Decline in turkey numbers???
Wisconsin
Contributors to this thread:
Are you seeing a decline in numbers in your area? I drove from Chippewa to Green Bay and back and saw 3 hens off highway 29. Five to ten years ago in my hunting area seeing/hearing 12-18 toms per morning scouting was the normal. The past two years, 2-3 toms total.
Will the DNR do anything to improve the populations or will they just say that it goes up and down over the course of time?
I’ve only seen an increase in turkey in southeastern Wisconsin. Not sure what the DNR could do to help. The more we build, the less area they have to reproduce and flourish.
We got about 3 inches of snow today, in the Kettle Moraine area, maybe less. But I just got back in, from being out all morning. Going to help a first time hunter, this Wed. Oh yeah, saw no birds for the last week, but the snow, showed me where they are..... Have heard no gobbling yet, but that is not unusual. Gobbling in this area has been down for years.............................. mid morning in May seems to be the best for that.
Snow camo on Wed,,,,,, should be great,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, New hunter in his 30's, he is pumped. This will be a shotgun hunt for him................. No blinds, just run and gun all day. Or at least till I need my nap............... Probably set one blind, but will have to decided tomorrow, to make sure, we are on them.
Going out late today, to try and find the right roost.
Anytime a species is re-introduced to a native habitat the population numbers increase for a period of time. Think Wolves, Louisiana Alligator, Pine Marten, even Turkey. When re-introduced there has been no competition for resources and habitat. Populations increase but after a few quite a few years the numbers dip to what the carrying capacity is of the habitat. It taking into account predation, food sources, nesting area etc the populations conform to the habitat available and settle in to a natural size. I know your gonna say that didn't happen with Wolves but if you look at the data it is trending that way. The Wolf population is steady or decreasing in the far North but increasing in the Central part of the State.. Habitat, food resources, rearing areas all have limits and once a over population of a species is reached they tend to finish in numbers then rebound to a carrying capacity of habitat. Turkeys expanded beyond what was though to be their best habitat that being the Mississippi River corridor and driftless areas of the state but now the numbers are falling off back to only the prime habitat areas to stabilize. There won't be a Turkey behind every tree like there was for 25 years but there will be Turkeys among the trees but not like it was.
Bald eagles in several states have died of bird flu, "perhaps", some wild turkeys are vulnerable too.
IMO, we had a bad winter 2 years ago. Last year, people said number were down. I think they are still rebounding a bit. This was in Southcentral. Your observation may vary. I do see large groups but always in the same areas.
Been a decline in se Wisconsin were I hunt big time, a big decline in Missouri, Louisiana, Arkansas, everyone says the same thing, lack of trapping and hunting for coyotes, coons, had a friend in Missouri hire 2 trappers 10 year’s ago, he is a big turkey hunter, noticed the turkey numbers were way down, the trappers came in and the first season trapped over 100 coyotes, 20 something fox, 5 bobcats, 60 something coons and possum, he hired these trappers for 3 year’s in a row, he told me and my friend that in 5 year’s the turkey population and deer population was booming, and the quail was making a comeback… He said coyotes and coons will wipe out turkeys fast if there not controlled….
Coons, possums and crows are big ones for nest raiding. Yotes when they are hatched. Probably the biggest decline in all birds.
I do wish we had more trappers.
Low trapping numbers due to low fur prices. I used to trap but fur prices do not even cover expenses.
I get it, I once was a long liner. Now only a hobbyist.
I trapped for a lot of years also. I started when I would get $45.00 coon, $30-$40.00 mink, $100.00 red fox, Beaver were great depending on the size but $30-$80, rats avg $5.00. It was good money when you had a good year doing something you enjoyed. Then the anti-fur movement assholes hit. I still trapped till about 6 years ago and probably will again when I retire. But the only money thing would be nuisance or wall hangings.
I only trap my own properties these days, just for predator control.
Stump Jumper hit it right on the head. Lots of nest robbers out there. Not to mention mother nature being a nasty Bi#ch at times.
I live in an area that lots of dog hunters run hard for coyotes in the winter. They kill a crapload every year. But I swear the more they kill, the more there are next year... One thing I can tell you is the raccoon and skunk populations are off the charts high...
I quit turkey hunting eight years ago, but my buddies are avid turkey hunters. The last two years they haven't seen or heard a bird. They'd always get numerous birds every year. One, told me he talked with the DNR and said they got diseased out around here plus with no iron in the woods doesn't help.
