Two Good Days ! - Page 3

edgarspencer · 10-27-2011, 09:14 AM

Ed, You're right, but the issue is serious. The Turkey are continually adapting to the winters here, and there hasn't been any point where they seem to stop moving north. It's sort of like the Asian Long Horned Beetle, and the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. You know it's going to reach you, no matter were you live. There is probably some population balance where the two could co-exist in the same area, but at present, no hunting regulations and bag limits are sufficiently matched to their population growth, nor are there any real organized efforts to try and change that, apart from possibly The Rough Grouse Society (sorry if I got their name wrong, I'm a member, but can't find the card)

Richard Flanders · 10-27-2011, 02:15 PM

Edgar is right. From what I've read, turkeys will eat anything and everything that is edible. Mice, insects, small birds, eggs, anything that will fit down their throat. I'm not at all surprised at Edgars description of the grouse disappearing. Too bad they can't get them to eat young racoons and possums in Michigan....

I'm not aware of any effort by the RGS to address turkey predation, and I've been at hunts with all the national board members and regional directors and biologists the past two years. Not a peep on the turkey issue.

Double Play · 10-27-2011, 02:45 PM

Richard,
In Connecticut the DEP controls all wildlife. Considering all the revenue generated from licenses and equipment sales by turkey hunters I do not plan on much action being taken here to control the turkey populations.
I'm not sure but I think the fisher was reintroduced and is somewhat protected in an effort to control turkeys but based on the seven chickens I just lost to a fisher I would say they would really hurt the grouse populations as well.

edgarspencer · 10-27-2011, 03:42 PM

That may be true Larry, but extending the season and increasing the bag limit wouldn't cut into revenues, but, in fact may increase it.

Double Play · 10-28-2011, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

That may be true Larry, but extending the season and increasing the bag limit wouldn't cut into revenues, but, in fact may increase it.

I'm for that Edgar, I love smoked breast of wild turkey.

charlie cleveland · 10-28-2011, 10:10 AM

whats the bag limit on turkey in yalls area...in miss. in my area its 3 gobblers per year..in some areas of my state you can kill 2 more in the fall..also belieave they can be hens in this fall season.... charlie

Richard Flanders · 10-28-2011, 10:37 AM

It seems to me that just about all state Fish & Game departments are slow in picking up on how some animals that are reintroduced or are in the process of "being brought back" through management can cause problems. Deer in many states are a classic example. When deer weren't so common you didn't want to tell any locals that you were there to hunt deer; now they all beg you to "killem all, I'm tire of smacking them with my car". Seems that the F&G folks can only see the side of how successful their comeback is. I'm sure that the statistics they put into their reports on turkeys being "up 400%" look good to their bosses and get them a gold star on the forehead(remember that one?!). It's the same thing up here with moose lately. The best area for population in the state is right here south of Fairbanks. The last few years hunters are screaming "there are no moose left". This year was terrible for most, yet the biologists who do the surveys just announced that they want to kill 1100 more cows in this area. All the hunters I know are stunned and wondering what planet they did their surveys on. Seems everywhere I go to hunt outside of Alaska there are turkeys and deer populations like I've never seen yet the states still have restricted seasons and high tag prices when they should just have vending machines for tags for $1 or just hand out a tag when you buy a pound of bacon..... what's with this? Why do they react so slowly to these issues?? Is it case of "ohh, you can't kill my deer!" thing?? Most F&G folks I know are very serious hunters so it's not like they don't get out and see what the rest of us hunters see. I just don't get it.

edgarspencer · 10-28-2011, 10:57 AM

I'm not sure what the fall season bag limit is, but spring is 2 "Bearded" birds. No hens. Turkey now breed year round, so I don't know why we still have the spring restriction. The state currently 'believes' the population is about 35,000 birds, but I think that's very low. I sometimes think I have 35,001 in my front field alone.
I still feel part of the turkey hunting regs. boils down to $, which is simply another tax, so to speak.