# Ga. Turkey Population Decline



## SwampWise (May 3, 2016)

Hey guys. I'm not new to this forum but rarely post. I just browse through every so often, dont have much time for it. I am a very active turkey and deer hunter and killed  my fair share. I've notice the population decline in the recent years and started noticing the threads here in relation to it ironically. I have been telling my buddies this for a few years and thought I would see if I could get some other opinions on my theory why the population has declined. Might step on toes but I think it has basis.

I think it is QDM......thats when I started noticing the decline, when QDM was implemented in Ga (which I was in favor of at the time). When QDM was introduced there was a huge increase in hunters starting feeding programs which in turn hurt the turkey population....In my opinion....here is why.

1. More Feeders & Supplemental Feeding = more coons & possums (Turkey nest top predators and really dont have a natural predator so population continues to increase) We have all noticed the numerous coons in trail cam pics under our feeders & every year they increase.

2. Food Plots = more small game, Rabbits, squirrel etc...
More small game = more coyote & Hawk meals and better "healthy populations" which = coyote & Hawk population increases. I cant keep chickens in the yard b/c of hawks, I dont know how a turkey makes in the woods.

3. Property control = Price increases on lease land (less availability)  more tractors doing spring bush hogging(destroying nest), controlled burns (not as big of a deal but still a factor)

This theory gets a lot deeper but this is it in a nut shell. Just think of the chain reactions that are involved with QDM, think further about it.

Any opinions???


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## spydermon (May 3, 2016)

want me to add more to this?  I'm going to be brutally honest too

4.  Hunters.  the guys that manage and spend the big $$$ to grow big deer hate turkeys.   they will eat the protein/corn and scratch the plots up (summer and fall).  they simply don't tolerate it and kill them when the opportunity presents itself....hens and gobblers alike.  they view turkeys as pests.  usually, that's how it goes.  in most cases, they have a good summer of land with and good deer population as well as turkeys and most don't care about the turkeys.  

I've seen this...most are going to shoot me doen..but it's reality.  big bucks are the glory status right now.  they kill them spring,  summer, fall..whenever they see them destroying what they intend the deer to have.

owning/managing a lot of land for deer, usually translates to having a good turkey population as well (for a little while anyways).  it's good to deer hunt beside them..but come March, you will encounter some quiet mornings.


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## kmckinnie (May 3, 2016)

Any more rumars!


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## bowboy1989 (May 3, 2016)

spydermon said:


> want me to add more to this?  I'm going to be brutally honest too
> 
> 4.  Hunters.  the guys that manage and spend the big $$$ to grow big deer hate turkeys.   they will eat the protein/corn and scratch the plots up (summer and fall).  they simply don't tolerate it and kill them when the opportunity presents itself....hens and gobblers alike.  they view turkeys as pests.  usually, that's how it goes.  in most cases, they have a good summer of land with and good deer population as well as turkeys and most don't care about the turkeys.
> 
> ...


This is a fact I have heard soooooooo many DEER Hunters claiming they kill turkeys every chance they get because they eat there deer corn I noticed the decline shortly after they legalized hunting Deer over bait. Tho I can't prove it. But I could catch someone I could prove it buys it's happening everywhere


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## kmckinnie (May 3, 2016)

That may happen a place or 2. But state wide.


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## sea trout (May 3, 2016)

I've notice a decline in the turkey population in a few areas. I've noticed the population increase in a couple areas. 
One spot that increased is a 1600 acre tract, all market timber pine at different ages, that was introduced to fall/winter AND spring/summer food plots 4 years ago. 7 or 8 quarter to half acre plots and 2 one acre plots.
I've seen decline in population on 2 cattle farms. And an increase in population on one cattle farm.
I've seen a decrease around my house in banks county. And I don't hunt my birds here. I have killed one Tom 5 years ago but that's because there were 3 or 4 gobbling all the time that year. On average 1 to 3 birds have gobbled here in the spring for the last 10 springs. Last year I heard 1 and this year none so far.