Hoot, I think the one phrase is a big reason for lower numbers. They got a couple every year. Tags are liberal in my neck of the woods as well and it was fun to kill 2,3,4 birds a year - over time you could see the population of toms plummeting. IMO cut back the tags to one a year and it would quickly make the hunt more enjoyable. I like the seasons and smaller zones they had in the past as well but I get a feeling a one long season is close in the horizon, not sure who is pushing this agenda but it does not seem to go away no matter how many votes were taken against it. I just hope when the time comes it will be a 1 bird per person. I will let the masses go shoot the young birds and each other and will enjoy the warmth of the later part with plenty of birds to hunt.
I believe a lot of what we are experiencing in lower bird numbers may be attributed to the recent expansion in bobcat populations and range. I've found a number of birds killed in the last few winters. No way of positively knowing what killed them, but it seems like its more common now that I've been getting multiple cats on camera. The timing of the turkey decline seems to closely coincide with the increase of cats in my area (Buffalo County).
During the youth hunt, my son and I saw 5 wolves, 3 of them were together and the other two were alone. So 3 different encounters with them walking back roads and firelanes. We also saw 2 bobcats. One of them was stalking a group of birds (until we scared the flock away).
Predator numbers are higher than I have ever seen. Turkey numbers are low in my neck of the woods and so are the deer. It's going to be another tough year of hunting.
B2K and Noc are spot on..... it's the predators (and more hunters shootingmore then one bird a year). Throw in more coon then I've ever seen before and there is a more complete picture of the problems the turkeys are facing.
Bobcat populations are increasing and permits need to be adjusted for this increase. I watched a cell phone vid of a guy sitting in a treestand and had 6 different cats come in and past his stand. I don't know what was happening if there was a female in heat or what, but they were all moving around below him at the same time, crazy to watch. All I know this was South of Eau Claire.
Nest robbers take care of a lot of the young of year. Low prices are no reason not to trap. Dig a hole and bury them. Better then getting under a car tire. Farm cats, yotes, opossums, and coons all get lead pills at my place every chance I get
Spoke with a guy at work about his kids youth hunt success. He told me the neighboring landowner had told him he killed 65 turkeys this year using crop damage tags.
Why not trap and relocate?!? Any more evidence how screwed up the system is
If the price of meat keeps going up all the critters are in trouble
That looks like one big bobcat.
He was 40 lbs with no idea of age. Munched a few turkey eggs in his time.
I think Crows do the most damage in some areas. They find a Turkey nesting area & camp there dive bombing the nest & wiping out the eggs & babies for a week .
One time I walked thru a nesting area & the Crows wouldn't leave even though they saw me . They kept dive bombing right in front of me. I whacked a bunch of those Pos's .
I think this problem should be addressed by Evers hiring a Dr. Turkey and each county creating a CTAC (county turkey advisory committee). ;)
Bring that pod Kroll back lol, I’m sure he would find a way to profit off of it and find some idiots to agree with him
Why don't you call the DNR and explain to them how smart you are, and then offer your expertise. I'm sure they would jump all over that. Just make sure you clearly explain the depths of your intellect because I doubt they would notice if you don't explain it...
I'm not much of a turkey guy, but the main area I hunt in Northeast Monroe county, I'm seeing more turkeys driving around then in past years.
It's nice to read positive reports
I don't know what happened in Rusk County, but the turkey numbers seem to have dropped off drastically very recently. There were birds around last fall and even through the winter but it seems like they vanished when I started scouting for a learn to hunt that we did two weeks ago and then the youth hunt last weekend. I was checking properties all over the county and many days not seeing/hearing any or just a few birds.
I am not a turkey hunter but, there seems to be a good number of them around me (Marinette County), although it doesn't appear to be the numbers of the past few years. It was nothing to se 20 or more crossing the roads at one time. Haven't seen that this spring yet.
I left home (Hillsboro) today, early morning and traveled some back roads to western Dane county. I only saw one turkey (tom) out in the middle of a forty+ acre field strutting and that was at 2:00 pm. Sad. Saw some turkey hunters walking back from their blinds empty handed.
One less one here at the spot I hunt. Seen 4 toms, 12 jakes, and 5 hens. Gobbling everywhere around us. I'd say at least 20 different birds gobbling on the roost within earshot. Father in law got his today with the gun. For those that shoot guns versus bows for turkeys, and haven't tried tungsten, give it a go. Shooting number 9 and it thumps them.
