bald9eagle

The Alabama DCNR is looking at reducing the season limit on birds from 5 to 3. There is this fear that numbers are down. I have noticed a few bad hatches over the last 5-6 years but nothing that I think warrants the reduction.

We had some weird weather the last 3-4 years that has made for some poor gobbling days. The last few years I have had a hard time getting a gobble at one of my favorite WMA's but both times the weather was rather chilly or rainy. Last year I hunted an area on opening day and heard 8-9 different toms. The next day we heard 2 in the same area. Another spot I heard 5-6 birds and the next day my brother heard 0. I think we are getting reports of slow gobbling and confusing them with low numbers. I think last year was a good hatch and decent spring. I've been seeing lots of good trail pics. One other thing that leads me to believe that weather has played the biggest role is the report that I've gotten out of southern Tennessee from last year. I've been told of less gobbling going on there. That just tells me we had a few bad hatches. Nothing to get these knee jerk reactions that I'm seeing.

The other major thing they are looking at is moving opening day in the southern part of the state closer to April 1st. Currently it opens March 15th down south and April 1st in a handful or northern counties. Personally I think it should open March 20th statewide.

Any of you other Yellowhammer boys got an opinion?

JGFLHunter

That's a lot of birds for one person. We have limit of 2 per season, which is Spring and Fall.

Oldtimr

Sure is a lot of birds for one season. If the agency wants to reduce the limit to three for a couple of years to let the population rebound I don't see a problem. It is always easier to get people to go along with an increase than a reduction but I have found the game agencies generally know more than the hunters do about regulating populations.

Topgun 3006

Holy smokes, still 3 birds in a season when many states only allow one Spring bird. I sure don't call still being able to kill 3 birds a "knee jerk reaction" when what they want is based on what is for the good of the species!

EFH

bald9eagle, I read the same thing the other day. I've hunted turkeys in Alabama since I was a boy, and seems like we still got a lot of birds. I usually limit every year, but have also had a hard time the last few. Like you I know what I'm fighting is the unusual weather pattern not the population. Northwest part of state already starts April 1st, and I'd hate to lose my March 15th opener. Hell, sometimes I don't see many deer in a season, but I don't think everyone else should stop taking them and shorten season. Population in some places really might be down, but I would guess that's more due to clear cutting and housing development....
I would also be willing to bet, if they drop limit, it will not go back to 5 again. They also said they need more people to buy hunting licenses.....so they can hunt less? Lol!

bald9eagle

I was hoping to see you post EFH.

For those that think that 5 is too many for one person remember that Alabama has the largest turkey per square mile population of any state in the US. The estimated population is between 400k-450k. Trust me. We aren't hurting the population.

The knee jerk reaction centered around this. The state has coupled with Auburn University on a 5 year study on turkey populations. The study is only 18 months old and they already think that limits need to be reduced?

Yes I do think that hunters have as good or better grasp on populations. I am in the field every chance I get from March 15th-April 30th. I often deer hunt some of the same areas I turkey hunt. I can tell you that the last few years that birds have acted atypical. Yes I do think that the numbers are slightly down but I am positive that it is simply weather/hatch related. This year I am already hearing of more birds being seen and heard. Where do you think the DCNR gets their info from? They talk to hunters.

I think that statewide it should be either March 15th or 20th. We are really only talking about Lawrence, Colbert, and Lauderdale counties that have good populations that open April 1st. Heck I'm planning on Oakmulgee or Choccolocca on March 16th-17th. If it opened up here in my territory (NW Alabama) I'm not going south.

Barefoot Friar

I'd be far more interested in knowing what percentage of hunters in Alabama kill their limit every year. My guess is that there are some who do (and my further guess would be that they are the ones who are more likely to frequent forums like this one), but the majority of those hunting each year kill 2 or fewer. If my guess is right -- and depending on the numbers -- lowering the limit from 5 to 3 might not make much impact.

P.S. Winston opens April 1, and I think we have a pretty decent population. Comparable to counties to the south, IMHO. Obviously the DCNR thinks otherwise.

JoeA

Sometimes there are long term cycles of certain animal populations that are the result of several factors. Seemingly small changes in weather, land use practices, and predator numbers, etc. can have huge affect animal numbers.
An important figure in the survey is poult count(s). If the DCNR is seeing lower nesting success (or lower poult numbers), that may be one reason for advocating a reduced limit in spite of hunters seeing or hearing a "normal" amount of turkeys. Hunter success can be used as a general indicator that something is changing, but it is too variable to use as a definitive measure of game animal numbers.
Missouri used to have a huge turkey population, but in the last few years it has been reduced due to lower nesting success. It's coming back but not like the "old" days according to some MO beard-busters I know.

Barefoot Friar

Well, that makes sense. We've got a big hog infestation in Winston County, and coyote populations statewide are on the rise. Both of those animals make turkey nesting a risky business. I would expect sightings and kills to lag behind by a year or two, since once the poults can fly they can escape predators more easily.

annahBunek273

Thanks for your information. I love hunting bird. I will go Alabama and hunt.