I think you are very close with that estimate.

I may be the one Matt is referring to with the conspiracy talk, but when you know the state has that info and they flatly refuse to release it, well, it makes me wonder. If only 2% kill a limit, then it doesn't take a genius to realize that changing it will have no effect on the turkey population.

Matt, thanks for getting on here and posting. I would be the first to say that if there are indeed areas of the state when most of the gobblers are killed before the hens are bred, and that results in hens not being bred, then something needs to be done. I have never hunted in such a place myself, but maybe they do exist in the state. But cutting the state limit would do nothing to help those places. The ONLY way to help those places is to shorten the season there, and I'd sure be in favor of shortening it in those areas if hens are not being bred due to a lack of available gobblers.

I guess I have been truly blessed this season, but I heard more gobbling than normal and had the best season I've had in several years. I hunted Perry, Coosa, and Tallapoosa counties and the turkey population is still very good in all the areas I hunted. I limited out on 4/2, and probably could have sooner if I had tried harder. I called one in for my uncle to kill Tuesday morning and we heard 3 other turkeys gobble that morning; one probably gobbled 100 times. Surefire is hunting at my farm this weekend and heard one gobble on the roost this afternoon. I predict that one will die in the morning. If he does, it will just mean there is one less gobbler on the place; it won't affect the nesting success of the hens at all.

I'm glad to hear that no significant changes are planned anytime soon. My turkey hunting career is drawing to an end, but I still would hate to see the AL system changed because of political reasons when the system we have has worked so well for at least 50 years. A generous season and limit leads to turkeys being a valued resource. Low limits lead to them being hated by the farmers.