gobblerspur

how is the turkey population in your states and what is your bird limit in the spring?.i guess next year here in pa. ,they are going to have a two gobbler season.does the extra gobblers taken in the spring have any impact on the population.what are the prices on the extra turkey tags and do you think its a reasonable price.

Pat_Ely

Yes I do believe it is going to impact the turkey population and I will tell you why I think that. I believe that it will keep more hunters in the woods for longer during the month. I think that will in turn put pressure on the hens and keep bumping them from the nest. Eventually they will get tired of the pressure and abandon the nest. e.g. unhatched eggs, less poults=less turkeys. I believe they are going to charge $20.00 for the extra tag, If you haven't figured it out I am 100% against the second gobbler tag. If you want em to kill more than the two birds we already can then let the tag be used in the fall not the spring. I also believe alot more jakes will be harvested than normal because the Boss gobbler hunters will shoot a jake cause they knowthe can fall back on the second tag to hunt that Big OLE bird. Just my opinion. PA is hunted extremely hard and there is alot of pressure on the animals now, can't imagine how it would be if they did the tag. Pat

MOTurkeyTamer

The wild turkey population is doing quite well in Missouri. I'm sure turkey numbers are at an all time high. The MDC still maintains the bag limit at 2 male turkeys or turkeys with a visible beard.

VP

Here in La our Season limit is Two birds, this just changed in 04 from a 4 bird limit- One license was good for you season limit.
The reduction of the limit was due to several new areas around the state that they opened to season that had not previously been open.
Personally, I think it was a smart move on behalf of the LDWF to make this change state wide rather then by areas. This will be the second year for the two bird limit so I'm thinking that within the next year we should definatly see a dramatic increase in the birds we are seeing.

maytom

Well, I seen this very question brought up on some other forums as well. Personally, I don't see a problem with it at all. The state of PA has almost twice the bird population that we do here in NY, and we have had a two bird season for a while here now, and our bird population is rising each year. And this is even with hunters fromn other states hunting NY as well!! (PA guys!!!) Yes, you do have many more turkey hunters in your state, but how many are really successful? If every single turkey hunter in the state of PA took one bird, that would put a dent into the population, but again, not everyone scores each spring. Truthfully, the only two ways that would surely damper the bird population in "any" state, would be a cold/wet spring (causing a bad hatch), also the amount of predators that are present, such as Skunks, Raccoons, Fox, Coyotes, etc. that are nest raiders or polt eaters. This would do more damage in the long run than a 2 bird limit in my opinion.
Also, do you really think that the PGC would allow a two bird season if they actually thought that it would harm the turkey population? I think your worrying about nothing.

Gobbling Buck

Your turkey population should be fine. As previously stated, the preditor population will have the most impact on the population as well as the weather. Here in Alabama, our season starts March 15 and goes through April 30. We can take 5 male turkeys per year and it has been that way for at least 5 years. Probably longer than that, but I've only been hunting turkeys for 3 years this will be the 4th, so I didn't really pay attention to years prior. Anyway, our turkey population is continuously growing, in most areas. The areas that haven't have had an explosion in the preditor population. Also, I don't know how PA will decide the season dates, but here the season is ending when the bulk of the hens start to set. The NWTF has done a lot of joint research with various state wildlife departments to set the best dates to accomodate nesting.

Bobgobble2

Here in Calif we have a 3 bird(tom with a visible beard)limit!!I agree totally with Pat,one of the biggest predators a turkey has IS man himself!Between the hunting,poaching,and destruction of habitat(particularly housing development)man plays a very big role in your own local overall population.I garruntee setting your limit higher will have an impact on those counties and small areas that hold smaller populations of birds than others!Most of our birds inhabit private inholdings simply because thats where they get the least pressure from human intrusion!!Bob

Pat_Ely

Well I agree most states seasons aren'tduring the nesting times, but her in PA it is not that way. I know that every year about the middle of the season I find hens on the nest and they have laid all of their eggs, because I could count atleast 9 in em. Like I said if you shoot one in the fall it is less impact on them in my beliefs. I guess in some states it does work out that you can shoot mulitple birds, adn that is great I know while I was hunting in Idaho I never saw or even talked to any one that was hunting turkeys in the spring. I'm not arguing with you gentlemen but unless you have hunted turkeys in PA and on public land it gets wayyyyy tooo much pressure. If you guys invite me I would love to come hunt with ya. I like hunting in no pressure states [8D]. Pat
And Yes I do think the PGC would allow it. It comes down to a politician that wanted to be able to hunt two birds in the spring. Money and politics.

JoeA

Way out here, we have a 3 bird limit for the spring season, must have a visible beard.
So far the only spring season is on the Big Island, but we (NWTF vols) are working to change that.