Do You Think Ky Offers Great Turkey Hunting?

[RutNBuck]

if so please take a moment to tip your hat to some of the ones that made it all possible
thank you to the KDFW,Mr.George Wright and local NWTF Chapters

if i left out any others that you feel need mention please do so....

[turk2di]

These people no doubt made it great! Now we must stand vigilant as the state tries to ballance the need for money vs the stability of the flock.

[jeff ward]

well put turk2di !!!!!!!

[WildmanWilson]

I think it's great if you have private ground but if your forced to hunt much of the public ground it's not so great.

Too many hunters on too little quality ground and the hunter numbers are increasing every year as the hunting acres continue to shrink.

[mcdenney]

Probably make a few non-residents mad but the best state I have ever hunted for turkeys. Top 3 states would be as follows:

1. Kentucky
2. Georgia
3. Ohio

[ryan hickey]

always shocks me when i hear about ky folks goin outta state to hunt turkeys, but what ever floats your boat i guess. i think if i could pick ANY state to hunt turkeys in i would pick this one :)

[WBBP]

I think most that are going out of state are going to extend their season so that they can kill more birds, not because it is any better anywhere else.

K

[Multidigits]

Ky. probably needs to open earlier? Surely we don't want to give thanks to Jim Lane for taking over when GW left. Looks like the turkey population is in good condition inspite of what some folks have led us to believe.

[mcdenney]

WBBP, you got it! That is exactly why I hunt out of state some years. Georgia (which is very expensive by the way) opens around the last of March and you can take up to 3 gobblers. I would then come home and hunt KY (+2 birds) and then finish out the year in Ohio (+2 birds) sometime in April/May depending on success.

[JDMiller]

Kentucky would rank pretty high with me but I would easily say Northern Missouri and Iowa would be at the top of my list. It's been a few years since I have been up that way but we would always arrive a couple days early to listen and glass the fields......the sheer number of birds we would see and here would be hard to explain .....unless you have experienced it.

That being said.....its been a long time since I've not harvested at least one bird in Kentucky. We have it pretty good here and there is plenty of birds on my end of the state. With the increase in gas prices and non-resident license ( plus the fact Iowa is a lottery draw)in most states.......... I will probably stay put for awhile.

[KyHorse]

I hunt on average 5-6 states every spring. Factoring in just the states that hunt the Eastern wild turkey, I think Kentucky hunting is good and rates up there pretty high. In general I think there is better 'turkey' hunting in other states though.

[Hunter]

Ky. probably needs to open earlier? Surely we don't want to give thanks to Jim Lane for taking over when GW left. Looks like the turkey population is in good condition inspite of what some folks have led us to believe.


will have to agree with multi on this one.

[wkyduckslayer]

Kenutcky is awesome. I can see how people who dont have private land could be mad, but theres lots out there, you just have to drive and ask, you will find some i promise ive seen me do it.

[KyHorse]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Multidigits
Ky. probably needs to open earlier?

Hunter,
Why would you agree with this? Everyone complains about henned up gobblers as it is. Open it earlier and you are really going to be dealing with henned up gobblers. By the time our season rolls around, many hens have started nesting and many gobblers find themselves alone in late morning, midday and afternoon. From mid March, now and up until our opener, Gobblers do not have a problem finding a willing hen. The breeding here in Kentucky starts a littler earlier than what most people think as well.

Plus factor in the % of mature birds claimed to get killed during each spring. If you kill a large percentage of those birds earlier, say some time in March, you have hens that will take longer to get bred, the nesting period lengthens which opens them up to more possible spring flooding and then in the fall you have poults that are not far enough along as they would have been and succomb to the elements easier.

I don't agree we need an earlier spring season at all. I think ole George had our season right. I do oppose the Saturday opener and prefer a Monday opener closest to the 15th or the way it was with opening on the 15th unless it fell on a Sunday, then it opened the 14th.

[Jarhead]

I agree that our turkey hunting is really good. But I also agree that for someone hunting public land it can be really tough especially or weekends. Around my neck of the woods its almost impossible to get a place to hunt that you actually are happy with. Its turning into a subdivision, or what isn't you can make a yearly land payment for what they want to lease it and it gets worse every year.

