A little further down the road from Paradise
- Thread starter Howboutthemdawgs
- Start date
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
Yeah that does suck. Actually my 7 year did most of the driving while I looked (and looking for fawns closely)... I didn't see anything but sure could've missed.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
I hate to constantly sound negative but it was the worst turkey season I’ve ever had, especially in ky. On three separate farms (so theoretically three separate flocks) it was a grind to hear a bird or see sign. The one farm that was loaded in the late winter early spring must have just held the big winter flock because besides opening morning, it was slow. Pics dried up completely. Buddy and I killed one bird and honestly felt bad. I only have one camera out but it’s on a 2 acre clover plot…never got a single longbeard and maybe 2 hens all spring. I’ve seen zero jakes in two years. My neighbor who has been there for a long time talks about how amazing our farms use to be. 10-12 birds gobbling in the mornings and winter flocks of 200 birds in our secluded fields. Makes me sad.
I started correspondence with the state about holding outfitters responsible for not killing more than their “fair share” last year.. I explained they have a revolving door of people with 2 tags to burn all spring. They need allocation like they do in other places. The resource can’t handle that pressure. It’s gotten some traction from the state side. It’s not the issue but it’s an issue. Every little bit helps.
I started correspondence with the state about holding outfitters responsible for not killing more than their “fair share” last year.. I explained they have a revolving door of people with 2 tags to burn all spring. They need allocation like they do in other places. The resource can’t handle that pressure. It’s gotten some traction from the state side. It’s not the issue but it’s an issue. Every little bit helps.
I feel your pain. I think Arkansas leads the way in the turkey decline. We were where it sounds like you are, ten years ago. When I bought my place 21 years ago, Arkansas was at the peak turkey population. I could hear turkeys off the back deck of my newly bought property, but I had not moved down yet and I had a lease five minutes from my house back then where I could usually kill two turkeys the first two days. The turkey population started a fairly rapid decline after that. I moved full time to my farm in 2011. I dont think I heard a turkey for maybe six years. I now usually have two or three gobblers and a few hens - but only in the spring and early summer. I have only seen poults once in the past three years. I trap quite a bit in the spring. Coincidently or not, I started getting a few turkeys when I started spring trapping. I have decided I would not kill more than half the gobblers. This year, I had three and did not kill one - but would have killed one if I could have. They largely left my place first week of turkey season - I believe because of flooding. They are back now. Heard one gobble three days ago and getting regular pictures.
I dont see them coming back full force. This is happening all over the mid and southern US. While most of the research attributes much of the decline to some form of predation, there are a host of other contributing factors. It is unfortunate the decline we have/are seeing in small ground nesting game species - quail, rabbits, turkeys, ducks. If we still had the small game we had in the 80’s, I would only deer hunt for some meat - and get that out of the way as quickly as possible and pursue small game the rest of the time.
In my area, now - your realistic hunting choices - meaning those species where there is a realistic chance of success - are deer, squirrels, and hogs.
It could be worse. It could be hogsFortunately or unfortunately I have multiple flocks on my property. They are in the fields every day eating my seed and new germinated sprouts.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
That would be way worse!
