[longbeard2]

What would you say is the rate with which people are now checking turkeys?

I don't really have much of an idea, but I am keeping up with the numbers just out of curiosity, even though I am not hunting in Mississippi this year. I do feel like more people are checking turkeys than when it first became a law. I was checking turkeys in with a local store back before it was a law. I won a shotgun doing that one year.

I found the checking system in Alabama to be simple, but I had to end up calling them when I got home to get a confirmation number because it didn't send me that after I checked the turkey. Anyway, as of a few minutes ago, the numbers for Mississippi are 7661, and the season started on 3/15. For Alabama, the numbers are 10,287, and the season started on 3/25. I just wonder how accurate those numbers are and what the formula is that they put in to estimate the numbers not checked.

 

[fedguy2007]

I suspect in Mississippi you've got more that don't than do. I just don't understand not checking them in. People want to make the claim that it's the big man watching you and blah blah blah. There is no type of location tracking on the app and if you don't trust it then just turn the location off on your phone. I don't know if people are scared that if MS were to truly be able to track the number of birds that were killed each year, that there would probably be some changes made to the season. Just my opinion.

 

[lilwhitelie]

Some will check a few but never get that 3rd bird. I would say more do not check than actually check them.

 

[dublelung]

I know several who don't check them in and it doesn't bother them a bit. I've asked them what they're scared of and they just shrug it off as no big deal. I've checked all mine since it was started and each time has taken less than a minute to do it.

 

[Missed mallards 1]

I know a lot that don’t. Public guys state it’ll only increase next years pressure. Private guys say they don’t want to see an increase in leases. Sadly I haven’t had to worry about it myself. First yr in a long time where I haven’t heard a single gobbler during season. Heard plenty before scouting. If the jakes didn’t breed the hens then it’s going to be rough.

I do miss the Turkey hunting before it was “cool”.

 

[deerhunt1988]

Any of these guys ya'll know that don't check them...Ya'll reported them?

If they post dead turkey to social media, easy way for them to get caught and cited. It happens a lot now.

 

[longbeard2]

@Missed mallards 1: Unfortunately, jakes are not sexually mature, so they cannot breed hens.

 

[msurussell]

@Missed mallards 1: Unfortunately, jakes are not sexually mature, so they cannot breed hens.

☝👆☝👆☝This...

 

[thrillofthechase]

I don't know of anyone who does, however, I haven't had many buddies killing this year either, but like most have said, they are scared of big brother watching or more regs or because it's Tuesday. I don't know. There aren't good reasons to not check your bird.

 

[Missed mallards 1]

@Missed mallards 1: Unfortunately, jakes are not sexually mature, so they cannot breed hens.

well that’s not encouraging for sure. Maybe there’s an old silent bird having a field day in the tall pines and deep hardwood bottoms! Sad state of affairs on some very productive grounds. The ole resources are not replenishing as quickly as they’re depleted. All it took was one post, one video, and one phone conversation and my hunting grounds are not the same.

And no, I haven’t reported anyone. I learned a long time ago no good deed goes unpunished and I try to keep my business in my house and leave others in theirs. I’d like to have reported the kids that pulled 50 yards down the road from my truck and came in on me but that’s considered legal.

 

[Gar hole]

I know some dont get reported, but I would guess 80% do. According to MDWFP VERY few people kill 3 turkeys in a year and that is why they have not already reduced the bag limit from 3. If you typically kill 1-2 per year why would you take a chance on not reporting it? We all know a certain person that kills 7-8 but that is an anomaly. However, after a crappy year like this they may not have a choice to either reduce bag limit or shorten season. There are not that many turkeys out there any more. I been hunting them hard for 38 years and know what I am talking about. Wish they would call me.

 

[thrillofthechase]

I know some dont get reported, but I would guess 80% do.

That's awfully high, but I hope that's true or higher. Like you said, most people don't kill at all and a good number kill 1. Very, very few limit and there's always that guy killing way over the limit.

It's very hard to quantify numbers right now. Not every property is affected the same so there is still widespread belief that turkey numbers aren't declining and this is all a hoax for more control. Watch the message boards and Facebook groups. It's comical, at least in GA anyway. There are arguments everyday about turkey populations and why we need regulations at all - and then they prove their point by exposing overkilling, lack of habitat management, etc. Many of these keyboard warriors question the biologists and science behind it all which is frustrating.

Then there is the burning topic which is a whole other can of worms.

We're in a pickle.