Good conversation topic.
 My kids are 5 and 7. I hope they, and y'alls kids, can enjoy spring gobbler huntin just as we do!!

Good luck y'all!!!!


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## kmckinnie (May 3, 2016)

We control several thousand acres with other clubs around that a few hunt turkey. I know of any deer hunters around us shooting turkeys. Hogs are there worst problem. Timber has cut the hard wood bottoms and now cutting all half size pines. The stuff grows up so thick a rabbit gets stuck. The good new it wit open up later and the birds will come back. Then they will cut again. Varmits are the worst, including the fire ant. 
There maybe a bug illness we are not aware of yet also. 
I've seen a big big decline.


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## big lazer (May 3, 2016)

Extensive clear cutting
Massive use of herbicide
Property fragmentation
Deer feeders (predators and disease concentration)
Coyote and armadillo boom
Heavy spring rains
Aflatoxin corn
Need any more?


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## kmckinnie (May 3, 2016)

big lazer said:


> Extensive clear cutting
> Massive use of herbicide
> Property fragmentation
> Deer feeders (predators and disease concentration)
> ...



Fire ants. 
Pretty good there.


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## O-Country (May 3, 2016)

Anyone but me notice the STOP,Bio hazard,do not enter,spray off,wear a suit,check your shoes. At all the chicken farm entrance then they sling the litter on ever pasture and field they can find.
What ya think any cause for concern?


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## Tadder (May 3, 2016)

sea trout said:


> I've notice a decline in the turkey population in a few areas. I've noticed the population increase in a couple areas.
> One spot that increased is a 1600 acre tract, all market timber pine at different ages, that was introduced to fall/winter AND spring/summer food plots 4 years ago. 7 or 8 quarter to half acre plots and 2 one acre plots.
> I've seen decline in population on 2 cattle farms. And an increase in population on one cattle farm.
> I've seen a decrease around my house in banks county. And I don't hunt my birds here. I have killed one Tom 5 years ago but that's because there were 3 or 4 gobbling all the time that year. On average 1 to 3 birds have gobbled here in the spring for the last 10 springs. Last year I heard 1 and this year none so far.
> ...


That's why if I'm in the woods by myself it's usally scouten for the kids hunt r wife. I might slip off too a WMA too hunt 1 myself but not often. It's about the kids for me for now. Oh, ain't nobody said anything about Chickenlitter, sorry.


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## NUTT (May 3, 2016)

I think controlled burns play a big part destroying nest. Also, lack of trapping in the state as well leads to way more predators out there. Armadillos have had an impact as well! BUT hunters are the main reason. I have never seen the number of hunters we have now chasing gobblers. I personally will NEVER get another person into hunting unless it's a grandson or daughter.


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## Tadder (May 3, 2016)

NUTT said:


> I think controlled burns play a big part destroying nest. Also, lack of trapping in the state as well leads to way more predators out there. Armadillos have had an impact as well! BUT hunters are the main reason. I have never seen the number of hunters we have now chasing gobblers. I personally will NEVER get another person into hunting unless it's a grandson or daughter.


Controll burns the wrong time of the year, I would agree Logging in the spring gettem too. Burns are good if there done early in the year jan. feb.early march.


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## Arrow3 (May 3, 2016)

Hogs rooting the nests up...


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## NUTT (May 3, 2016)

Tadder said:


> Controll burns the wrong time of the year, I would agree Logging in the spring gettem too. Burns are good if there done early in the year jan. feb.early march.



Control burns been going on here in Coweta since January and all through April. Most are after March warm up we had. Turkeys are breeding mid Feb to March so nesting is not uncommon the month of March and early April.


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## Tadder (May 3, 2016)

NUTT said:


> Control burns been going on here in Coweta since January and all through April. Most are after March warm up we had. Turkeys are breeding mid Feb to March so nesting is not uncommon the month of March and early April.


