Game Zones Harvests

[Tuffy]

I'm wondering if it's possible to capture the parts of the state that the birds reported here are being killed. Guess the multiple birds/areas may complicate it if the poll only allows a single vote. We'll see.

(NOTE: I'm using the OLD Game Zones to match with my old records.)

[Timberman22]

Zone 2 needs the 5 bird limit reinstated.

[tot]

The bird population as a whole seems to be down in Anderson... Not like it once was 4-5 years ago.

[Tuffy]

Zone 2 needs the 5 bird limit reinstated.

Which part of GZ-2?

[Tuffy]

The bird population as a whole seems to be down in Anderson... Not like it once was 4-5 years ago.

I think you are right, but the absolute harvest there hasn't changed much. What has changed is the amount of effort. It was up over 37% last year and Harvest only increased 3%. That's not going to make it better. Overall, GZ-2W saw a 15% INCREASE in Hunter Effort (Man/Days) and a 17% DECREASE in Harvest last year. Anderson wasn't the worst.

[tot]

Theres still pockets of good populations but overall theres been a definite decrease..

[Timberman22]

Which part of GZ-2?

Zone 2-E

[Timberman22]

Tuffy, thank you for taking the time to research and garner as much information as you can over the years. I was being sarcastic about moving back to 5 since I'm done so early and still have properties untouched. I spend 3-4 hours daily on the back roads of SC and over the past couple of years I see less and less birds every Spring in fields. BTW - I have not heard another shot in Fairfield County this season. Thanks

[Tuffy]

Thanks, Timber. I understood. I've been riding the back roads for many years and that is certainly my conclusion. IMO, we added a lot of extra pressure on a resource that was struggling with the current level-of-pressure in many areas. It doesn't look like Resource Management to me.

What will this year bring? My first guess would be little change in hunter effort and a decline in harvest between this year and last in most areas. We shall see.

[flockbuster]

I don't know if you would be interested but I have the records of every bird I have killed since the first one in 1992. I would bet quite a few of us on here could probably do the same.

[Tuffy]

Let me think about how we might gather those records and perspectives. I think it will turn out to be a Long-Term tale for each of us about how our hunting areas changed and/or shifted over time.

[Strick9]

From what I am seeing and hearing we have a decrease from this year as well by say 10-15% from last year. A total of 40-50% decline since 2010 thereabouts.

What kills me is that the writing is on the wall and yet state and fed agencies continue marching on with detrimental management attitudes towards a money generating species in lieu of a wood pecker.

I also appreciate your effort, this poll when finished will give some solid evidence.

It would be great if we could somehow duplicate a data collection from members in each region showing their # of days afield, Hens seen, Gobblers seen, Gobblers taken. Starting now and continuing through later years.

[Tuffy]

So, far, even with the small numbers, the percentages are pretty consistent with the Harvest Report from last year. I don't have much problem with the data that DNR gathers, but do believe that some participation and discussion here is good for the conversation. It's just really hard for me to imagine a complete set of data gathered this way that would tell me much. What I think I would like to find here is some input on what areas seem to be holding their own or improving, but even that is (and would be) so property-specific that it leaves me doubtful.

If we generate some conversation on any area, that will be a very good thing.

[Tuffy]

For what it's worth, these were the percentages of the SC Harvest from each of these areas for last season:

GZ-1 6.6%
GZ-2W 9.3%
GZ-2E 16.2%
GZ-2N 11.3%
GZ-3 4.3%
GZ-4 9.0%
GZ-5 17.7%
GZ-6W 8.1%
GZ-6E 8.2%
GZ-6S 9.4%

[dirtnap]

One thing I think that is never mentioned is there are a lot more people turkey hunting now than there was in 2010 or say 1990. Turkey hunting is now the "cool" thing to do. Whether people are actually killing birds or taking up spots. More people hunting equals more birds killed. Throw in some sorry hatches with habitat changes,large scale "nesting" burns on USFS and you have bad numbers. Doing away with the check station along with no real research on turkeys in the state in the last 25 years, has got some people scratching their heads as to the reason in declines. It seems like every year, in the places that I hunt, there is more people hunting than previously and the viable habitat is shrinking(clearcutting or development).

I am blessed to have alot of different properties to hunt across the state. I'm not struggling by no means, but it ain't what it used to be.

[Tuffy]

dirtnap.... Yes, and that is my point...If I have one. The new regulations really created an increase in Hunter numbers and hunter effort as measured by total Man/Days. The number of Hunters per year in SC had actually been pretty consistent since the slowdown in restoration. From 2000-2015, it averaged a pretty steady 44,000. Last year, over 51,000 were reported. That is the most for any year that we have reported. Only 2013 even came close. The number of Man/Days of effort last year was 271,000, which is the largest we have seen and over 23% above the 10 year average that we had for this measure. Even that effort left us with a Harvest that was over 6% below the SC Harvest Average for those 10 years. We should NOT have applied that extra pressure, in my strong opinion. As it was implemented, little of this applies to GZ6. Effort was up less than 1%, but Harvest was still down 10% from the 10 year average.

I know it just sounds like BS, but I think we are going to have to understand it well enough to push back on the greater pressure on the birds in most places. Regardless of the original causes, adding hunting pressure and adding it earlier (AND later) can't be much of a help.

[Tuffy]

All together, this is how the changes from 2015 to 2016 looked for # Hunters, Man/Days of Effort, and Harvest for the areas in this poll:

Note the large increases in effort in each GZ EXCEPT GZ-6 and that Harvest didn't respond anywhere except in GZ-3 (Not for the reason you are thinking, I don't think) and GZ-5.

Area hntrs vs 2015 m/d vs. 2015 harv. Vs. 2015
gz-1 21.3% 40.7% 1.6%
gz-2w 11.0% 14.6% -16.5%
gz-2e 20.8% 28.6% 10.3%
gz-2n 32.5% 52.7% 31.1%
gz-3 19.7% 41.2% 52.5%
gz-4 15.8% 25.5% 7.3%
gz-5 19.3% 30.8% 24.6%
gz-6w 7.2% 10.3% 10.8%
gz-6e -1.7% -10.5% -9.4%
gz6s 25.4% 16.6% 15.1%
s.c. Total 17.3% 24.3% 10.1%


gz-1 21.3% 40.7% 1.6%
gz-2 20.0% 29.0% 6.9%
gz-3 19.7% 41.2% 52.5%
gz-4 15.8% 25.5% 7.3%
gz-5 19.3% 30.8% 24.6%
gz-6 9.9% 5.2% 4.8%

[Strick9]

This is good solid data brother. Cliff notes that I will use for striking importance factors = Hunter numbers up 14%, harvest down by 6%.

[Tuffy]

Yep. My last post was just comparing 2016 vs. 2015. I think you picked up on the 2016 vs. 2006-2015 Average. Depends on if we are looking at Pop status or effect of new regulations, I guess.

[Tuffy]

If most of us owned GZ1, GZ2, or GZ4, we would cut the number of Hunters, season length, AND limits, I think.