getting talked about in all this blaming farmers is the position the government has put all of us in. They are more to blame than the farmers they are put between a rock and a hard place.

I wasn't calling out the farmers, it is the gov that I blame for more than just turkey numbers lol.

Big chunks of woods, like LBL? Something to think about.

I don't know I have never hunted there for turkeys.