 

[Hyckory Styck]

I would've checked mine, if I had killed any lol. I guess I got a few days left I could eek one out.....

 

[longbeard2]

The final tally if anyone is interested:

Alabama: 15,237
Mississippi: 9927

 

[thrillofthechase]

So how much do we inflate it based on unreported birds? My guess is around 13K-16K actually killed. Lot of folks in the woods this year came up empty handed. Still know a few of the die-hards that got theirs so it's hard to estimate.

The final tally if anyone is interested:

Alabama: 15,237
Mississippi: 9927

 

[dzsmith]

In the first couple of seasons of tagging, the spitting and drumming report put out by the state basically doubled what was actually reported. I don’t know if they are still doubling. Personally I don’t think it’s double , I would guess 3/4 of the state report. And the reason I say that is because I reported when it was voluntary and remember how few reported then…. The first year it was mandatory it went up exponentially. Another reason I think 3/4 is reporting is because I do not think the state any longer has the turkey numbers that many people including game and fish think we have. I may be wrong …. But I just don’t think they exist in those kinds of numbers anymore. Some of the better places I’ve hunted in the last decade , one of which was a very large property only produced so many adult birds , based on camera surveys from February time frame and the property for the most part was consistent from year to year with those numbers. With that said…. The amount of adult gobblers divided against the total acreage was really in the end not that many, not horrible but definitely not what most of us grew up around ……because only a portion of this place was even useable by a turkey. If it wasn’t for the shear size of that place … which is rare now a days in itself , you probably wouldn’t have a good time. So yeah. I think more are reporting than not…. Hek I’m so happy to kill one I’m proud to report it … absolutely no shame in it . But I’m sure there are a few thousand unreported ones …. Regardless, that’s probably the case in most of the southeast, and we still put up consistently lower number than most southeastern states with only a couple as an exception .

 

[longbeard2]

So how much do we inflate it based on unreported birds? My guess is around 13K-16K actually killed. Lot of folks in the woods this year came up empty handed. Still know a few of the die-hards that got theirs so it's hard to estimate.

I am not sure how much it should be inflated. I think it is gradually moving towards people actually reporting them. I think most people gradually change their views about things. I looked back at some county data in Alabama, and I noticed in a place like Barbour County, the difference in harvest numbers from the 2019/2020 (Covid Season) to the 2021/2022 (Post-Covid Season?) was up about 13% in the latter. I use the "Covid" terms because of all the talk about increased harvest during Covid when lots of folks had some time on their hands. Anyway, in Barbour County there were 375 reported in the Covid Season and this season there were 425. I don't know if more people are checking them in or if the numbers are up from the Covid Season. I am just thankful I had a successful season in Alabama and Oklahoma. I am also thankful for the two opportunities I was afforded here in Louisiana even though I totally blew them by missing. I checked the ones I killed, but I have always done that.

 

[thrillofthechase]

I think you're spot on. I wouldn't argue a single point of this. My camera surveys show the properties I have to hunt are at about 35% of what they were about 10 to 15 years ago. The more data we have the better we can produce plausible reasons why there is so much decline which hopefully leads to more action by landowners and hunters who can help. Like you, if I kill one, it's significant and should be noted.

Hope you guys all had a great season.

In the first couple of seasons of tagging, the spitting and drumming report put out by the state basically doubled what was actually reported. I don’t know if they are still doubling. Personally I don’t think it’s double , I would guess 3/4 of the state report. And the reason I say that is because I reported when it was voluntary and remember how few reported then…. The first year it was mandatory it went up exponentially. Another reason I think 3/4 is reporting is because I do not think the state any longer has the turkey numbers that many people including game and fish think we have. I may be wrong …. But I just don’t think they exist in those kinds of numbers anymore. Some of the better places I’ve hunted in the last decade , one of which was a very large property only produced so many adult birds , based on camera surveys from February time frame and the property for the most part was consistent from year to year with those numbers. With that said…. The amount of adult gobblers divided against the total acreage was really in the end not that many, not horrible but definitely not what most of us grew up around ……because only a portion of this place was even useable by a turkey. If it wasn’t for the shear size of that place … which is rare now a days in itself , you probably wouldn’t have a good time. So yeah. I think more are reporting than not…. Hek I’m so happy to kill one I’m proud to report it … absolutely no shame in it . But I’m sure there are a few thousand unreported ones …. Regardless, that’s probably the case in most of the southeast, and we still put up consistently lower number than most southeastern states with only a couple as an exception .