TN Non-Resident Turkey License Sales: Doubled for 2021 Season!

[arkrem870]

Arkansas is a two gobbler state

Two week season
Late opener/season for 10+ years
Quota hunts on most WMA's
One gobbler first week (new this year)

No population rebound.....now other states are following the same season struture ideas that failed in Arkansas already.

Predation is the major factor.....falling fur prices directly mirror falling turkey numbers

[Roost 1]

I have a buddy who has been cutting hay this week, he's found 8 nests in one field. He's avoided them alll leaving about 30yd buffer on each. Of the 8 on 2 hens are still alive.  His brother's dog killed one of the hens as the eggs were hatching. He was able to get 3 poults to a chicken whose eggs were hatching.
So far they are still living.  Seems like the deck is stacked against them from the beginning.

[owlhoot]

I have a buddy who has been cutting hay this week, he's found 8 nests in one field. He's avoided them alll leaving about 30yd buffer on each. Of the 8 on 2 hens are still alive.  His brother's dog killed one of the hens as the eggs were hatching. He was able to get 3 poults to a chicken whose eggs were hatching.
So far they are still living.  Seems like the deck is stacked against them from the beginning.

Shake that mans hand and buy him a surf and turf dinner and premium beers !

[Roost 1]

I have a buddy who has been cutting hay this week, he's found 8 nests in one field. He's avoided them alll leaving about 30yd buffer on each. Of the 8 on 2 hens are still alive.  His brother's dog killed one of the hens as the eggs were hatching. He was able to get 3 poults to a chicken whose eggs were hatching.
So far they are still living.  Seems like the deck is stacked against them from the beginning.

Shake that mans hand and buy him a surf and turf dinner and premium beers !

The guy hasn't killed a turkey in several years but he appreciates wildlife and tries to look out them the best he can.  Really surprises me so many hens still sitting mid June in TN.

[owlhoot]

I've bought a NR Res TN license for prolly 25yrs but if they lower the turkey limit to 2, I'm done.
There's the answer to that problem.

What makes you feel so entitled to shoot 3 turkeys that you would discontinue visiting a state if they decreased the limit to 2?

Why isn't 2 enough?  Why isn't 1 enough?

Kyle - I think the question isn't if 2 birds or 1 bird is enough. The question
is going to be, how can they charge the same price they always have with
the reduced opportunity.

If they lower the price , which I doubt will ever happen, that may defeat the purpose of trying to reduce hunter numbers. In fact it will increase them. 

[Jimspur]

I've bought a NR Res TN license for prolly 25yrs but if they lower the turkey limit to 2, I'm done.
There's the answer to that problem.

What makes you feel so entitled to shoot 3 turkeys that you would discontinue visiting a state if they decreased the limit to 2?

Why isn't 2 enough?  Why isn't 1 enough?

Kyle - I think the question isn't if 2 birds or 1 bird is enough. The question
is going to be, how can they charge the same price they always have with
the reduced opportunity.

If they lower the price , which I doubt will ever happen, that may defeat the purpose of trying to reduce hunter numbers. In fact it will increase them.

I think you're right. Leaving the price the same will effectively decrease
the number of non-resident hunters. That might be what the state wants.

[owlhoot]

I have a buddy who has been cutting hay this week, he's found 8 nests in one field. He's avoided them alll leaving about 30yd buffer on each. Of the 8 on 2 hens are still alive.  His brother's dog killed one of the hens as the eggs were hatching. He was able to get 3 poults to a chicken whose eggs were hatching.
So far they are still living.  Seems like the deck is stacked against them from the beginning.

Shake that mans hand and buy him a surf and turf dinner and premium beers !

The guy hasn't killed a turkey in several years but he appreciates wildlife and tries to look out them the best he can.  Really surprises me so many hens still sitting mid June in TN.

Hens sitting in June ,Missouri too, especially in the Northern half of state.
Could be a lot of re-nest attempts too from  predators and or weather.
Seasons differ . I read some reports by Larry D. Vangilder, PhD , I believe?  Where they stated that nesting incubation cycles varied up to 29 days . Don't have time today to find specifics of study and post it.
I do recall a late spring recently when  Mid April opening day was without any leaves and no underbrush green ups. 32 degrees opening day following snow in the week or so prior. 2018 I think .
I recall 3-4 seasons like this in the last decade or two.
Seen gobblers strutting on hens July 4th weekend. Shock gobbles from fire works morter fire, lol.
But this year was cooler weather until June and lots of May green up here.
Happy fathers day , guys. Have a good one.

[Shiloh]

I'd like for some of the gurus to explain Arkansas.  Some of the most beautiful ground I've ever been on.  No hunting pressure and the hunting sucks. 

[drake799]

I've seen poults in Tennessee that had to have been hatched around the first of august before   Which would have put them laid in June.  Also seen Gobblers with hens in June still strutting and gobbling   I think a lot of people believe turkeys won't breed after June 1st for some reason lol    And they won't if there are no gobblers left to breed   My opinion is we're just steadily dwindling down our "carry over gobblers " and a lot of this later breeding doesn't occur anymore   

[dzsmith]

not surprising at all.

[shatcher]

I've seen poults in Tennessee that had to have been hatched around the first of august before   Which would have put them laid in June.  Also seen Gobblers with hens in June still strutting and gobbling   I think a lot of people believe turkeys won't breed after June 1st for some reason lol    And they won't if there are no gobblers left to breed   My opinion is we're just steadily dwindling down our "carry over gobblers " and a lot of this later breeding doesn't occur anymore.

I believe this is spot on.  Couple that with predator problems. 

[jrinny]

I have witnessed the same cycle from the 1990's to the present here in Western New York. Our local biologist explained to us ( his views) that during the boom years ... there were years of great spring nesting weather and at the same time- a outbreak of distemper that hurt the nest raiders. This gave us hunters some years of unsustainable populations and had the bar set too high. I also have witnessed a change in farming practices with earlier first cutting and more frequent hay cutting. Our fox and coyote population is a problem here as well. Our state says there are less total hunters than then ... but we have lot of turkey hunters and pressure is high in my area.

[CALLM2U]

Arkansas is a two gobbler state

Two week season
Late opener/season for 10+ years
Quota hunts on most WMA's
One gobbler first week (new this year)

No population rebound.....now other states are following the same season struture ideas that failed in Arkansas already.

Predation is the major factor.....falling fur prices directly mirror falling turkey numbers

For the last few years, this information continues to make me pause when people talk about restrictions.  I've yet to have someone give a rational reason to me why Arkansas' plan isn't working. 

[timberjack86]

Heck that's only 10-15% of KS NR sales. I may have to start travelling east if that's a bad year for pressure.

You better hurry in about 5 years there won't be any turkeys to hunt.

[PNWturkey]

I also have witnessed a change in farming practices with earlier first cutting and more frequent hay cutting.

Everyone points to nest-destroying predators, but hay cutting is rarely mentioned.

The price of hay has been very high in recent years.  I wonder how many nests are destroyed by earlier first cutting and more frequent hay cutting by farmers chasing the higher prices?