[ecmbowhunter]

umm....yes

[Bee]

I am now living out of state . I would rate Ky as near the top in eastern Turkey hunting. Every state in the southeast has superb spring hunting if you are there at the right time and in the right conditions and, most imprtantly, have access to good places. In my spring career I have been privilged to have hunted evry state in the southeast, many for more than 30 years. There are parts of Ky now that are as good as it gets, so to speak, for easterns anyway. Enjoy it. It may not stay this way. Ky Horse has made soem very good pionts about the season opener.

[Big R]

Ky has excellent Turkey hunting and some great public land to hunt them on although we are loosing more and more of it every year.I hunt peabody alot but not as much as I used to but never have trouble getting on birds.Sure there is alot of pressure on peabody ground but not any worse than most public ground I hunt in Tenn. and Mo.It doesnt matter were you go to hunt public ground its gonna have pressure,some not as much as otheres but thats just one of the downfalls of public hunting.
The biggest problem with public ground is the lack of respect most hunters have for fellows hunters when it comes to turkey hunting.It dont matter what time you get in a spot there is always gonna be some yahoo that comes in on ya!

[turk2di]

Ky. probably needs to open earlier? Surely we don't want to give thanks to Jim Lane for taking over when GW left. Looks like the turkey population is in good condition inspite of what some folks have led us to believe.
Jim Lane. Where's he @ now? He had a blueprint to follow & didn't. Ky's turkeys continued to grow, but at a decellerated rate. Weekend openers, all-day hunting, and no doubt whats likely commin next is to open earlier:( Who's our turkey Biologist now?

[turk2di]

Ky has excellent Turkey hunting and some great public land to hunt them on although we are loosing more and more of it every year.I hunt peabody alot but not as much as I used to but never have trouble getting on birds.Sure there is alot of pressure on peabody ground but not any worse than most public ground I hunt in Tenn. and Mo.It doesnt matter were you go to hunt public ground its gonna have pressure,some not as much as otheres but thats just one of the downfalls of public hunting.
The biggest problem with public ground is the lack of respect most hunters have for fellows hunters when it comes to turkey hunting.It dont matter what time you get in a spot there is always gonna be some yahoo that comes in on ya!
Amen Big R.

[turk2di]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Multidigits
Ky. probably needs to open earlier?

Hunter,
Why would you agree with this? Everyone complains about henned up gobblers as it is. Open it earlier and you are really going to be dealing with henned up gobblers. By the time our season rolls around, many hens have started nesting and many gobblers find themselves alone in late morning, midday and afternoon. From mid March, now and up until our opener, Gobblers do not have a problem finding a willing hen. The breeding here in Kentucky starts a littler earlier than what most people think as well.

Plus factor in the % of mature birds claimed to get killed during each spring. If you kill a large percentage of those birds earlier, say some time in March, you have hens that will take longer to get bred, the nesting period lengthens which opens them up to more possible spring flooding and then in the fall you have poults that are not far enough along as they would have been and succomb to the elements easier.

I don't agree we need an earlier spring season at all. I think ole George had our season right. I do oppose the Saturday opener and prefer a Monday opener closest to the 15th or the way it was with opening on the 15th unless it fell on a Sunday, then it opened the 14th.
Another Kudo for George. Im with you 100%. But since he retired, there has been a slow dismantling of his philosphy. We have a good population of birds in Ky and it will be a fine season, but had we stuck to the proven formula it would IMHO, be great EVERY year.

[sirgiovanni]

I love hunting and fishing in KY, period.

[Multidigits]

Jim Lane. Where's he @ now? He had a blueprint to follow & didn't. Ky's turkeys continued to grow, but at a decellerated rate. Weekend openers, all-day hunting, and no doubt whats likely commin next is to open earlier:( Who's our turkey Biologist now?

BS on the "BLUE PRINT". there are no guarantees in wildlife management. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. IF the "BLUE PRINT" was off by half, why follow it anyway?????

[KyHorse]

"there are no guarantees in wildlife management"

Sure there is. If you over harvest the resource (miss manage), wildlife will decline.

[Multidigits]

If I thought that overharvest was a problem, I'd just lay out for a year or two....wouldn't you?????

I thought the huge change that just took place was supposed to fix the population problem???

[quackrstackr]

Addressing the earlier opening...

any turkey experts here know what the difference in the timing of the breeding/nesting is from the north end to the south end of the state?

