# Seeing lots of poults this yr



## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Seems like a good hatch this year . Also saw alot of Jakes this spring . Should be good bird numbers in the upcoming years . 

I have been seeing good numbers of hens and poults .Saw two hens with 10 poults today . And one hen with 3 poults last week. The week before I saw a hen with several poults but couldn't count em as they ran off .


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

Same in my area. Saw a flock of hens and young today. And the Division of Wildlife is wanting to reduce our spring bag limit to One


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Yeah . I'm not really sure how reducing the number of make birds harvested is going to help the population .

There has definitely been a drop in turkey numbers the last couple years . But I expect it's going to trend up in the next couple years based on what I have seen . 
Hopefully if they reduce the spring limit they eliminate fall season . I don't think either action would greatly increase the population . But if they drop the spring limit , and don't touch fall season that makes absolutely no sense from a management standpoint .


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

I love to fall hunt and I think so few are killed in the fall it's insignificant. However, I'll admit it makes more sense to stop or reduce fall hunting than to reduce the spring bag limit to one gobbler. I'd like to see the spring limit kept at two and make the fall season a week or maybe two like they used too. They could make it two adult gobblers a year and allow one or two in spring or one spring and one fall and stop the fall take of hens and poults. I really don't think either is needed, all we are seeing is a leveling off to habitat carrying capacity. I live in one of the areas originally stocked in the 60s. we saw the big explosion for 25-30 years and then the population fell off and stabilized. It's been about the same for 20 years now with a few fluctuations from year to year. I think they're chaisng ghost


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## joekacz (Sep 11, 2013)

Unless they know something that they are not revealing then I agree that the lowering of the limit doesn’t make sense. The taking of hens and poults in the fall has to do more damage in the long run than taking 2 gobblers in the spring. My concern is how are they gonna make up the revenue loss if it does flow over into the elimination of the fall season also. Usually the changes that are made will run for a period of time and not just one year so that data can be collected so might as well sit back and enjoy what’s left. IMO


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

your right joekacz. they proposed it so they're going to do it. The wildlife Council pretty much rubber stamps whatever the DOW wants, it's just a figurative assembly. So we will just enjoy what we have left as you say, they really don't want our opinions. This from someone who used to be on the inside. There was a time the sportsman's opinion carried weight, but I fear it's in the past.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Lots of hens around my place with zero poults. Lots of raccoons though.


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## Upland (Nov 3, 2016)

lots of them in this area


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I haven't hunted turkey for a few years but have had them in my woods, kinda off/on in recent years(we put cracked and whole corn out every morning just to observe the birds and various wildlife).. One recent winter we had a flock of 5 or six “Big, long beards” coming nearly everyday! Normally, frequently was seeing hens with broods. Usually(normal Spring) in the woods or adjacent areas, we hear gobbling from one or two every morning. This year has been a bust, seeing or hearing anything! I heard there is some kind of disease taking out lots of birds and a(frequently hunting turkey) friend has told me this year has been unusually lacking in seeing/finding turkeys in his “go to” spots. Something(not good!) is going on with the population, at least in our area, and various areas of NE Ohio where he hunts!


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