TDD, this is in response to your post because I feel like it was directed at me based off of your wording.

1) Habitat is absolutely a controllable variable whether you hunt leased land or land you own. There are countless land improvements that can be made to encourage and support growth in turkey populations. Examples you requested - burning, planting food sources, leaving nesting areas.

2) Hens are protected in AL, but many states including some of our neighbors, allow hen harvest.

3) Predators are an extremely controllable factor IMO, especially nest predators. Shooting every predator you see is about as effective on predator populations as a limit reduction or season shortening would be on turkey populations in AL. It takes a dedicated effort to trap, but it can be extremely effective. Coons are about as easy to catch as it gets, and I would bet they are the top predator to turkwy populations.

Again, it all boils down to turkwy sex and their role in reproductivity. Saving gobblers may sound great, but you may save 2 per hunter MAX. That is an insignificant savings. Provide hens with the best opportunity to have nesting success and you are looking at saving 8-12 poults. Those kind of numbers can actually make a difference in populations