In 10 to 15 minutes after leaving my front door, I can be standing where the season opens a full two weeks earlier than KY. It seems like in the extreme south end of the state that by the end of season, you won't hear a bird gobble.. on the roost or otherwise. I'm sure hunting pressure plays some factor in that but it can't be all of it.

Just wondering how that factored in, or if it factored in to the setting of the season opening.

[Valley Station]

With recent regulation changes and poor hatches.
I don't see any irrepairable damage, that can't be corrected by returning to 3-weekends of hunting, quota hunt on some WMA's,moving season forward a week, ending deer baiting, mid-week opener.
Then quality of turkey hunting may return.
May even get turkey flock headin' in the right direction, with same turkey density as Missouri or Iowa.

[Multidigits]

With recent regulation changes and poor hatches.
I don't see any irrepairable damage, that can't be corrected by returning to 3-weekends of hunting, quota hunt on some WMA's,moving season forward a week, ending deer baiting, mid-week opener.
Then quality of turkey hunting may return.
May even get turkey flock headin' in the right direction, with same turkey density as Missouri or Iowa.

would that also apply to Ft. Knox?????

[naturalelite]

I think Kentucky offers great turkey hunting but I hunt on private land only. I have seen more birds this fall and so far this spring then I ever have. I hunt three different counties Pulaski, Adair, and Henderson. I don't know what other people think of these counties but the farms I hunt are loaded with turkeys. The guys that are not seeing the #'s they once were have you been taking hens out during the fall???Just because you can doesn't mean you should if the flocks aren't what you feel they should be.

[Valley Station]

Multi,

Ft Knox?? Nah, as you know, they have a different set of rules.
Do have the no baiting rule.
Other rules.
1) 50,000 acres - No hunting of any kind,at any time, on about 1/2 the post.
2) Limited access to "huntable areas", due to training schedule.
3) End hunting daily- 1:00 p.m.

By the way, they shot one of your "pets" in 11, Sunday morning.

[Multidigits]

Had about 25 in the back yard yesterday again. Saw them a couple of weeks ago too. 2 gobblers, the rest hens. What's open for the weekend?

[JDMiller]

Addressing the earlier opening...

any turkey experts here know what the difference in the timing of the breeding/nesting is from the north end to the south end of the state?

In 10 to 15 minutes after leaving my front door, I can be standing where the season opens a full two weeks earlier than KY. It seems like in the extreme south end of the state that by the end of season, you won't hear a bird gobble.. on the roost or otherwise. I'm sure hunting pressure plays some factor in that but it can't be all of it.

Just wondering how that factored in, or if it factored in to the setting of the season opening.

I agree..........and one of the reasons I've always put in for LBL quota turkey hunts because of the opportunity to get a couple of days to hunt ... a week or two earlier than the state season. The birds may have plenty of hens but this stage of the breeding period usually will find the toms a little more aggressive in coming to a call. By the end of April on the southern border counties I've always hunted....Calloway,Graves, Trigg , Christian & Todd the breeding season is just about over. Hunting pressure can play a factor....but if their out of the mood to breed....its not much your going to do about it.

As far as them being henned up.....you just have to change your strategy somewhat. You probably are not going to get a tom to fly down in your lap at daybreak but on around 9:00am .....you usually can make something happen. I will also add.........that back a few years ago when we had some of our peak harvest years....the season depended on the callender year....and during that time ...season could come in earlier than the 15th.

[KyHorse]

We do watch the number of gobblers we take on our properties each spring. I also hunt public ground quite regularly as well because I enjoy it.

I would support going to something like our deer zones, where maybe in some counties the season is shorter, or maybe even only a 1 bird limit.

Overall, I think the flock is doing pretty well in Kentucky. However with so many changes so fast and never knowing about a hatch until after the season, 1 or 2 seasons in a row could be pretty devastating in some areas. Especially in flood prone areas with marginable populations now.

[Multidigits]

We do watch the number of gobblers we take on our properties each spring. I also hunt public ground quite regularly as well because I enjoy it.

I would support going to something like our deer zones, where maybe in some counties the season is shorter, or maybe even only a 1 bird limit.

Overall, I think the flock is doing pretty well in Kentucky. However with so many changes so fast and never knowing about a hatch until after the season, 1 or 2 seasons in a row could be pretty devastating in some areas. Especially in flood prone areas with marginable populations now.

