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<blockquote data-quote="megalomaniac" data-source="post: 5325533" data-attributes="member: 2805"><p>I think a lot of the GPS collard hen data coming out is showing that the majority of hens aren't even starting to breed until well after season opens in many locales. Perhaps it's just because biologists were wrong back in the 80's when they assumed hens were all bred before season opened and subsequent biologists took it as gospel. Doesn't matter about the 'dominant gobbler' theory if the majority of breeding doesn't occur until AFTER season opening (since nearly 1/3 of the entire season's kill is in the first 9d of the season).</p><p></p><p>Bag limit reduction does nothing, IMO... The real focus needs to be on 'when', 'where', and 'which'.</p><p></p><p>WHEN- after hens have been bred.</p><p></p><p>WHERE- reduced (or NO harvest) in areas with marginal/ unhuntable populations</p><p></p><p>WHICH- quit killing jakes. Ensure there is a 2y/o the following year to service hens in that local population if all the toms were killed during hunting season in that locale. An another note about 'no jakes'... it will actually save quite a few gobblers as well. Every year here in MS I pass a male bird that comes in to the call, often gobbling, that I cannot positively identify as an 'adult gobbler (definition set by state of MS)'. Enact that on a statewide level, and not only are there thousands more jakes allowed to mature for the following season, but a not insignificant number of gobblers that get passed because they could not be positively identified as adults.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="megalomaniac, post: 5325533, member: 2805"] I think a lot of the GPS collard hen data coming out is showing that the majority of hens aren't even starting to breed until well after season opens in many locales. Perhaps it's just because biologists were wrong back in the 80's when they assumed hens were all bred before season opened and subsequent biologists took it as gospel. Doesn't matter about the 'dominant gobbler' theory if the majority of breeding doesn't occur until AFTER season opening (since nearly 1/3 of the entire season's kill is in the first 9d of the season). Bag limit reduction does nothing, IMO... The real focus needs to be on 'when', 'where', and 'which'. WHEN- after hens have been bred. WHERE- reduced (or NO harvest) in areas with marginal/ unhuntable populations WHICH- quit killing jakes. Ensure there is a 2y/o the following year to service hens in that local population if all the toms were killed during hunting season in that locale. An another note about 'no jakes'... it will actually save quite a few gobblers as well. Every year here in MS I pass a male bird that comes in to the call, often gobbling, that I cannot positively identify as an 'adult gobbler (definition set by state of MS)'. Enact that on a statewide level, and not only are there thousands more jakes allowed to mature for the following season, but a not insignificant number of gobblers that get passed because they could not be positively identified as adults. [/QUOTE]
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