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Turkey Population

GoetsTalon

Senior Member
Supporting Member
4,293
128
Walbridge oh
They do decent on muskrat in these parts. Last couple years $5 and up. I guess 2014 was a great year. Back in the early 80's we got $10 for rats and coons were $35 range. Last year we had two trappers pull over 6,000 rats out of one marsh. These guys are full time trappers. They would do it if they were a buck just because they love it that much.
 

ThatBuckeyeGuy

Active Member
943
46
Ohio
I don't bait so maybe that's why I don't see it but how many turkeys really pin point people's bait piles? How many people actually bait through the summer ? I just don't see it making that much of an impact here. But as I said I don't bait nor do I use cameras so I could be totally blind to how many people actually do .?
 
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Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I really hate to here that Curran
I have been hunting turkey in Ohio since it was a lottery and you made sure your application was there in time if you wanted the first 2 weeks. But it seems like in my area there are less birds now than then.
even if they open the season on coons who is going to hunt them. Only a few dedicated Coon hunter’s left. And they don’t shoot the coons out anymore.
Why don’t they close the fall season or make it bearded turkey only? There is no reason to shoot a hen with the falling population.
There is an open season on coyotes but the population just continues to grow.
Bobcats have not moved into my area yet but it won’t be long.
Yep I remember putting in for the lottery back in the 80s..you either got both weeks or had to wait for the second week to hunt.
I was just telling Cole @002 the other day how the hunting was in the 80s and 90s..was nothing to drive down 93 and see flocks from 50 to 200 birds in the fields..hardly see any in those same fields today.Have some old videos around here somewhere of fields full of birds with 15 + gobblers strutting. Pretty cool stuff.
Shot my first gobbler in 84 at 6:30 in the morning and remember sitting on the ridge listening to birds gobble till 11am. Was nothing to hear 20 to 25 plus birds gobble on all the ridges.This was at my Grandpa's farm by Tar Hollow. Lots of mead ground surrounded us and it was just lots of fun hunting there.
Figured when they went to two gobbler tags and a Fall season it would never be the same again. I just wanna hear em gobble and see em put on a show not sit and hope one walks by.
Sure miss those days.
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
I don’t have a lot of personal turkey hunting history to draw on but in my limited experience I have definitely seen a decrease in numbers. In the area I hunt I have seen a steady decline in the number of huntable birds in the last few years. Anymore I’m lucky to hear a handful on the roost compared to the dozens I would hear on any given morning even just a couple years ago. And this is in areas that don’t see a lot of pressure. The highlight of my season so far has been shooting a coyote in the face and hopefully saving at least one brood of poults. Kind of hard to get excited/motivated for those 0430 wakeups. Sad