Yep if you below I-85 burns will gettem that late. Had em burn up our way late 1 year. Seen hen and polts in it 2 day later, it was still smoken. They got lucky. Maybe we aught too curb the amount we take. I'm Happy if the kids get 1 apeace, if the wife or I get 1 that's a bonus. 4 in the family 1 apeace =4 gobblers . Each his own. maybe the birds will comeback strong.


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## NUTT (May 3, 2016)

Tadder said:


> Yep if you below I-85 burns will gettem that late. Had em burn up our way late 1 year. Seen hen and polts in it 2 day later, it was still smoken. They got lucky. Maybe we aught too curb the amount we take. I'm Happy if the kids get 1 apeace, if the wife or I get 1 that's a bonus. 4 in the family 1 apeace =4 gobblers . Each his own. maybe the birds will comeback strong.


I'm with you on that. Personal conservation for me and my son. We got 5 between us, 2 from Illinois and 3 Ga birds. Plenty of turkey breast for our family. Hope we have very moderate rainfall amounts this year. I will say I picked up two places that I can hunt next year that has birds so hopefully that will take the pressure off the 3 places we hunt now. Good thread and I think awareness and sharing ideas is key to success on bringing the numbers back.


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## Tadder (May 3, 2016)

NUTT said:


> I'm with you on that. Personal conservation for me and my son. We got 5 between us, 2 from Illinois and 3 Ga birds. Plenty of turkey breast for our family. Hope we have very moderate rainfall amounts this year. I will say I picked up two places that I can hunt next year that has birds so hopefully that will take the pressure off the 3 places we hunt now. Good thread and I think awareness and sharing ideas is key to success on bringing the numbers back.


 YEP, agree, 2 ga. for us and happy considering the numbers. Congrats.


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## sman (May 3, 2016)

I saw 10+ poults yesterday afternoon. 

I'm starting to lean toward disease...maybe MS or LT.


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## SwampWise (May 3, 2016)

These are great theories and opinions and I agree totally. The only thing that jumps out at me is that this is apparently a state wide problem. Which means it has to be a global size variable(s) causing it.
Hogs- yes but not everyone has them, including me.
Chicken fertilizers - yes but only in heavy agriculture areas
Less trapping - yes but never been that much of it but definitely less
Etc.......It has to be a variable that we all.have in common.


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## SwampWise (May 3, 2016)

Personal conservation is great but we shouldn't have to do that. We should all be able to take our limit or preferred amount( as long as it's legal) and not have to worry about it. Only reason being is that we've never had to be conscious of that before, I've always killed my limit with no worries about 'next year' until the last few years.


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## bearhunter39 (May 3, 2016)

Limiting the amount of gobblers is not going to help the overall population of turkeys ,all we can control is less predators we all need to start trapping killing less gobblers just means that the hens are going to have to compete with them for food.


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## fountain (May 3, 2016)

kmckinnie said:


> Any more rumars!



what was stated above isn't a rumor.  I KNOW this happens.  I have heard it straight from the landowners themselves.  statewide,  no, probably not.  I don't hunt statewide...I hunt near the landowners managing for the big bucks..therefore I know where some of the turkey population has gone around me.  when thousands of dollars are spent weeklyears they don't want any interruption.  I just want the turkeys..the deer are a bonus come November when they follow does off that property. 

Mayne this decline is a due to bad hatches the last 2 springs.  maybe this year we get a good hatch and the decline will possibly start a slow reverse.


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## Will-dawg (May 3, 2016)

I have no doubt that in this part of the state it's the chicken litter!!!


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## mattech (May 3, 2016)

I blame alot of the decline on armadillos


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## Jody Hawk (May 4, 2016)

I think clear cutting is having a big impact on turkey numbers in some areas. Also controlled burns. They burned a big area of Oconee National Forest two weeks ago. Surely that fire took out numerous turkey nests. I'm all for controlled burns but often wonder about the timing.