When you guys talk turkey, makes no sense to me, unless you talk about the county your hunting......
Had to leave early this afternoon...... I now left the new guy I started on a few birds. He is now orientated to the area, and feels confident.......
Washington / Sheboygan Counties
Groundhunter, I'm not sure you could narrow it down by county even? Fact is, some people have plenty, while others have less. While predators are certainly to blame for declining numbers, I'd also suggest dispersal. I've been hunting this particular winter flock for a long time. Highest number I counted at one time was upwards of 220 in one field during early open season. Today, there are about 60 to 100 from year to year. What I have seen, is coyotes actively hunting them, and more and more little groups dispersed throughout the area, that were not like that 10 years ago. It was common to have places that held huge flocks, and nothing in the adjacent block. Today there are birds in every little woodlot that has roosting, and food to scratch. I theorize that the safety in numbers philosophy does not pan out, when all your "eggs" are in one basket. Perhaps the dispersal idea also disperses nesting, and there is greater odds beating egg eaters such as coons, possums, skunks and coyotes, when nests are broadly distributed? Turkey numbers have declined nationwide, while trapping has declined and fur prices plummeted. That cannot be coincidental. Today we saw a coyote run across the field as a matter of fact. Too far away to shoot, otherwise it would have been coyote season. Rock County
Bow Crazy's Link
Dr. Grant Woods agrees with that predators are an issue in the decline of turkey populations, but he has another theory - Neonic. BC
ARE WILD TURKEYS EATING TOXIC SEED? Episode 638: Even if the habitat quality and the number of predators are balanced, there can still be reasons turkey populations are declining: seeds coated in neonic insecticides. In this video, Grant explains why neonicotinoids are a major concern for our environment and wildlife populations.
In my area in southern wi while we still have a good amount of birds we have seen a noticeable reduction in the past few years. We've also seen tons of coons during this time frame and that is one of the main things we contribute the lower turkey population to. I think in many areas if the DNR was paying attention to the turkey numbers and if they cared about the turkey population more than they cared about the proceeds they get from all the turkey tags they'd limit the number of tags. In fact I think they should have started limiting the tags at least a handful of years ago. Lots of people are buying multiple tags per year and also harvesting multiple birds per year, this can't help the turkey population. I do believe that if the DNR continues selling all these bonus tags every year that it's just a matter of time before guys start throwing in the towel on turkey hunting because they aren't seeing hardly any birds.
We as hunters are our own worst enemy. Some will shoot every last turkey or deer just because the DNR says we can. It's called gluttony and some of us aren't capable of critical thinking to the point of what we are doing makes a difference. I really do believe it's up to the individual alone if he/she wants to see a change. Plenty of people taking the time to bitch about the lack of deer and turkeys around and about 2% of them actually doing anything about it. I shoot every damn coyote I can and the coon are going to start getting the same treatment. You want more deer? Stop shooting more then you need! You want more turkeys shoot one a year and stop. If you really have an itchy trigger finger then go out and shoot some predators. Start making a difference and stop listening to everything the DNR thinks is ok to do and start doing something that will actually make things better for the wildlife. Keep shooting, but stop shooting the wrong critters if you want to help your deer and turkeys.
DNR reduce the tags and proceeds? In your dreams hunter. They would sell endangered species tags if they could get away with it.....oh wait they do. Elk and Wolf. Elk are endangered in Wisconsin and the courts say Wolves are too. But they get around the Elk tag sales by having a bunch of suckers pay for a lotto drawing. If the courts would have stopped the Wolf hunt after the tags were issued would they have returned the fee? Nope they would say you have a non transferable credit. Fool me once.......
This guy gets it..... I wish everybody would do this!
This one died while hunting turkeys, and I still managed a bird the next day. Saw her actively hunting with a partner. The other coyote did a drive, flanking some birds to this girl waiting in a depression in the field just in front of the birds coming our way. After a failed attempt at turkey breakfast by the pair of coyotes, I squeaked a distressed rabbit call, and the fella I was hosting shot her in the face at 15 yards. Way better than an old tom with 1.5 inch hooks in my opinion.
Great job, on the dirt naps to the yotes. Keep it up.
Pete - There is nothing better than putting a yote down.
When it comes to coons, they are like mice, and need full time and year round control... I have 15 dog proofs on my small property in south east wis. been awhile since I have had alot of action. because I have killed so many and can see the results. If most hunters would do this, it would help................................... My friends farm, in the N Kettle Moraine, from his barns and out buildings, etc, and fence areas, which he checks with his atv, he has about 30..... cleans out coons and what ever all the time..... Yes he has birds around.
