How many birds

[ShortSpurs]

How many are we killing?
Some states allow multi turkey tags during the spring hunts. And some hunters take advantage and will put another bird in the freezer.
Yeah, every year many older hunters don't hunt, because for one reason or another. But there are new hunters trying their hand at turkey hunting, and they may get their birds. My state turkey population is down, and we are still making the extra tag available.

So, are we hunting ourselves out of birds or what?

What say you?

[BigAL64]

I wonder the same thing. The population in my area of Missouri is way down. We did have a great hatch last spring so I am hoping for a large number of 2 year olds next season. that is if the jake killers don't kill them all this season!!

[ICDEDTURKES]

Our population peaked late 90s and has started a downward trend since the early 00s.. We have gone from hearing 10 birds a morning to 1-2 on a good day and this is on great property..

We are above the natural historic range for the wild turkey turkey so obviously winters have some bearing on population..

I have read in magazines from numerous biologists that gobbler only hunting is only a -1 scenario and unless extreme overharvest occurs has very little effect on population trends.. I tend to agree with this.. You guys have a pretty late season opener considering your positioning and would have to believe alot of hens are bred before you guys open..

[AppalachianAssassin]

ours has peaked right now and I still only hear 1 or 2 on a good day.

[DocHolladay]

Tennessee is still trapping and moving birds around to counties that have low numbers. Some areas have peaked, others are still growing and being worked on. We also share birds with other states on occasion. We can shoot 4 bearded birds, one per day, in the spring. I wish we could shoot multiple birds in a day.

[nyturkeyhunter]

In New York State, we can kill two gobblers in the spring and two turkeys in the fall (hen or tom).

I usually take my limit of mature gobblers in the spring and may or may not hunt turkeys in the fall. I do not enjoy hunting the birds in the fall as much as spring hunting.

I kill mature gobblers in the spring but do not object to other hunters taking a legal bird like a jake. My thought is a jake will be a gobbler the following year if he does not become dinner for a predator.

I don't think we over harvest our birds in NY. We have a dwindling population of hunters. Especially turkey hunters. Deer hunting usually dominates the population that still hunts.

[Ms Turkey Hunter]

Here in Mississippi,we are allowed 3 gobblers a season (no jakes) except for youth hunters

[don novicki]

We can kill two here in Pa for spring season but you have to buy the extra tag before the season starts. Not sure if the population is stable or declining.......