Originally Posted By: gobbler
Originally Posted By: Atoler

You think that burning a thousand acres of prime select cut nesting habitat in mid April is a good idea?? Really???? I love burning. I don't like for it to be done in the middle of nesting time


In a word, Yes! Which is why I don't think succumbing to public pressure is a good idea from the educated and experienced Biologists at the State agency that makes hunting regulations. They have dedicated both their education dollars and their career choices and lives to natural resource and wildlife management - something VERY FEW hunters or other public participants have done! Most also read every research paper on their subject of interest every chance they get, also something most public resource users rarely do.

We burned around 700 acres of this place last Thu and Fri. Private hunting land that is on a 3-4 year burn rotation and has had MOST burns in the last 10 years being April and May burns. Their turkey population has skyrocketed based on these recommendations. I would rather turkey hunt this place than pretty much every other place in Alabama that I know of.

How many turkey nests did we burn up? I don't know but quite a few I am sure!

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So answer me this, how in all of your research papers does it support destroying nests? In an ideal world, would you not burn during February or later? I realize that the time of year and weather is key, but you would have a very hard time convincing me that destroying a whole bunch of nests to create better habitat is the best option.

I'm assuming you are advocating habitat improvement over nesting success. I'm curious how you come to this conclusion? How do you know it is not hurting the population but creating such good habitat that it draws from the surrounding properties?