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## spydermon (May 4, 2016)

^ tons of clear cuts across the county I cut and I see a lot of clear cut land surrounding there too..this has to have an impact...I think you're right there


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## O-Country (May 4, 2016)

Tadder said:


> That's why if I'm in the woods by myself it's usally scouten for the kids hunt r wife. I might slip off too a WMA too hunt 1 myself but not often. It's about the kids for me for now. Oh, ain't nobody said anything about Chickenlitter, sorry.



I did. Quail gone, grouse all but gone, turkey may be next. You have to look at all the options ain't no one thing doing it all.


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## NUTT (May 4, 2016)

bearhunter39 said:


> Limiting the amount of gobblers is not going to help the overall population of turkeys ,all we can control is less predators we all need to start trapping killing less gobblers just means that the hens are going to have to compete with them for food.



My thoughts on personal conservation of lowering my limits are if I leave a few gobblers and they find a hen they can have poults. If I kill that one gobbler that was gonna run into that one hen chances are she might not find another gobbler. It just makes me feel better to do it. I have not killed a Ga limit by choice in 4 years. I appreciate everyone's efforts in whatever you choose to do to help conserve these animals. I  all armadillos in the face!


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## Twiggbuster (May 4, 2016)

clear cutting- we had um , and now slowly loosing them every year since on our tracts.
I flew in a commerical airliner across the south to Texas week ago.
All you can see are patches of clear cuts in various stages.


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## bangbird (May 4, 2016)

Baiting deer here in SC has been legal here for decades.  Not sure about GA, but here in SC we have had too wet of conditions for good turkey reproduction three Springs in a row (at least in my area).  Like clock work we've had heavy rain right when a lot of poults have hatched out.  The woods have been saturated and there's been a lot of standing water.  This year is better so far and the woods have finally dried up, so I'll see if my theory is correct.


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## JReid_38 (May 4, 2016)

Some good points brought up! IMHO the two biggest problems are #1 Chicken Litter, #2 Predators (not just yotes), and #3 habitat destruction.  The litter problem is the worst, yes I've seen the spray entrance/exits at poultry farms and watched litter trucks drive right by them (we obviously recognize there is a problem, but I guess disease can't be spread by poop).  Spreading this as fertilizer may be good for the crops but it's like we are engaged in biological warfare with turkeys, spreading disease in agricultural areas which then passes on throughout the population (it far outreaches where the litter is actually dropped).  Predators have also hurt the population significantly, the worst of these IMO are egg eaters (coons, opossums, skunks) and hawks.  These birds of prey get a free pass from us humans and they then, in turn, put a big hurt on the turkey population (Hawk population seems to be pretty strong to me).  As far as habitat destruction, bush hogging during the nesting season and removal of natural grasses are our biggest issues.  Just my .02


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## turkeyed (May 4, 2016)

You would think that with the millions of dollars brought in by the NWTF each year they would start doing something now to ensure the wild turkey in the southeast.  Instead they choose to build multi-million dollar buildings.  If they do any habitat projects or stocking its in the mid-west and west where the turkey is plentiful.


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## big lazer (May 4, 2016)

The chicken litter thing was going on when Turkey was booming, don't think it's an issue.  We are now into 3rd round cleatcuts and with herbicide, the forest is awfully sterile.  That's the main reason.


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## elfiii (May 4, 2016)

SwampWise said:


> Hey guys. I'm not new to this forum but rarely post. I just browse through every so often, dont have much time for it. I am a very active turkey and deer hunter and killed  my fair share. I've notice the population decline in the recent years and started noticing the threads here in relation to it ironically. I have been telling my buddies this for a few years and thought I would see if I could get some other opinions on my theory why the population has declined. Might step on toes but I think it has basis.
> 
> I think it is QDM......thats when I started noticing the decline, when QDM was implemented in Ga (which I was in favor of at the time). When QDM was introduced there was a huge increase in hunters starting feeding programs which in turn hurt the turkey population....In my opinion....here is why.
> 
> ...



