Alabama DCNR exploring changing limits
03-17-2016, 09:36 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
If the wildlife biologists determine from good field work that a reduction in bag limit, season adjustments, etc. I am all for it. What I am totally against is the state's legislature "regulating" game laws. Leave that to the wildlife biologists.
As for personal observation on the 3050 +/- acres that I hunt, over the past 10 years or so I have seen fewer and fewer turkeys despite improvements in habitat ... such as thinning about 1600 acres of pines, regular control burns, planting turkey specific food plots, promoting wild plant growth such as rag weed and vetch, etc.
We have an avid group of turkey 7 hunters in the guys I hunt with, plus a 3 guests that come off and on. Four of these guys are excellent turkey hunters. The rest of us, me included, are just so-so. Last season all together we took 5 gobblers. Personally I had only one decent chance but scored. I set my La. buddy up on a good gobbler. Two of our best turkey hunters took the other 3. Everybody else was skunked. Our typical number has been 9 - 10 for many years.
So far this year we have taken 2 gobblers of this property, but collectively have heard very, very few. It's still very early in the season, but it sure feels a lot like last year.
As for personal observation on the 3050 +/- acres that I hunt, over the past 10 years or so I have seen fewer and fewer turkeys despite improvements in habitat ... such as thinning about 1600 acres of pines, regular control burns, planting turkey specific food plots, promoting wild plant growth such as rag weed and vetch, etc.
We have an avid group of turkey 7 hunters in the guys I hunt with, plus a 3 guests that come off and on. Four of these guys are excellent turkey hunters. The rest of us, me included, are just so-so. Last season all together we took 5 gobblers. Personally I had only one decent chance but scored. I set my La. buddy up on a good gobbler. Two of our best turkey hunters took the other 3. Everybody else was skunked. Our typical number has been 9 - 10 for many years.
So far this year we have taken 2 gobblers of this property, but collectively have heard very, very few. It's still very early in the season, but it sure feels a lot like last year.
03-18-2016, 11:17 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hatton, Alabama
Posts: 520
Originally Posted by Mojotex
If the wildlife biologists determine from good field work that a reduction in bag limit, season adjustments, etc. I am all for it. What I am totally against is the state's legislature "regulating" game laws. Leave that to the wildlife biologists.
As for personal observation on the 3050 +/- acres that I hunt, over the past 10 years or so I have seen fewer and fewer turkeys despite improvements in habitat ... such as thinning about 1600 acres of pines, regular control burns, planting turkey specific food plots, promoting wild plant growth such as rag weed and vetch, etc.
We have an avid group of turkey 7 hunters in the guys I hunt with, plus a 3 guests that come off and on. Four of these guys are excellent turkey hunters. The rest of us, me included, are just so-so. Last season all together we took 5 gobblers. Personally I had only one decent chance but scored. I set my La. buddy up on a good gobbler. Two of our best turkey hunters took the other 3. Everybody else was skunked. Our typical number has been 9 - 10 for many years.
So far this year we have taken 2 gobblers of this property, but collectively have heard very, very few. It's still very early in the season, but it sure feels a lot like last year.
As for personal observation on the 3050 +/- acres that I hunt, over the past 10 years or so I have seen fewer and fewer turkeys despite improvements in habitat ... such as thinning about 1600 acres of pines, regular control burns, planting turkey specific food plots, promoting wild plant growth such as rag weed and vetch, etc.
We have an avid group of turkey 7 hunters in the guys I hunt with, plus a 3 guests that come off and on. Four of these guys are excellent turkey hunters. The rest of us, me included, are just so-so. Last season all together we took 5 gobblers. Personally I had only one decent chance but scored. I set my La. buddy up on a good gobbler. Two of our best turkey hunters took the other 3. Everybody else was skunked. Our typical number has been 9 - 10 for many years.
So far this year we have taken 2 gobblers of this property, but collectively have heard very, very few. It's still very early in the season, but it sure feels a lot like last year.
I am not sure what is going on but opening week hasn't looked good so far. One guy went to Choccolocco WMA and heard 0 gobbles from Saturday to Monday. He and another friend met up at Oakmulgee Tuesday and heard nothing. Another guy got one but he didn't get on him till 12:00 on NFS land. I didn't hear a bird anywhere on Oakmulgee Wednesday morning and didn't see a turkey until 12 or so at Cahaba River. Finally heard a bird late Wed. on Cahaba River. Roosted him. Heard 3, maybe 4 birds total in 2 days of hard hunting. Very little sign.
I'm not sure if it is a disease being spread or just poor hatches. The weather in early March the last 3-4 years has been really cold. Hogs are becoming a huge problem and I think they are destroying every nest they find. The places I hunt in NW Alabama have solid numbers though I did get skunked on the place I call the Honey Hole. Only heard one bird in there last year compared to 5-10 most years.