Right on Jim! Wile E. Coyote....super genius and super ingenious and super evasive. I've killed a few while hunting other game, and although it likely makes very little difference, it is coyote season anytime I see a coyote.
Looking forward to meeting up soon!
Right on Pete..... and a female which makes that kill even better!
I think there's multiple factors. First, I think this year will be good, because last year was really dry, especially during the poult rearing period, recruitment should be high. I also started noticing a gradual decline in numbers when they restructured the seasons, which also coincided with growing popularity in turkey hunting. Could this also be around the time they started planting the coated corn, maybe? Couple things I'd like changed, get rid of the fall season and go back to smaller management areas. Another thing I've seen change in my areas, are the farmers cutting back a lot of their field edges and clearing a lot of the small islands or fingers to maximize their yield. These are the prime nesting areas.
I agree its probably a combination of things. Sure seems to be a ALOT more hunting pressure than there use to be in my neck of the woods. Lots of guys driving around and trying to gain access on the neighborhood properties where they see birds.
I bought my property two years ago and noticed that we had very few turkey. I did notice we had many predators and egg robbers. I'm not a great trapper but I figured anybody can trap a raccoon. I managed to collect 18 coon that first season and most of it was right by my house doing nuisance trapping. I've lost track of how many I've trapped since. I had 5 Tom's in the field last weekend and took a bird on Friday. I'd like to think the last two years of trapping has made a big difference. I'm still trying to learn how to trap yotes and I'm sure that will help as well. I was able to take my brother out to some public land on Saturday and he was able to capitalize as well. Overall, I've noticed less turkeys from 15 years ago but it seems to have stabilized that last few years. I'm hoping the trapping in my area will bump those numbers up.
A good trapper is a huge benefit to private land game management.
I catch 2-3 coons, a woodchuck, and a skunk or two each year on my property around the farm. I know it's ok because they are nuisance animals damaging my property and barns.
I have another 115 acres of land that I always have a lot of coons on cam. Can I box trap/coon cuff, these and exterminate for the same reason? I've had 8-10 on the same picture when bear baiting, and always have 4-5 together on other trail cam photos. Would like to clean some out.
Was hoping for quick info without researching it. Thought some may know. I know I could just do it and no one would probably know, but want to try and stay legal.
Gunny, I would think the DNR would say you should stay within the Oct 15 - Feb 15 trapping date unless they are messing with the property. I'm no expert though. I hope to expand my trapping skills as well.
Gunny - If you're on your own property you can trap 365 days a year. I took 18 coons off one of my bear baits in three days. Live trapping is good but I preferred the DP traps.
Sounds like the reason for the decline in deer, always something else’s fault.
Congratulations Darin!!! I like the barring on his tail fan
Ask stump dummy pretty sure this is all Dr. Krolls fault also. Those recommendations had to impact turkey populations.
Stump Dummy, he has certainly earned that! LOL!!
My main beef with Kroll was how easy it was for him to extort money from the A-typical Wisconsin hunting poster child’s.
Sure wish I would have thought of that, of course Walker probably got a piece of that also.
So you are admitting Stump Dummy that Kroll is smarter than you as he did think of this. Wrapped but ok.
The 10 years we’ve lived at our house (fdl county) we’d rarely see 1or 2 in field below house. This year almost every night there’s at least 10-20. I’ve been seeing many birds in fields last couple years on way home from work in the morning that never had them.
Thank Noc, that tail with the barred feather is actually my twin brother's bird. Anybody know if there is a reason for the barred feather? I've heard it's a new feather replacing one lost.
Darin, I always see it in the birds that seem to be more dominant in the pecking order, so I assumed it was age related? I've killed a lot of birds, but only the dudes with the linger spurs and beards carry that trait.
I'm not entirely sure how birds get it? A wildlife biologist out of Kentucky says its due to a food deficiency. Supposedly less than 10 percent of turkeys get it and of that 10 percent, most of them are in younger birds and hens.
That's odd Ryan. Absolutely opposite of what I see here? I'm no biologist, but I've done many year's worth of field study lol. It's always the dominant tom in the flock when I see it, but not always? The biologist may be right on the nutrition, but I'm not seeing it in the younger birds....not that im entirely able to age them.
Pete, I'm definitely not disagreeing, I have no idea? It's just what I read.
