[TRAVIS RIGGS]

I was wondering what everyone else thought about the Forest Service doing controlled burns right before turkey season. You know alot of the hens will start sitting in the next couple of weeks, and will be using the clear cuts that they are burning off. I just thought that could be part of the decline in turkey numbers on public ground or I could just be cazy to think something like that. What are your thoughts about this?

 

[JR1]

I'd much, much rather them do them now than in a month. There won't be hens on the nest for at least three weeks or better and even then if they get burned out they still have time to renest.

Studies have proven that given time a hen will attempt to nest up to three times if her nests keep getting destroyed.

Not to mention turkeys love fresh burns. You'll find them there happily scratching away. So, yeah, I'd just assume the burns take place this month.

 

[Selfbow]

The continue to burn through april 15th.

Yes, hens will ATTEMPT to re-nest if they are burned out.

Turkeys mature very fast and a 1 year old jake is much bigger than a 10 month old jake. Also.......They have a much better chance of making it through the winter if they have that extra 2 months of growth.

I hate the late season burns! They should stop in mid-march instead of mid-april.

 

[JR1]

April 15th burning would bother me quite a bit. March 15th not so much.

Your assesment of turkey growth is right on the money as well.

 

[Sylamore]

There has been a lot of discussion on this subject over the past couple of years. Rather than hash it out again, I suggest you use the search function and read the archived posts. :thumb:

 

[Selfbow]

There has been a lot of discussion on this subject over the past couple of years. Rather than hash it out again, I suggest you use the search function and read the archived posts. :thumb:

If we can have 15 dog running threads per month, I dont think that one more forest service burning thread will kill us.:thumb:

There is no doubt that prescribed burning KILLS nesting birds of all kinds in the month of April and it should be stopped.........NOW.

 

[Manybeards]

Personally I feel like burning should be stopped by March 25. This gives both worlds plenty of time.

What I can't stand to see is when they burn at the end of april. Yeah yeah I have read where burns do better for the wildlife than they hurt it, but that is only in the case if the burns are timed and managed properly.

 

[born2hunt]

Personally I feel like burning should be stopped by March 25. This gives both worlds plenty of time.

What I can't stand to see is when they burn at the end of april. Yeah yeah I have read where burns do better for the wildlife than they hurt it, but that is only in the case if the burns are timed and managed properly.

I agree that a late-season burn is undesirable. However, one must understand that the timing issue is quite complicated. A successful burn requires a very specific combination of wind direction, wind speed, and relative humidity just to mention a few. They can't just arbitrarily pick a date and then go do the burn. In the long term, we are certainly better off with the burns than without them.

 

[Sylamore]

If we can have 15 dog running threads per month, I dont think that one more forest service burning thread will kill us.:thumb:

Good point! Maybe someone has some good info that will enlighten us. :thumb:

 

[Selfbow]

Good point! Maybe someone has some good info that will enlighten us. :thumb:

I doubt it, but complaining makes me feel better.

I believe that the forest service is slowly getting away from the "one size fits all" mentality. In the past most of the rules were pretty much the same from one national forest to the next. The green-up is a little bit earlier here than a forest in Michigan. I think that we will see more local changes in the next few years.

Our forest service folks do a great job and they play with the rules that they are handed. I hope that our local forest service folks get to have a more active roll in the decision process in the future.

 

[Hooked Spurs]

Personally I feel like burning should be stopped by March 25. This gives both worlds plenty of time.

What I can't stand to see is when they burn at the end of april. Yeah yeah I have read where burns do better for the wildlife than they hurt it, but that is only in the case if the burns are timed and managed properly.

I tend to agree with Manybeard's stance on this subject.

The forest service burnt alot of acreage in Winona WMA very late a couple of years ago. I didn't see it personally, but two close friends that I consider knowledgeable on turkeys, wildlife, habitat, etc., did walk around it and were infuriated. Don't quote me on this, but I want to say that was as late as early to mid May. They said there was alot of oak timber burned 20+ feet high. My question is if a hen had failed on two previous nests due to predation or whatever and in May on the third attempt a controlled burn destroys the nest, wouldn't that be pretty detrimental to the turkey population?

I also agree with an earlier comment by Selfbow that a 1 to 2 month older poult probably stands a better chance to survive through the fall and winter months than those hatched on the third attempt. I am sure studies have been conducted on this subject.

