No jakes, no reaping, only two tags...

[Timberman22]

I bet the areas with higher bird numbers are private, burn at the right time, provide habitats food and have a trapping program. And I bet the the areas with low numbers are areas managed by the state and don’t have those.

I'm not rich but I do prescribed burning and plant food plots. Primarily converting them to Durana and clovers. I do not trap but practice trigger control and normally only take 1-2 birds per property we hunt (myself, son, and friends). Fortunately, I do not have any population issues on properties I hunt but I would say that overall the population is down across the state. I used to always see them on fields while traveling and very rarely do I now.

[smitch320]

I’ve seen an ass of turkeys in SE GA this week.

Also, I have seen lots in SC.

I do not really hunt turkeys but I do not think that the science associated with it lies. Also if majority of hunters don’t kill 3rd bird what’s the big deal if you have two tags vs. three?

[Black Bart]

Saw fifty in a field in Lynchburg yesterday. Maybe more.

[Calibogue]

I have a lot of turkeys. There are a lot of people that still have a lot of turkeys but the fact remains that the majority of you are not old enough to have seen South Carolina's Turkey population at its peak. Numbers are definitely down from what they were at the peak.
The no Jakes law is dumb as a box of rocks you can thank a bureaucrat for that, no one at DNR made that recommendation.

[duckshootringer55]

I bet the areas with higher bird numbers are private, burn at the right time, provide habitats food and have a trapping program. And I bet the the areas with low numbers are areas managed by the state and don’t have those.

Yep those of us doing something about it are gonna see more and more. Few years ago I started taking out a bunch of raccoons before nesting and the next year had young turkeys everywhere. You can just tell it helps a lot. Now burning too and even better.

[2thDoc]

thats not science. thats anecdotal.

trap or shoot 10 coons and think you saved every baby turkey? not science.

I know of places that dont burn or trap and have turkeys but people will keep on hating on francis marion. its all talk. none of it is proof. this is why the internet is dangerous and "grassroots" can be bad.

[BCR3]

After reading through all of this the only observation I have is that if the population is down it's because they are apparently all at Tater's place!

[trkykilr]

thats not science. thats anecdotal.

trap or shoot 10 coons and think you saved every baby turkey? not science.

I know of places that dont burn or trap and have turkeys but people will keep on hating on francis marion. its all talk. none of it is proof. this is why the internet is dangerous and "grassroots" can be bad.

It’s consistently anecdotal. More anecdotalness; when we bought our farm in Clarendon county 5 years ago, I believe that my winter flock was 7, maybe 8 gobblers. They were all together 90% of the time, and I saw them frequently. This winter, I have a flock of 13, a flock of 11, and a group of 3. I’m there often, and see them often. We have trapped like crazy (just dog proofs), killed every hog we’ve been able to kill, planted clovers and chufa, burned, managed what we kill, and widened our roads tremendously. I think the widening of the roads has really helped.


The first two years I trapped, I was well over 200 coons/possums with 18 traps., and not having a clue what I was doing. Now I have 40 or so traps and I didn’t break 60 last year. I have made a difference in the population of nest raiders, for sure. Has that helped? I don’t know, but I have more turkeys, undoubtedly. I can’t say its scientific, but I have enough data to keep doing what I’m doing while thinking of ways to do more.

[Palmetto Bug]

My place is adjacent to Brosnan Forest, which is 14,000 acres and impeccably managed, regularly burned, so pock-marked with food plots it's visible from space. Their predator management is intense. The turkey population has been so low around my place, judging from sightings all during the year, I have held back on shooting a bird for the last two years and will abstain again this year.

Interestingly, it seems the vulture population has also diminished in the last few years. Even though I regulary see them flying, roadkill is not getting cleaned up nearly as quickly as it used to. There is a buck carcass on the side of hwy 78 that is months old and hasn't been touched except by the redneck that cut off his head. Armadillos and possums lay there until they become frisbees. A couple years ago, you had to get to a downed deer quickly or the buzzards would be on it. Something seems to have impacted their population too.

Along with all the other factors, as I have mentioned on here before, I suspect the avian flu might have contributed significantly. That could explain why some areas have been decimated while others seem fine.

[Sasha and Abby]

bug - I totally agree. I shot a big boar and dragged it off to a field three weeks ago... It has BARELY been touched. There were the same three buzzards on it that were there three weeks ago. I'm going with bird flu also...

[Calibogue]

I think it's pretty well documented that the black vultures have taken a beating from AI

[JABIII]

Yep. A deer on 174 would be covered with buzzards before it quit kicking 2 years ago. Now, there is a surplus of dead critters on the side of the road...

[Duckman#1]

016578000535671-58-3-01072025075421-SYFW01718.jpeg

[wob]

Proof that the new regs are already working...

[YoungBuckTX]

I bet the areas with higher bird numbers are private, burn at the right time, provide habitats food and have a trapping program. And I bet the the areas with low numbers are areas managed by the state and don’t have those.

correct

[Whackumstackum]

My place is adjacent to Brosnan Forest, which is 14,000 acres and impeccably managed, regularly burned, so pock-marked with food plots it's visible from space. Their predator management is intense. The turkey population has been so low around my place, judging from sightings all during the year, I have held back on shooting a bird for the last two years and will abstain again this year.

Interestingly, it seems the vulture population has also diminished in the last few years. Even though I regulary see them flying, roadkill is not getting cleaned up nearly as quickly as it used to. There is a buck carcass on the side of hwy 78 that is months old and hasn't been touched except by the redneck that cut off his head. Armadillos and possums lay there until they become frisbees. A couple years ago, you had to get to a downed deer quickly or the buzzards would be on it. Something seems to have impacted their population too.

Along with all the other factors, as I have mentioned on here before, I suspect the avian flu might have contributed significantly. That could explain why some areas have been decimated while others seem fine.

Reckon the wild birds are catching diseases from the tamie turkeys they put out and shoot?

[b-stick]

016578000535671-58-3-01072025075421-SYFW01718.jpeg

Jurassic park?

[Duckman#1]

Jurassic park?

Nope but still in Berkeley county

[GBelly]

Saw a gobbler putting the pekkah to a hen earlier today