Just for kicks, how about listing all the counties that you would zone lower than others, and how you would decide that? would it be because of someone's bad hunting skills? a road trip up I-71 without seeing any birds? or harvest statistics? even though all counties don't have the same amount of huntable acres or habitat?

[quackrstackr]

back a few years ago when we had some of our peak harvest years....the season depended on the callender year....and during that time ...season could come in earlier than the 15th.

ding ding ding!

Hunting this far south was MUCH better and the birds much more vocal when season came in earlier.

[Valley Station]

Fattin' em up. Your "backyard" was open this past weekend, but, filled quick.
Going to be a lot of areas on north side of Salt River shutdown, due to
Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot this weekend.

[Valley Station]

Ky Turkey season opener earlier than the 14th?? When??
Latest Ky Afield Calender here, is 1996, opened on the Wednesday, the 17th.

Biggest difference in the spring is from east to west.
I'd like to see, Kentucky divided into eastern/western zones, with eastern Kentucky season week to ten days later.
Would encourage hunters to hunt the mountains, as the spring progresses.

[JDMiller]

Ky Turkey season opener earlier than the 14th?? When??
Latest Ky Afield Calender here, is 1996, opened on the Wednesday, the 17th.

Biggest difference in the spring is from east to west.
I'd like to see, Kentucky divided into eastern/western zones, with eastern Kentucky season week to ten days later.
Would encourage hunters to hunt the mountains, as the spring progresses.

Valley........I've been looking through a few things and cant really be specific on the dates but I believe in the late 80's early 90's we had some openers earlier than the 14th. I could be wrong.....I may be confusing the dates with LBL's ....which always were earlier and where I did most of my turkey hunting.

I have to disagree with you somewhat on the East -West difference.......If you look at the South in general... I think Florida's season comes in first ...March 4..then the seasons route northward from there...such as Alabama's is earlier than Tennessee by a few weeks. Tennessee is about two weeks before Kentucky and that pattern can be followed North.

Now I did say somewhat disagree......Washington state for 2005 was listed as opening April 15....which is about as far west and north as you can get in the continental US. While Maine opens May 1 on the furthermost North-East part of the US.

I'm just saying geographicaly in Kentucky....the transition phases of the breeding season is different in a county bordering Tennessee vs. a county bordering Ohio or the northern most county in Kentucky. The birds are just in a different mode.....down here ....by the end of April....its not much breeding activity going on after the end of April and it cant be soely based on hunting pressure for the lack of activity.

[ril7572]

Ky Turkey season opener earlier than the 14th?? When??
Latest Ky Afield Calender here, is 1996, opened on the Wednesday, the 17th.

Biggest difference in the spring is from east to west.
I'd like to see, Kentucky divided into eastern/western zones, with eastern Kentucky season week to ten days later.
Would encourage hunters to hunt the mountains, as the spring progresses.

I looked at my journal/photo album that dates back to the 1987 turkey season. The earliest the Kentucky season opened was in 1998, on the 13th. In 1997 it opened on the 14th. These are the only years that the season has opened before the 15th. So the season has never really opened any earlier than it does now.

[Valley Station]

JD,
For following the progression of spring,
Look at "garden hardiness zone maps". i.e. shows same planting dates for Cincinnatti, Ohio as Knoxville, Tenn.
Many of the south central counties ( i.e.-Cumberland) have average last spring frost dates later than in the spring than north central (Louisville area)
The eastern/western zone for Ky small game is attempt to set seasons based on seasonal differences.

[turk2di]

Ky Turkey season opener earlier than the 14th?? When??
Latest Ky Afield Calender here, is 1996, opened on the Wednesday, the 17th.

Biggest difference in the spring is from east to west.
I'd like to see, Kentucky divided into eastern/western zones, with eastern Kentucky season week to ten days later.
Would encourage hunters to hunt the mountains, as the spring progresses.
It would also put a Peabody under untolerable strain. With all due respect, i hope that is never done.

[KyHorse]

Multi,
I didn't say I would be the one making the zones, I said I would support it. Why would it be any different to zone counties for turkey as they do deer?? They are suppose to be looking at harvest figures, hunter reports, surveys, yada, yada,yada. Right?

I'm no biologist, don't claim to be. I am however a good turkey hunter and have hunted turkeys in Kentucky since my neighboring county opened up back in the early 80's.

Simply put, I would not agree with an earlier opening day, nor do I like the season opening on a Saturday from here own out. Going even further, I like hunting as much as the next guy, but having 4 weekends open to hunting this year is a big move in my opinion. Will be interesting to see if the harvests #'s increase, stay steady or fall.

[quackrstackr]

I looked at my journal/photo album that dates back to the 1987 turkey season. The earliest the Kentucky season opened was in 1998, on the 13th. In 1997 it opened on the 14th. These are the only years that the season has opened before the 15th. So the season has never really opened any earlier than it does now.

Did it always come in on the same date across the entire state?

I'm 100% positive that I had to adjust my getting up times in the late 80's or very early 90's while turkey hunting because of the daylight savings time change. That always occurs on the first Sunday morning in April (until next year). I also remember hunting several years on Easter morning before cutting out early and going to church. ;) This year is the first year that turkey season has been in on Easter in a long time.

[Multidigits]

Multi,
I didn't say I would be the one making the zones, I said I would support it. Why would it be any different to zone counties for turkey as they do deer?? They are suppose to be looking at harvest figures, hunter reports, surveys, yada, yada,yada. Right?

I'm no biologist, don't claim to be. I am however a good turkey hunter and have hunted turkeys in Kentucky since my neighboring county opened up back in the early 80's.

Simply put, I would not agree with an earlier opening day, nor do I like the season opening on a Saturday from here own out. Going even further, I like hunting as much as the next guy, but having 4 weekends open to hunting this year is a big move in my opinion. Will be interesting to see if the harvests #'s increase, stay steady or fall.

I'm looking for a reason why we need zones. Survey data is fairly consistant through out the state that most people (85%+) think that there is no problem with the present turkey management plan. That leaves 15% of the hunters not supporting, and a few less(about 12%) of the landowners saying there is a problem with the turkey management--some of those no doubt think there are too many turkeys?

We already open early with youth two weekends prior to the reg. season. Both army bases open earlier. The birds are ready early and it would spread out hunting pressure the rest of the month if there was an early opener.

I too have been against the Sat. opener, but it's there because most people want it then. Majority rules this time.

the 4th weekend added 2 days to the season. Most hunter will be done by then. At least a quarter will not have a tag left. Half of the rest will have quit because of frustration or some other excuse.

Harvest numbers will be steady, as they have been in the last few years. That's what happens when the flock levels out. You can't always have a record harvest, at some point it has to break over.

[Big Nasty]

Bar-none the best place to hunt all species of game: the one that YOU like the best!

[KyHorse]

If I were to give a reason I guess it would be consistancy. Obviously nothing to back anything up, just an opinion. All counties are hunted just like deer with varying harvest results for a multitude of reasons. Maybe even with zones you could open southern counties earlier and end them earlier, open northern counties the same as today or later. Zones might resolve some complaining, flock issues in some areas, and open up opportunities in some areas that people would like to see it done. All of which a biologist would propose and so forth.

In the past, and I'm sure you can recall because it existed in the early 90's in many parts of the state. There were times during the spring turkey seasons, some counties were closed, other counties you could hunt north of this highway only to another, which you could not hunt west of. Essentially, this was somewhat of a zone. What it did was helped insure restocking was able to take off and a flock get established. I know a couple areas were restocking has flourished and the hunting is great today. Other that were and the hunting is far and in between. Many of these areas is where telementary studies were done. I know because I hunted in a couple and harvested a collared bird.

So, I can't really call it a reason, but my opinion.

[CSS archer]

Here is my personal and professional opinion on this.

Turkeys start breeding in mid-March while still in large groups, many hens are laying eggs by late March and start incubating around the third week of April. I found a nest at Ft Cambell on 4-6 one year that had 9 eggs in it. I burnt up a nest in a native grass field last year on 3-26 with 3 eggs. They will renest sometimes as late as July. Many early nests get predatorized.

George Wright intended to have most of our season structured around when hens would be incubating for less chance of accidental hen killing and more workable gobblers.

The difference between north, south and east and west is just a day or two, period, probably due more to vegetation availabe for nesting cover more than anything.

Killing gobblers has little effect on turkey populations, period, just the loss of those individuals. Quality of hunting is impacted simply by removing gobbling birds.

Baiting (artificially feeding) probably has the most negative impacts on turkeys, concentrates predators, spreads disease, encourages birds to nest where nest predators are concentrated, artifically concentrates birds where they may not be available to hunt.

If we only had one week to turkey hunt, I would pick the first week of May, more vegetation to conceal hunter movement, gobblers are much easier to work, because most hens should be incubating.

If you want to significantly want to increase turkey populations, go out of your way to compliment any woman wearing a fur coat, support trappers, increase the interest in trapping. Also, discourage farmers from cutting hay or bush-hogging until late June. Hen/poult ratios could increase dramatically.

[quackrstackr]

If Im correct and Im pretty sure I am,season came in on the 15th last year and Easter Sunday was the 17th as Easter is always the 3rd Sunday in April in the part of Ky I live in and I think it is the same nationwide.



Wrong. Easter is not the 3rd Sunday of April every year. It can range anywhere from March 22 to April 25 and jumps quite a bit from year to year.

1980 April 6 1995 April 16 2010 April 4

1981 April 19 1996 April 7 2011 April 24

1982 April 11 1997 March 30 2012 April 8

1983 April 3 1998 April 12 2013 March 31

1984 April 22 1999 April 4 2014 April 20

1985 April 7 2000 April 23 2015 April 5

1986 March 30 2001 April 15 2016 March 27

1987 April 19 2002 March 31 2017 April 16

1988 April 3 2003 April 20 2018 April 1

1989 March 26 2004 April 11 2019 April 21

1990 April 15 2005 March 27 2020 April 12

1991 March 31 2006 April 16 2021 April 4

1992 April 19 2007 April 8 2022 April 17

1993 April 11 2008 March 23 2023 April 9

1994 April 3 2009 April 12 2024 March 31



As you can see, it's before April 15th a lot more than it's after.

Must just be the part of KY you live in.. ;)

[JDMiller]

Did it always come in on the same date across the entire state?

I'm 100% positive that I had to adjust my getting up times in the late 80's or very early 90's while turkey hunting because of the daylight savings time change. That always occurs on the first Sunday morning in April (until next year). I also remember hunting several years on Easter morning before cutting out early and going to church. ;) This year is the first year that turkey season has been in on Easter in a long time.

quackrstackr.......I've been hunting turkeys since 1984.....I thought the same thing on the dates but up until about 1992....I done all my turkey hunting at LBL. As far as I remember LBL always came in earlier than the state and I think this is what were both thinking about. Back then it was'nt any turkeys in Calloway to speak of and just about everyone that turkey hunted (which was not many) hunted there....that WAS turkey season for many. I killed my first bird in the state in 1992 near Bell City in Graves Co. ......it was about that time when the turkeys were beginning to get plentiful around these parts.I will also add that the areas in Calloway legal to hunt were devided by highways 641 & 121.

I still disagree with a few opinions on the differences between the North & South variance in what the breeding period is doing but if they want to try the first week in May in Calloway to begin hunting .....respectfully...be my guest. I'm no biologist either....dont make out to be...however , there is a reason Tennessee opens two weeks before Kentucky and a thirty minute drive North from Paris,Tenn to Murray , Ky. does'nt amount to a hill of beans difference in what the birds are doing as far as breeding goes. A week earlier on this end would not hurt my feelings one bit and I probably would'nt be saying that if I lived in Covington.....but there is a difference.

I will also add.....I've killed a turkey or two and have hunted turkeys in 5 states....definitely not a expert and will never be. Probably the best example of differences is If you look at Missouri.....hunt birds for a day or two up around Kirksville and then on the way back stop off around Popular Bluff and tell me if the birds are in the same period of breeding. I may be hard headed on this but there is more to it .....geographicaly speaking.

[quackrstackr]

You and I are on the same page sounds like.

I'm still not sure about the dates though. I hunted LBL in the late 80's and early 90's but I also hunted mainly in Graves and Marshall county because I lived in Mayfield and worked at Calvert at the time. I don't have anywhere to hunt here in Calloway since I've moved over here.

I remember seeing the first turkeys I had ever seen outside LBL in the early to mid 80's. They released several birds on some WestVaco property next to the land we deer hunted on the TN line in Graves. Sadly all the unethical rednecks around us mowed nearly every one of them down during deer season. I can't remember the year I killed my first bird but it was probably 90 or 91 over around Hickory.

[Big R]

I knew I was gonna get hammerd by ya when I said that but at least now I know how Easter is determined!:p

Wrong. Easter is not the 3rd Sunday of April every year. It can range anywhere from March 22 to April 25 and jumps quite a bit from year to year.

1980 April 6 1995 April 16 2010 April 4

1981 April 19 1996 April 7 2011 April 24

1982 April 11 1997 March 30 2012 April 8

1983 April 3 1998 April 12 2013 March 31

1984 April 22 1999 April 4 2014 April 20

1985 April 7 2000 April 23 2015 April 5

1986 March 30 2001 April 15 2016 March 27

1987 April 19 2002 March 31 2017 April 16

1988 April 3 2003 April 20 2018 April 1

1989 March 26 2004 April 11 2019 April 21

1990 April 15 2005 March 27 2020 April 12

1991 March 31 2006 April 16 2021 April 4

1992 April 19 2007 April 8 2022 April 17

1993 April 11 2008 March 23 2023 April 9

1994 April 3 2009 April 12 2024 March 31



As you can see, it's before April 15th a lot more than it's after.

Must just be the part of KY you live in.. ;)

[JDMiller]

You and I are on the same page sounds like.

I'm still not sure about the dates though. I hunted LBL in the late 80's and early 90's but I also hunted mainly in Graves and Marshall county because I lived in Mayfield and worked at Calvert at the time. I don't have anywhere to hunt here in Calloway since I've moved over here.

I remember seeing the first turkeys I had ever seen outside LBL in the early to mid 80's. They released several birds on some WestVaco property next to the land we deer hunted on the TN line in Graves. Sadly all the unethical rednecks around us mowed nearly every one of them down during deer season. I can't remember the year I killed my first bird but it was probably 90 or 91 over around Hickory.

I've still got permission on one place in Calloway but so do several others and I've gotten to a point I would rather drive to our farm in North Christian or hunt my favorite holes at LBL as to put up with too many people hunting the same bird. Graves or Marshall is still probably your best bet in gaining access to a place not too far away or hunt LBL.

[Jarhead]

I agree with the north south guys. I live in Allen Co. which is on the Tenn. line. In the past few years I've worked at Florence, Maysville and Ashland during our turkey season and there is a difference in the stages the birds are in. Down here it usually seems the late season we're just sittin and hopin and my work buddies up in the northern end are still havin a good hunt. Just my 2 cents, but I do wish we opened a week earlier.

[turk2di]

BS on the "BLUE PRINT". there are no guarantees in wildlife management. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. IF the "BLUE PRINT" was off by half, why follow it anyway?????
Can't blame the blueprint for the numbers. Soon as George retired, moves began to moderate the turkey hunting reg's, going against what my friend would have gave blessing for. Look no further west than Missouri, where pretty much the same blueprint is still in effect. What do they have, 600,000 birds?!

[BIGDAWG]

The ecclesiastical rules are:
Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox;
this particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon); and
the vernal equinox is fixed as March 21.resulting in that Easter can never occur before March 22 or later than April 25.

Sorry to get off thread, the easter thing got me wondering.

[Multidigits]

Can't blame the blueprint for the numbers. Soon as George retired, moves began to moderate the turkey hunting reg's, going against what my friend would have gave blessing for. Look no further west than Missouri, where pretty much the same blueprint is still in effect. What do they have, 600,000 birds?!

We've got more birds now than we did when George retired. Maybe that's the problem??? So, you solution is "less hunting" and more restrictions on shrinking public hunting ground or what? What days do you want to stay home on?

Compare habitat in Mo. to Ky. which has more?

[maxcam]

We've got more birds now than we did when George retired. Maybe that's the problem??? So, you solution is "less hunting" and more restrictions on shrinking public hunting ground or what? What days do you want to stay home on?

Compare habitat in Mo. to Ky. which has more?

Does Missouri have 3 times more habitat? Is that your arguement...?

[Multidigits]

Does Missouri have 3 times more habitat? Is that your arguement...?

I'm not arguing nothing. Ky. has great turkey hunting. Not sure what your problem is?

Ky. 39,732 sq. mi. -- Mo. 69,709

[maxcam]

I'm not arguing nothing. Ky. has great turkey hunting. Not sure what your problem is?

Im just trying to understand your logic. That can be a bit problematic at times I will agree so I thought I would give you an opportunity to explain your statement.....