My ideology is that turkeys face so many obstacles to survive (predators, weather conditions, etc.) that it is ridiculous to risk further damage to the population by untimely burns, which can without a doubt be done at more appropriate times. I just hope our AGFC lobbies with the Forest Service against late April and May burns.

I will try to get more info from my friend that contacted officials on the Winona burn and relay what the response to him was.

 

[batcutman]

Personally I feel like burning should be stopped by March 25. This gives both worlds plenty of time.

What I can't stand to see is when they burn at the end of april. Yeah yeah I have read where burns do better for the wildlife than they hurt it, but that is only in the case if the burns are timed and managed properly.

:thumb:

 

[D33RHUNT3R]

I was wondering what everyone else thought about the Forest Service doing controlled burns right before turkey season. You know alot of the hens will start sitting in the next couple of weeks, and will be using the clear cuts that they are burning off. I just thought that could be part of the decline in turkey numbers on public ground or I could just be cazy to think something like that. What are your thoughts about this?

This subject comes up before every turkey season.. Controlled burns are good for the Turkey as well as every other wildlife animal..

IMHO IF there is a decline in the Turkey Pop , I would believe it would be more from lack of Predator Hunting.. such as coon,fox,coyotes,possum,etc..

Want more turkey KILL more Predators

 

[Hooked Spurs]

This subject comes up before every turkey season.. Controlled burns are good for the Turkey as well as every other wildlife animal..

IMHO IF there is a decline in the Turkey Pop , I would believe it would be more from lack of Predator Hunting.. such as coon,fox,coyotes,possum,etc..

Want more turkey KILL more Predators

I agree with "Want more turkey KILL more Predators", and I agree with "Controlled burns are good for the Turkey as well as every other wildlife animal", but only when done at the appropriate time for the wildlife, not when it could potentially destroy nests, which would be a detriment to the turkey population.

 

[D33RHUNT3R]

I agree with "Want more turkey KILL more Predators", and I agree with "Controlled burns are good for the Turkey as well as every other wildlife animal", but only when done at the appropriate time for the wildlife, not when it could potentially destroy nests, which would be a detriment to the turkey population.

I believe that the control burns are done when it is least likely to spread out of control which would be more detrimental than a small area with chance of a few nest being destroyed ...I think the danger factor overrides the nesting factor .. I'm would think they would try to burn at the best time and avoid detriment to the wildlife at a minimal..

My guess is the are Many factors in a Burn that come much higher on the list than a few turkey nest ... by few I mean in the overall sheme of things

 

[BUCKSHOT_106]

Least they are controlled, we had a large scale fire here the other day that completely wiped out a large turkey habitat area.

 

[Selfbow]

Lets be clear..............The forest service burns are to protect the forest from major fires. It has NOTHING to do with wildlife.

The hens who have thier nests burned out are now hanging with the gobbler again instead of sitting on a nest.

The hens get really fat on that green grass with no poults to have to share it with.

If you think that burning out turkey nests is somehow good for the overall population, then we have to disagree.

Just stop the burns 2 weeks earlier and there is no problem. March 31rst is late enough.

 

[Juice]

I wonder if controlled burns hurt turkeys more than bushhogging? You always hear about nests being destroyed in the early summer when folks are working their land.

The burn Hooked Spurs talked about I think was actually in June during a very hot and dry spell in the area. The reasoning behind the late burn date was that it was experimental in nature. I hope they deemed it a failure, because they charbroiled some timber and hurt some thriving hardwoods. It is still very noticeable today and that's been at least 2 years ago.

Alabama does more burning than any place I've been. The first year we went down to hunt, they were burning some large areas. Our buddy with the Forest Service told us the conditions had to be right for them to attempt a burn. He did tell us to hunt close to those areas and listen for turkeys there, because they liked fresh burns. He was right, we had luck close to new places, some even with the smoke still rising!

 

[Sylamore]

Lets be clear..............The forest service burns are to protect the forest from major fires. It has NOTHING to do with wildlife.

This statement is not correct. Every Forest Service burn plan is reviewed and coordinated with a wildlife biologist and many of the burns are strictly for wildlife as a first priority. These burn plans are available for public review, before and after the burn is accomplished.

 

[D33RHUNT3R]

This statement is not correct. Every Forest Service burn plan is reviewed and coordinated with a wildlife biologist and many of the burns are strictly for wildlife as a first priority. These burn plans are available for public review, before and after the burn is accomplished.

:thumb: