I can't speak for yours or anyone else's area in regards to population issues. I can positively speak for the area on North Alabama that I live and hunt in. We no longer have birds.
Limestone county has only had a season since 97 or 98 and only the northern half of the county has an season. It started out with a 10 day season and quickly was expanded to 30 days. The turkey population was just not strong enough here to handle thirty days when couples with two or three bad hatch years in a row back around 2005-2009 area. Then some form or avian disease struck us and southern TN in 2010. I am told that the recommendation to reduce the season in Limestone Co has been made by the state. I honestly don't know it it's enough at this point to correct the problem. I. applaud them for trying to do something.
As for the breeding issue. I'm no biologist but I am a long time dyed in the wool turkey nut. My personal thoughts are that if the hens are sitting on the neat and not going to the gobbler to breed everyday then you know every seed that was available that year has been sewn. That issue may not be as important to the population in Coosa Co but it's huge when you are dealing with the hand some areas have been delt.
I wish this crap we are dealing with up here on nobody. It's depressing and nothing but heartbreak to know that I can't hunt where I live no matter how much dirt I have access to. I have to get in my truck and drive a three hour round trip to even get close to gibbling bird.