Good info though, because I've often wondered about it myself.
I would call the bird middle aged! 10 inch beard, 1.25" spurs, 24 pounds. It was a public land bird but next to a lot of ag. Who knows. I thought it was pretty cool though.
Can’t make this stuff up! Wisconsin barstool biology at its finest. Lmao
Love it! Middle aged lol.
I do love a variation of a bird. I've been lucky to lay eyes on 4 smoke phase turkeys in my life. Always out of season. One in Eau Claire county and three in north dakota.
More good news on the turkey numbers by my place. I had 6 jakes in the field before work this morning. The future is bright if they can avoid the yotes and monster bobcat that roams my property.
Well Darin, you like the odd colors? Check out this one I got yesterday. Lightest colored bird I've ever killed. Resembles a Merriam's. The white one eludes me, and might have been killed on neighboring property. I still have 5th and 6th season, so we will see what happens?
Wow! That is a super light bird for Wisconsin and does look like a merriam. They go light to black really quick on it's back. That might be a bird that you do one of those full lay outs of. It honestly never gets old looking at them.
That is a pretty looking bird, Pete.
Good for you Pete. I'm patiently waiting for time period C. Well.....not so patiently...:>). Striped, spotted, barred, purple, orange, identifies as a hen...doesn't matter to me. If he can gobble, he's going down!
I'd have to take that one to my taxidermist Pete..... nice looking bird!
Well Randy, I happen to be a hobbyist bird taxidermist, and I would have mounted him, but the other two toms that were with him, decided to show their obvious hatred towards the boss. They proceeded to "dance" on his breast and thrashed him. I literally had to kick at them to make them leave. Now I've certainly seen this behavior before, but I was feet from them yelling before they stopped. The missing feathers were just too much to hide in a pose that would do him justice. I guess I could have done a dead mount, but with over 120 duck and upland mounts in my basement already, I just chose to keep his back feathers and perhaps make a rug? Either way, he's a gorgeous bird. Like BigEight described his, I'd call him a middle aged bird who doesn't have to witness the retirement home lol.
Thanks Ryan!
Retro, my favorite bird is a 2 year old with a beard. I'm not choosy.....well, I won't lie, his two strutting counterparts were at ten feet and I waited on this one. Had a lot of time to choose which bird I'd rather have. The whole time I'm calling myself a dumbass figuring I was going to blow the whole thing by being greedy.....and I promise, it's something I've never done before. The other two were plenty good enough.
Pete, it's nice when mother nature provides you with options... Might as well take advantage of it, she doesn't do that to often... I have buddies who are really into beard length, spur length. I believe they told me once that there's actually some kind of scoring system for turkeys and an actual records book. I have no idea if that's true, or how you "score" a turkey. :>)
Scores are for other people who want to know. Sort of a comparison factor? I set personal goals for myself, and have often wondered why ego is such a driving force in the hunting world. Im guilty I know, but I'm trying to get to a place where it shouldn't matter what someone else thinks. We all judge however, and we all have ego, so hunting prowess is certainly a part of this thing we love. Again, any tom with a beard is good enough for me. That same philosophy applies to deer. If it trips my trigger that particular day on that particular hunt, I'm going to attempt to kill it. I also happen to hunt some very game-rich, privately managed property. I don't know a neighbor who takes more than they should. As we get older, we change, and as we mature, we grow. At least that's the hope. (Cue the bowsite idiots lol)
Decline in turkey numbers???
The mirror never lies.
Another predator, that no one talks about is owls... I hate to tell you how many owls take out turkeys,,,,,, Long story short,,,, I think the hey day of turkey populations are done.... We are certainly not going to wipe out predators,,,,, your lucky to get someone to trap coons,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Bottom line is, and I might be wrong, maybe, just maybe, we could get rid of all the mentor and other hunts..... maybe, just maybe, we could go to a one bird limit, and leave them alone in the fall.......
I realize the predators will get their share, but maybe, just maybe , we do not need multiple tags anymore,,... I have been as guilty as many, for shooting birds, on tags they give me
But maybe its about time, to give them a break............................
Ground hunter, it wouldn't bother me to kill just one bird a year. It would give me more time to garden as well as fish. But when there's turkeys to chase (and we have plenty), I just love hunting them. We simply set quotas, and when they're done, we are done. It seems to be working. I also don't believe the Toms harvested are as much of a concern, as the amount of brooding hens we have, and the amount of nests that are able to survive predation. There's no doubt we as hunters are major contributors to predation, but very lopsidedly it is adult males.