For starters Georgia does not have a QDM program. It has a TDM program but only in counties that elected to have it. The statewide 4 points or better restriction for your second buck is TDM lite. It's purpose is to get more yearling bucks to survive. 

QDM is about balancing the gender and age distribution of the deer population. TDM is about growing big racked bucks period.

As for feeders and bait they have been legal for a long time. Personally I'm against them for all the obvious reasons. I don't know they are contributing to an increase in predator populations but they sure do concentrate them in one area and that can't be a good thing. 

As for food plots I would be hard pressed to believe they have a negative effect on turkeys. Since I started planting them 10 years ago I have seen a noticeable increase in my turkey population. I can't say that is attributable to the food plots but I can say my experience is it hasn't harmed the turkeys. To me there is no difference between a 1 acre food plot and a 20 acre bahia pasture other than the size.

Since my local turkey population is increasing rather than decreasing I'm probably not the best guy to weigh in on this but from what I read on here predation, herbicides and toxic chicken litter sound like likely suspects. There are also more turkey hunters in the woods these days so that's a consideration too. Prescribed burning has been going on for a long time and it probably does kill some nests and poults but I don't think it's a major problem. If it was somebody would have figured it out by now.

I hunt two small tracts, about 100 acres each. One is surrounded by timber co property and it's thick woods. The other is also thick woods surrounded by pasture land. I see just as many turkeys on both places and we have a healthy population of predators. The only visible sign of predation I have seen was 3 years ago on opening day. I found a hen carcass almost fully eaten with 3 or 4 eggs that had been eaten. That leads me to believe the predators are getting their fair share of groceries but a balance is achieved.

I guess I'm just lucky to not be experiencing what others are. When it comes to turkeys I'm stocked up. It's just hard to kill one on 100 acres once the hens split up and hit the nest. The gobblers follow them.

When it comes to deer that's another problem. We don't have any.


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## sman (May 4, 2016)

My thoughts is it is a bunch of stuff we probably can't stop.

More predators.   Way more than the 80s.

More clearcuts. 

More disease. Not caused by chickens but they catch it and it is deposited in the litter and the litter is spread.  MS, MG, LT..are all diseases that effect poultry.  Along with viruses like Rio. But you can't blame chickens or chicken litter entirely.  It is not spread everywhere. I have a lease that there isn't any for 15 miles at least maybe 20.

Hunters could play a small role as well. Hen gets bred, nest gets raided, she only has a jake to breed. Most are sterile.  But this is a long shot.

I'm leaning more towards disease not spread by chicken litter.  Last year I kept tab on a hen with a ton of poults, by August she had 2. 

This year I just recently sat down within 10' of a hen with poults. She played like she was hurt trying to get me away. Only problem was a storm was about to hit, I needed that tree. She eventually took her poults before the rain set in. Problem was she left 2. I called em in and set em where she could get em. She got em but left 1. She had over 10, probably close to 15.  So hatch isn't the problem, I don't think. Survival seems to be the issue.

This was in South East GA. Poults have hatched.


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## sman (May 4, 2016)

The one she left was whistling kee kees the next morning. I left it alone, best to let nature take it's course. The whistle was loud and clear. The hen visits that place a lot so, she likely found it that day.


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## herb mcclure (May 5, 2016)

*Declining turkeys*

Why don't anyone with influence, ask DNR,s turkey biologist, to come in on this forum and give us a report as to what they are doing to correct this downward happening.

Everyone knows, I only hunt with a camera now, but I stilt study turkeys; especially in the high mountains. I can tell everyone like Cklem said: "Is there reason for concern", and yes there is plenty of reason. Real mountainous areas where I hunt, has the lowest turkey population; I have ever known. 

What say you, DNR turkey biologist. I know all of you biologist read this forum all the time, but will not comment public. The big boss in Atlanta goes on the deer threads sometimes and comments there. 

