As I drive across the southeast the primary factors I see impeding nest success and poult survival are absolutely horrible landscape scale habitat management and urbanization in rural landscapes. Turkeys do not do well with human (or dog) disturbance, and they don’t do well in poorly managed areas. In the southeast, particularly in our area, proper timber management and fire return intervals are not in a good place for turkeys. State agencies can jack around with season timing all they want to. It’s not going to help the wild turkey.

Sounds like mind games to me. Hey, we need to push season back 4-6 weeks or the end of the wild turkey is upon us. But let’s move it just a little, so nothing changes, but we can still say “I told you so”. Plus - that way - we can continue to scold you rednecks for being upset about it.

BS politics at play. All for nothing.

I remember you and I discussing rural urbanization on here years ago. Everybody moving to the country is a huge problem. Everybody has a roaming dog, 4 house cats running around, ATV races after school, etc….

Yes - moving out of town, clearing land, and living in your dream house in the country = not good for turkeys.

As I drive across the southeast the primary factors I see impeding nest success and poult survival are absolutely horrible landscape scale habitat management and urbanization in rural landscapes. Turkeys do not do well with human (or dog) disturbance, and they don’t do well in poorly managed areas. In the southeast, particularly in our area, proper timber management and fire return intervals are not in a good place for turkeys. State agencies can jack around with season timing all they want to. It’s not going to help the wild turkey.

I'm just saying that it would’ve been interesting to see the results in the study, if they set back to when they thought it should have been. That way it could be put to rest one way or another.

But dang, how late are we talking about. Starting A15 in AL, especially south AL, would be the death of a turkey hunting culture, and devastating for the population over time. All the dynamics surrounding that would be a cluster.

That’s not feasible and stupid - so season delays that long are completely off the table. If you actually care about the turkey and turkey hunting in general.

Then you go out West and turkeys thrive in town around those same dogs and cats and sxs running around everywhere. 🤣

Weird birds.

Gobbler - we are just pointing out that urbanization out where turkey live is one factor, not THE factor. It definitely introduces more problems. The main property I hunt is remote compared to most places, and the few neighbors combine to contribute about 20 roaming house cat poult killing machines.

But dang, how late are we talking about. Starting A15 in AL, especially south AL, would be the death of a turkey hunting culture, and devastating for the population over time. All the dynamics surrounding that would be a cluster.

That’s not feasible and stupid - so season delays that long are completely off the table. If you actually care about the turkey and turkey hunting in general.

Not picking on you or Matt at all! However, Timber wasn't managed well in the 80's, its probably similar, maybe more pine plantations. Burning was similar then acreage wise. Yea, urbanization is more impactful but still not a HUGE factor. Nest predator popns are up but still not up as much as coopers hawks. I see ONE predator that FOCUSES on poults in the spring and their populations are up 700% since the 80's.

Now, I’m not saying that delaying the season longer is the answer, by no means. I'm just saying that it would’ve been interesting to see the results in the study, if they set back to when they thought it should have been. That way it could be put to rest one way or another.

The season was moved back in this study, to "peak incubation" which is, I think, what Chamberlain was recommending and also the latest that anyone has recommended.

Then you go out West and turkeys thrive in town around those same dogs and cats and sxs running around everywhere. 🤣

Weird birds.

But that hunters wouldn’t go for that, if they choose those dates.

Nor should they. Hunter satisfaction would be so diminished, the ripple effects would be far worse than any good that might come of it, if any.

Happy landowners and hunters will conserve / produce / and save wild turkey. There’s just no other way around it.

Scolding and minimizing hunters - which apparently is the new goal for our DCNR - is childish and pathetic.

Yep. That’s always intrigued me. You can go to the northeast coast and upper Midwest and the dang things are harassing people in neighborhoods. Lol.