Funny how we are hearing stories of declining populations everywhere when it was just a short time ago when we were hearing the argument that tags should be over the counter, the season should be a shotgun start and everyone should be able to hunt the whole season...
Kill them all, nothing but a nuisance and not all that challenging.
Field carp
No decline by one of our spots at least this morning lol. In my 30 plus yrs of turkey hunting I’ve never had a morning like today At least 10 Toms in the field at onetime and 25 plus hens and jakes They kept pouring into the field , I took my 2nd oldest brother out , he’s 72 for his first turkey hunt ever He was as excited as any youth Long story short he missed as he was really shaking But what a thrill One of the best mornings I’ve ever had , It’s why I get up at 3:30 to hear the sounds of spring
You hit the jackpot!!! That's a turkey hunters dream scenario... Were they all gobbling? Lol...
Oh ya they were all gobbling Especially on the roost , Ive never heard that much It was so much fun to see the reaction of my brother And when the first couple of Tom’s came out of the woods and went into strut he was really pumped ,I didn’t realize he had never seen them display ,It was a blast
How many here use a real bow for field carp?
I assume most with the chest thumping usually on this sight.
Let’s see some pics.
When asked about turkey or deer age I like to say the following after my tag is punched.......He's as old as he's gonna get!!!!!
I love turkey hunting as much as the next guy but I can't get into measuring from snood to tail feather. Yes, that's a thing. Like you guys have been saying. If it has a beard and I enjoyed the hunt, I'm not picky.
My brother lives in Green Bay and knows some native's that hunt turkey on tribal land religiously. One in particular has been complaining about the birds being too pressured this year. Meanwhile, he and his wife have taken 3 hens total. They also took 2 Tom's I believe. I don't know how you can shoot three hens in one spring and not understand why turkey numbers may be low in your area. At that point, you are the pressure.
No kidding Darin!? Simple science is hard for some people. Wow!
Ridge Runner, sounds like a perfect hunt.....minus the bird hitting the dirt, but I bet he wants redemption in the worst way!?
Few things:
The Turkey population is cyclical as the ebb and flow has more to do with the weather during the nesting period more than anything else. This is true for most upland game birds and has been documented across most turkey species in North America.
The Spring season has no real bearing on the population as only males are taken and are easily replaced with that years hatch. The length of the spring season and hunter pressure also has little measurable effect on the population as a whole.
The fall season when hens are harvested has more impact on the population than at anytime during the year.
Predation of both the birds themselves and their nests can and will have a impact on turkey numbers, but only if the predator populations significantly increase in an area.
Most other observations are anecdotal at best according to peer reviewed studies I have seen over the years.
HF 43
Thanks Pete and congrats on your bird , Cool looking feathers , Ya my brother definitely wants to go tomorrow morning again
I'm smiling Ridge runner. That's just great!
Took out another coon this morning. You think they would learn to stay away from my house.
Coons? Well raccoons tried to get in our back porch, Momma just chase 'em off with a broom!
Pete. Coons = turkey egg bandits!!!
Forrest Gump quote. Yeah, raccoons are terrible !
It appears the majority here tote rifles and shotguns often, embarrassing to say the least.
Welcome to Gunsight. Lol
Did your bright intelligence just figure that out.
Stumpshooter,,,, do you hate everyone here?
He gets off on people’s emotions, that’s what narcissistic people do.
Hey Stumpy ,Yes my brother is toting a shotgun He’s 72 yrs old , 1st time turkey hunting ( so it is a mentored hunt ) He’s also a Air. Force veteran and also was diagnosed with cancer So excuse me if he is toting a gun .
Stump and Missouri are alot alike... ignorant at times.
Is this long winter & cold spring making a lot of grumpy hunters out there ? As Mom use to tell me , " If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all " .
Lighten up gang .
Put stumps face-to-face with anyone here and he’d be a whimpering little bitch.
Oh Cappy you are wrong as usual, your tactics dont surprise me.
You chaps should also listen to Missouri, he gets it.
Ridge
Your brother also doesn’t frequent “Bowsite” and whine about lack of game and put down others for their choice of weapon and then take the easy way to harvest game.
Good luck to him and Thank him for his service.
Miserable people need company and that guy is lonely. Divorced, kids hate him, no friends, and probably retired.
Worse than Cappy,
Showed your wrong 5 times in one sentence.
Pete, I'm usually up on my movie references. Can't believe I missed it!
