The numbers through week 1!

[PalsPal]

I ran the kills on the Harvest Report for this year, 2014 & 2015, from Juvy through Friday of the first week.

Keep in mind that there are still kills that may not have been checked in yet today.

2016 13,427; 2015 12,855; and 2014 11038. Up 572 from last year and 2389 from 2014. Of note is that 2014 the season actually began almost one week earlier.

Considering the weather, that's pretty good imo.

 

[REN]

Surprising not by kills cause it seems the population is for sure up this year but man the weather and birds being so grouped up still I would ha e guessed had an impact


Joshua 24:15
"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."


Sent from my phone sucka

 

[shopson]

Funny how the birds vary from area to area but they do. They were almost completely broken into small groups here before season opened this year. Been watching a LB, 3 hens and 3 jakes from my house for 2 weeks now (no hunting). My son going after a single LB with 6 hens in the morning.

 

[Setterman]

Numbers don't mean jack anymore, because the increased use of decoys, fanning, etc. comparing numbers from years past prior to the new era creates a false narrative imo

I guarantee right now around here its brutally tough to get a bird to even gobble let alone gobble twice or leave the 40 hens they're traveling with. Combine that with the fantastic hurricane winds, frigid temps, and rain and it's basically a bust at this point.

 

[poorhunter]

Numbers don't mean jack anymore, because the increased use of decoys, fanning, etc. comparing numbers from years past prior to the new era creates a false narrative imo

I guarantee right now around here its brutally tough to get a bird to even gobble let alone gobble twice or leave the 40 hens they're traveling with. Combine that with the fantastic hurricane winds, frigid temps, and rain and it's basically a bust at this point.

I think you might be right. I've been asking that question about decoys and the impact on hunter success rates. I suppose I shouldn't talk about it, but I wonder only because of the possible impact on turkey populations and hunter safety. You've got a lot of guys out there who haven't learned woodsmanship and being safe, running around with guns and their quarry in their hands. I just think that's dangerous. I don't take quite the hard line you do Setterman, but I do worry about the sport. I'd like to see some data on decoy usage over the years, and hunter success rates.

 

[Setterman]

Numbers don't mean jack anymore, because the increased use of decoys, fanning, etc. comparing numbers from years past prior to the new era creates a false narrative imo

I guarantee right now around here its brutally tough to get a bird to even gobble let alone gobble twice or leave the 40 hens they're traveling with. Combine that with the fantastic hurricane winds, frigid temps, and rain and it's basically a bust at this point.

I think you might be right. I've been asking that question about decoys and the impact on hunter success rates. I suppose I shouldn't talk about it, but I wonder only because of the possible impact on turkey populations and hunter safety. You've got a lot of guys out there who haven't learned woodsmanship and being safe, running around with guns and their quarry in their hands. I just think that's dangerous. I don't take quite the hard line you do Setterman, but I do worry about the sport. I'd like to see some data on decoy usage over the years, and hunter success rates.

I'd love to have an open rational conversation regarding the harvest numbers and would do my best to not let it desolve into a decoy bash fest, because I do think it would be interesting to have two sets of data. One being our harvest without decoys and one with them. I have a feeling the numbers would be staggering. It's just a reality that thousands of birds are killed each year now that wouldn't be killed without decoys, fanning, and blinds. Any hunter can stick a decoy in a field, or crawl behind a fan and be successful. Many of those same hunters wouldn't stand a chance without the tools they are using. They aren't experienced enough, good enough callers, good enough woodsman, etc etc.

It has to have had a massive impact on the harvest numbers, I really don't think there is much debate to be had on it to be honest.

 

[PalsPal]

ROFL Blinds and decoys have been around for years. Fanning is relatively new but I guarantee very few birds are being taken. Not going to waste my time but someone might compare wma only numbers. Less chance of fanning taking place there.

 

[poorhunter]

Yes, blinds and decoys have been around for years, but it's only been a very few years that the marketing (YouTube Primos Mad Calls etc) have pretty much exclusively used decoys in their setups. New hunters think that's the way to kill turkeys. I just wonder what the longterm effects will be. I have my own personal opinions about using them, but since they're legal I won't bash folks that do...I just don't think they should be legal. I know there are instances with disabled hunters, and that can be handled case by case, although I've seen lots of guys with bad disabilities get out and hunt before decoys.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

In the areas I hunt, turkey numbers around farmland have been substantially dropping for years now. Numerous farms that once held birds, don't even have any now. Now you go into the large hardwood tracts though, and it's different, things have stayed fairly stable. And yeah you don't have guy with a decoy spread and a blind sitting in a pasture in those places because fields don't exist. You have to actually hunt to kill one in there, and most people don't want to do that anymore.


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[Hunt 365]

Wow, this extremely positive post turned negative. Numbers are looking good in my area and I think the flock is healthy in My parts