Sman, that's the trouble you are telling. The hens still hatch little-ones, but have a hard-time getting any of them  raised, and then all the other things talked about do apply according to local habitat. 

herb mcclure


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## Riverrat84 (May 5, 2016)

i heard rumor that this was happening at the "qdma" club behind my house. That was deer season before last,  and turkeys went from a plntey rare. What I was told was turkeys were eating their corn so they killed everyone they saw, along with hogs and does. Heard of another group of men from Florida leasing deer rights to a place that killed 26 over their deer corn. Most trophy hunters aint going to mess up a hunt to shoot a coyote either.
Swampwise, I do believe that Qdma has had an effect.


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## C.Killmaster (May 6, 2016)

Here's your answer:

http://ncnwtf.com/myJSSImages/file/SEWTTC_HistoricalProductivityReport_Final_April 2014.pdf


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## sea trout (May 6, 2016)

Thanks for the study document. When someone is finished reading that can y'all write a quick summary for the poor hard working man?


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## M Sharpe (May 7, 2016)

I'm trying to get a game biologist from the DNR to come to Unicoi next year to do a seminar on this topic!


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## jakebuddy (May 7, 2016)

For the DNR biologist all are not created equal (some are absolute clowns) ask for Bobby Bond or Chris Baumann


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## PappyHoel (May 7, 2016)

mattech said:


> I blame alot of the decline on armadillos





bangbird said:


> Baiting deer here in SC has been legal here for decades.  Not sure about GA, but here in SC we have had too wet of conditions for good turkey reproduction three Springs in a row (at least in my area).  Like clock work we've had heavy rain right when a lot of poults have hatched out.  The woods have been saturated and there's been a lot of standing water.  This year is better so far and the woods have finally dried up, so I'll see if my theory is correct.



Ga is the 7th most populated state.  It's the hunters.  Way to many and an over estimated flock for a decade.  I can only speculate why the flock has been over estimated by double.


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## M Sharpe (May 7, 2016)

jakebuddy said:


> For the DNR biologist all are not created equal (some are absolute clowns) ask for Bobby Bond or Chris Baumann



I've got my game warden buddy working on it. I'll mention those names.


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## XIronheadX (May 7, 2016)

It's everything mentioned. It's a fragile balance. Those birds walk around all day, everyday, in the woods, with everything against the odds for their survival. Unless they learn to crawl through briars and eat pine cones, the future is tough for the turkey.


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## huntindawg (May 7, 2016)

sea trout said:


> Thanks for the study document. When someone is finished reading that can y'all write a quick summary for the poor hard working man?



It says hens are having/raising about half as many poults as they did 20-30 years ago in almost every SE state while spring harvests are up some 200% over that same time frame.  It also says that according to radio telemetry studies over three decades, hens that make it to maturity now have a better chance of surviving than they did 2-3 decades ago, probably due to the food/habitat mgmt/landscape diversity, which many people on this thread are blaming.

Finally, it says that GA is one of the only states in the SE that historically has not cared about how many turkeys have been harvested while its DNR has been among the top 3 in funding over that same time period...ok, so i made that last part about funding up, it doesn't say that, but it's definitely true.


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## M Sharpe (May 7, 2016)

Not real sure how they obtain some of the estimates or numbers since there was no way of know how many turkey hunters or turkeys were killed here in GA.

One thing I would like to see them do is start a tagging system for turkeys and break the turkeys from under the general big game license.  I know the tags are just for honest people, same as the reporting your kill that was implemented this year. In all honesty, we need more game wardens to help enforce some of the laws and hopefully catch some of those killing over their limits.
Personally, it wouldn't bother me to see them lower the limit to two birds and drop the first and last week of the season.


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## spydermon (May 7, 2016)

well, I see we went over 10,000 now.  I'd give it 12,500 to be safe.

that's still 20,000 off from the 2014 kills


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## jakebuddy (May 7, 2016)

2014 estimate ! Key phrase.


