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Jim Spencer Article

1022 Views 10 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  Triple Threat, 
H
Anybody read the turkey season outlook in the latest issue of AR Sportsman?
Harvest was down 17% (I think) in 2007. It was no surprise when he mentioned how hard NWA had been hit. Said Hobbs has lost 80-90% of it's birds.
Do yall think it's finally bottomed out, or do you think we might have an even worse spring upcoming?
Seems to me that I've seen a little bit more turkey sign this fall and winter than I did last year, but last year I didnt hardly find a thing.
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D
I'd say if we haven't bottomed out then we're not far from it. So much of depends on the weather around the hatch, which has been horrible in recent years. If we can get a few years of decent weather then we should be back in business.
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S
From what I can tell about the places I hunt. One of them is on the rebound and showing pretty good for next spring. Two years ago was rock bottom when I didn't see or hear any turkeys. Another place I don't know for sure yet but it looks like last spring was bottom and it's not looking good this year. Both of those places are down around greers ferry lake. My third place near Gioun was really good two years ago but not too good last year so this may be the really bad year there.

It seems like even 10 miles may make a difference in the turkey population. I do know for sure if the area has cattle farmers who keep feed and minerals out year round it will have more turkeys.
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H
I can't speak for other areas of the state, but where I hunt.....I expect this year to be like last year. Not real good, but not rock bottom. There are birds, assuming they make it between now and then, its just going to be tough to hunt them
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J
Like SS and huntbigbucs say, seems to be differences in just a few miles in some areas, I would say there are some areas that have hit rock bottom and have to be on the way back, some places may never be the same though, hard to say. I think the places that have been very actively managed, with burning, openings, food plots and no jake shooting will reap the rewards from that, Public big timber like the Ozark NF seems to me you find turkeys more these days in pockets instead of widely distributed like they used to be, obv. that can be due to many reasons mostly food prob.
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O
I think if they can make it through the winter after having no acorns, it should be a good year.
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B
I got in a new lease before last season. There had not been a turkey killed there by a member in twelve years, because they didn't hunt. I hunted it three mornings. My wife and I doulbed opening day, day two she tagged out and I also helped to get another member a tom right after my wife killed hers. I hunted it the next Sunday and tagged out.

I have seen groups of hens and poults all fall and winter up to 80 in number. So things are looking good for me. There were several jake groups last spring and now they are good two year olds, not too mention I know of at least 8 longbeards that made it through the summer.

Now, if only I can keep from messing up repeatedly this spring.:eek:

Boom
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boomer said:
I got in a new lease before last season. There had not been a turkey killed there by a member in twelve years, because they didn't hunt. I hunted it three mornings. My wife and I doulbed opening day, day two she tagged out and I also helped to get another member a tom right after my wife killed hers. I hunted it the next Sunday and tagged out.

I have seen groups of hens and poults all fall and winter up to 80 in number. So things are looking good for me. There were several jake groups last spring and now they are good two year olds, not too mention I know of at least 8 longbeards that made it through the summer.

Now, if only I can keep from messing up repeatedly this spring.:eek:

Boom
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need another member! :thumb: Im not too hard on the birds :rolleyes: How bout' me?
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A
The problem we have in our family lease is that just because they are there during deer season, it doesn't mean they'll be anywhere around come April.
Several years in the past we've seen flocks of 20 - 60 birds in the winter, only to see and hear nary a thing come spring.
This past fall we didn't see much in the way of turkeys so maybe they'll decide to move in this spring.
Last year a tornado messed up my favorite spot on the big lease that I'm in so I'm gonna have to cover some different territory. So far this winter I've found lots of sign on the lease to the west but nothing but a little hog sign our side of the line.
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L
My places in NWA are still looking pretty bleak for the most part. I have one place that is still holding a few birds, but I have several places that have held lots of birds in the past, that I haven't heard a gobble on in 3 springs. I sure hope they start coming back! I am blessed to have a great place to hunt in Ks, if it weren't for that I would be depressed!!
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Triple Threat
Where I hunt in Sharp Co. it's picking up. For several years we saw or heard few birds and saw very little sign. Last year things picked up and so far this year seeing lots of birds and lots of sign.
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