Darin, I knew you were up on your movies. That quote is not quite as common as a few of them. Anyway, like I was sayin’, turkey is the fruit of the woods. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. There’s turkey-kabobs, turkey creole, turkey gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple turkey, lemon turkey, coconut turkey, pepper turkey, turkey soup, turkey stew, turkey salad, turkey and potatoes, turkey burger, turkey sandwich. That, that’s about it.
“You can’t handle the truth “
Weather changed,,, I just had one guy stop by, and got several photos today on phone. 5 big toms went down today,,, 3 gun, 2 with bow...... I finished on Tuesday with nothing, but seen alot of hens.................. Congrats to all those who scored..... As always it was a fun season............................... I know some refer to them as field carp, but those types, never appreciate the animal.................
Spring turkey hunting is always enjoyable. The end of a long winter... The woods coming alive again... Still at it... nothing stickbow close so far. Good action though...
Retro, nothing stick bow close for me either. Played with 3 birds Sat and Sun of my season, but they played the "I'm coming right in, no I'm not" game for awhile then left. But had a blast stump shooting on the trails with the low grass on them. Killed leaves, pinecones, sticks, clumps, etc.
Week 5 day one. Farmer planting the field I was going to hunt. Evening hunt only had one hen come through at 5 steps. No toms. Day 2 morning hunt I had 8 separate hens move through but no toms. Heard 2 different toms real early. Nothing after that. I left at 11am. One inch of rain this morning. I might hunt this evening. Calumet county.
live and retro, are you guys using the stick bows with blinds or hiding in the jungle? I don't like sitting in blinds but I feel it would be almost impossible early season with a bow and no blind. This time of year a guy could maybe hide in the greenery?
Well, I've been going blindness and have not had the opportunity to draw on one yet. It's tough. I don't like blinds either, I just try to set up using a mesh camo screen or good brush and shadows. Again, so far I suck at it with a bow, but it is fun and will be rewarding when or if I connect.
I've been using a blind this year. The only good thing I'll say about a blind is you can swat the mosquitos trying to bite your behind and get away with it....:>) Getting stickbow close without a blind is going to take total concealment, all skin covered and the patience to pick your shot. You need something to draw his attention away or block his vision. Best case scenario is he fans out and turns, blocking his vision and offering you a shot at his Stumpshooter....
Just had 3 walking in backyard tonight. Ruger, I’ve also seen the crows,grackles,redwings diving at them in hay field. Could the improvements in farming technology play a part? They cut hay wider,faster, and quieter. I would think a lot of hatchlings even some fawns get clipped.
I hunted this evening. One lone bird too far away to see what it was. No other birds seen or heard. Used 3 different calls (box, glass and mouth) and no response.
I was reading a study on the toxic coatings of seeds in farming today. They use them to aid in germination. Seed inoculate.
My neighbor just stopped by with a nice tom. He said birds were answering all morning.
Bingo Will! I'll say this. Every late season tom I've ever killed is always loaded with coated seed corn.
Does the " toxic coating " kill turkeys?
Just think what it does to venison. Yuck
Stumps look at what it did to you. So it was yucky?
Hang in there you may get better but in the mean time, stay off Bowsite as it has made you look... well... stupid. For a lack of a nicer term.
Fit right in with you chaps
I wouldn't think you fit in anywhere
I actually started a thread about this topic at my favorite public, Avon Bottoms near Beloit. Before I saw this thread. Turkey population there was amazing 2007-2017. Then it just collapsed to where this year I abandoned my hunt last week. All the other hunters did too. There are less than 10% of the birds there were previously. Hunting there now is virtually a waste of time. I have noticed a lot of coyotes the last few years, but that’s about all I can say. Meanwhile the bird population at all five nearby me NW Indiana public properties is through the roof. Go figure.
Pete-pec's Link
https://youtu.be/5rDDXbdVekI
Ken, I almost replied to your post with the issue of toxic seed corn, but I feel there are a few things against you at Avon Bottoms. Like you noted, turkeys used to flourish there. I live 30 minutes from there, and you weren't alone in your observations. I know many people that hunt there, so let's just assume hunter success had an impact. Secondly, the amount of coon and coyotes in this area is ridiculous. I'm waiting for distemper to kill off the coons and hopefully the coyotes, but good luck with that. The bottoms does get trapped, but you have to really love trapping and with the rise in gas prices, and the decline in fur prices, you really have to love trapping. I do believe it's our responsibility as hunters to really consider doing our part, even though it will cost you likely. The amount of fawns killed would astonish most people and with cameras set up on dens, there have been over 25 fawns reported killed by just one den in Wisconsin in just one single spring. Lastly, is the seed that has a coating containing neonics. I killed a wild turkey a few years back that had well over 400 seed corn in its crop. I sent the picture to the landowner only because I wanted him to realize that coon and deer aren't the only thing damaging crops. I've found holes in fields that looked like the planters malfunctioned, and now I realize it was simply turkeys in the freshly seeded field who robbed the potential that was there, and likely hurt themselves? I only recently learned of the toxic seed issue, because the decline in wild turkeys is big business and it's happening nationwide. So to answer your question, yes, the decline has hit where I hunt as well, and it is/was as good as it gets. Just like Avon is surrounded by cropland, where I hunt, it's the same habitat minus the river. Predators are bad, plenty of seed corn. We do have hunters, but I don't think over harvesting is the issue, especially considering dead toms killed by hunters may not breed, but they don't lay eggs either? I found a clutch molested by what I believe was coons already this year. Add in toxicity and I lean toward those two variables more than hunter success as well as pressure. Our winter flock is down by over half of what it used to be 10 years ago. Dispersal for sure could play a role, but I'm hearing less birds from everyone. There just might be more variables, but hunters need to decide whether there are enough birds for the "take", and put self imposed restrictions upon themselves. This year I counted 21 adult toms and 23 jakes feeding in the winter. I decided 3 birds this year amongst 2 hunters. We took 2, and I'm the last to hunt the last two seasons, and even though I know where five birds are strutting, I might plant the garden and go fishing instead. I just hope that there is a bounce-back, but I'm not a scientist like so many on here, so I'll just take less, and see what transpires.
If I noticed bird ( or deer) numbers on the decline in areas I hunt, the last thing I would do is keep killing them, either sex. A dead animal is just that, one more animal removed from the landscape. If a coyote eats " your " tom, he might not eat an egg laying hen.
How long has "coated" seed been used?
At least since I was a youngster in the mid 1960's. We planted "green" sweetcorn seed. I might add, seed dyes are used for various reasons, not just to identify toxins, and now turkey killers.
Retro Neonictinoid, has been around since the 90's, but around 2005 its usage spiked, and has been on the rise. It is being banned in places because what it has done to the honey bee population. Seeds are also coated with beneficial microbes such as mycorrhizal fungus (which I use myself when up-potting my seedlings, and planting started plants in my garden). The problem is this new coating is a toxic insecticide, and it has only recently become popular. We do need bees for pollinating of course. Have you noticed less bees? Well, I have, and turkeys are another thing affected according to my reading. I've been paying attention to this topic in relation to gardening because some seeds I bought were "coated", so I started reading. Turns out my vegetable seeds were coated in PMB's (plant beneficial microbes) and not neonics. I am a bit more concerned about bee decline, because pollinating with an electric toothbrush has been necessary lately, just because I'm noticing less bees.
We sure seem to be good at hurting the environment... There's nowhere near the turkeys where I am that there use to be. Very few birds visible in the fields anymore. In comparison, years ago you could hardly find a newly planted field that didn't have turkeys in it... The turkeys exist in pockets now it seems like rather than being spread across the landscape.
X2 retro
The bigwoods have taken a big turn as well.
Yes retro, we sure know how to screw stuff up. For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. Those words have held truth since forever. I've said it before. Man is the only animal that changes his environment to suit himself, while all others cohabitate within their environment, and unfortunately that makes every last one of us guilty.....including vegans lol!
I think the big woods area I hunt has about 25% of the turkeys it use to. Population has really plummeted. I didn't hunt up there at all this year, first time in a long time... Thankfully around home I had a pocket of turkeys in my area to hunt earlier... From what I've seen while driving, there were alot of people who simply didn't have any birds to hunt this year... Is this going to be the new norm? Gosh...I hope not.
Good thing it’s not technology or greedy hunters, always someone else’s fault.
Retro nothing very "normal" any longer. Read that twice!
If only they hadn't eaten the forbidden fruit and had listened.
Talked to a pal in Nebraska. Turkey # are down on their farm. They setup trail cams in the Turkey nesting areas before the season started . 3 problems .
Raccoons at nite , Crows during the day . # 3 ? The Turkeys themselves. Their complete idiots & Morons . If it wasn't for the vision they would all be dead in 2 years . I agree with that.