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## C.Killmaster (May 8, 2016)

huntindawg said:


> Finally, it says that GA is one of the only states in the SE that historically has not cared about how many turkeys have been harvested while its DNR has been among the top 3 in funding over that same time period...ok, so i made that last part about funding up, it doesn't say that, but it's definitely true.



Not sure where that funding rank you're referring to came from, but GA isn't even close to the top 5 for PR funds.  We give away too many free licenses to capture that much.

http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/WR/WRFinalApportionment2015.pdf


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## JBowers (May 18, 2016)

An acknowledged decline in turkey productivity (expressed as Poults Per Hen or PPH) should not be confused or construed to conclude a decline in the turkey population. It seems to me that much liberty has been taken in respect to these variant issues.

Yes, Georgia like many other states has observed and documented a decline in the PPH, but this does not mean nor should it be interpreted that the turkey population is crashing or declining. Turkey populations do and will continue to vary on local levels for a variety of factors.  Turkey populations at statewide levels will also vary.  That is, they will be up some years and down some years as assessed from a determined average (usually long-term).

Concerning PPH, there are many factors - too many to discuss here - that can affect this population index and what it means/doesn't mean.  A lower PPH is not necessarily equitable to a lower population or a declining population.  Back in the 1970s when our turkey population was significantly lower than it is today the PPH index was much higher.  Today, we have a significantly higher population than int he 1970's.  Not having actual numbers readily handy, it is around the magnitude of 300-400% higher.  So, for a simple example at an understandable but relative level, with a lower population of hens (1,000) but a high PPH (~4.5) the number poults returned is 4,500.  Likewise, with a higher population of hens (350% increase; 3,500) but a lower PPH (~1.3) the number of poults returned is 4,550. Despite having a lower or declined PPH the number of poults is essentially the same as when the population was lower but the PPH was higher. Do we know the exact and precise numbers of turkeys, hens, poults?  No and we don't need to know these numbers.  The scientific surveying and sampling we use to obtain the indices are a reflection of the actual population from which they are derived.  Basically, we can obtain the same information for a fraction of the cost to arrive at the same management decisions.

What we have surmised, and this was first determined and announced by a Georgia WRD Biologist, is that poult production in turkeys is likely density-dependent.  This is what the data strongly indicate and this not anything new to science, but is a "new discovery" for turkeys.  To put it simply, as the population increases, productivity decreases. A self-regulating mechanism (and one that may seem to be functioning despite hunting pressures).  As for GA's statewide turkey population, the indices we use indicate that the population does experience some annual ups and downs but the trend is stable. Again, a variety of factors play into this ranging from local habitat quantity and quality to age and long-term survival of hens (the longer a hen survives the more she reproduces). It seems to me that probably now more than ever, it is important to ensure that hens remain protected.  To be blount, a fall or either-sex turkey season would be the absolute wrong biological decision.

There is much technical information in the report Charlie shared, but it can be good read for anyone interested in turkeys. Are we doing good work on turkeys and advancing the science? Yes.  Are we doing a good job at sharing what we do? Probably needs improvement.


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## Gaswamp (May 18, 2016)

J.B.  In years past I  participated in the poult production survey every summer for 3-4yrs.  Is this function soley carried out by WRD now?


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## Toddmann (May 18, 2016)

I'm hoping for a couple a more tough low production years so we can decrease this ridiculously high turkey hunter population we have. A few more tough seasons and hopefully folks go back to watching bobbers in the spring.


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## herb mcclure (May 18, 2016)

Thanks Mr. Bowers, for your input on the turkeys, seemingly troubles today.   
I for one, appreciate you explain, how lots of hens of today's population, although they have a low 1.3 PPH, can equal as much as a few hens, from years ago, with a much higher 6 or 7 PPH.   
However, like others have witness, and I too, our poults are getting gone more so now,after they ave hatched, than in years gone by. This has nothing to do with density-dependent, which is my personal opinion. Predators today are a big problem, especially in most areas. 
Thank you again my friend, for coming forth.
herb mcclure


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