[Valley Station]

Interesting comparisons- Missouri & Kentucky

Missouri has:
22% more forest than Ky
73% more total acrage than Ky
300% more turkeys than Ky

[Multidigits]

What logic????? Turk keeps posting crap about George and Mo. and other places that have good turkey hunting. We have good turkey hunting here, but it's not exactly like any other state. Some states have better, a lot of states have worst. Even the better ones don't have GW as their turkey biologist, so that doesn't mean a damn thing to what happens here. Most people agree that we have very good turkey hunting, very good turkey managers, and a very good program going our way--so where's the problem. There is none. You need to get out and hunt more and maybe you'll agree?

I'll say again, we have more turkeys NOW, then we did when GW retired. That means more poults born in a bad hatch year then when there was a good hatch under his watch. He missed the number at which the flock would stabalize by half. Still don't mean it's doom and gloom for Ky. turkey hunters.

[Multidigits]

Interesting comparisons- Missouri & Kentucky

Missouri has:
22% more forest than Ky
73% more total acrage than Ky
300% more turkeys than Ky

W hen are you moving????????? :rolleyes:

[maxcam]

There are a couple of very important factors that no one has mentioned with respect to earlier opening dated. We are now looking at 23 days season in Kentucky. I will agree that we are not increasing the days afield drastically, but back in the 80's and 90's we werent hunting from daylight to dark either! That is a huge difference in what is happening.....

I have also read several posts on other threads that have witnessed some pretty "big" kids taking advantage of youth weekend and then there are the technological advancements in equipment as well as the ground blind.

CSS if you think hunting later in the season is more successful due to ground cover then I would suggest you check into the sales of ground blinds at the local sporting goods store. It is my understanding you are a biologist, if you think that mature gobblers are not what is needed to have a healthy expanding turkey flock then please advise me on how we as sportsmen can sign up for the artificial insemenation program to assure healthy poult counts for our flock. I will agree with your assessment that predidation is the number one enemy of wild turkey. It is a tangible that has to be considered when recommendations are made to the commission. So if you know how we can limit the numbers of eggs and birds that predators will take then I am open to suggestion. If not I would reccomend we work on what we do have control of.....

Conservation by definition -

The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and of natural resources such as forests, soil, and water.I would challenge anyone to explain to me how we can accept a phylosphy of increasing the number of birds harvested if the turkey flock has stablized and still meet the definition of preservation of the turkey resource.

[Multidigits]

There are a couple of very important factors that no one has mentioned with respect to earlier opening dated. We are now looking at 23 days season in Kentucky. I will agree that we are not increasing the days afield drastically, but back in the 80's and 90's we werent hunting from daylight to dark either! That is a huge difference in what is happening.....

I have also read several posts on other threads that have witnessed some pretty "big" kids taking advantage of youth weekend and then there are the technological advancements in equipment as well as the ground blind.

CSS if you think hunting later in the season is more successful due to ground cover then I would suggest you check into the sales of ground blinds at the local sporting goods store. It is my understanding you are a biologist, if you think that mature gobblers are not what is needed to have a healthy expanding turkey flock then please advise me on how we as sportsmen can sign up for the artificial insemenation program to assure healthy poult counts for our flock. I will agree with your assessment that predidation is the number one enemy of wild turkey. It is a tangible that has to be considered when recommendations are made to the commission. So if you know how we can limit the numbers of eggs and birds that predators will take then I am open to suggestion. If not I would reccomend we work on what we do have control of.....

Conservation by definition -

The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and of natural resources such as forests, soil, and water.I would challenge anyone to explain to me how we can accept a phylosphy of increasing the number of birds harvested if the turkey flock has stablized and still meet the definition of preservation of the turkey resource.

I agree, ground blinds are the root of all evil. I guess the 3rd will be working hard to put an end to them??? This is getting good!

BTW-- CSS is correct, most all the time. I only know of one time he might have posted sometime that was in error. He knows turkeys pretty well. You should respect opinions that are more qualified than yours, especially when they are backed up by facts.

[maxcam]

Tom is that the only line of defense you have to try and discredit folks that make more sense than you. Guess what.....Ive got a whole wall of fans, beards and a 26 1/2 pound strutter in my living room that proves you dont know what I am capable of in the turkey woods....If you want to move to deer thats fine.....My daughter speaks my best arguement .....shes been hunting deer for 4 years now and has harvested 9 whitetails, one of which was a nice 8 that dressed 185. Oh and her first Tom was a 24.5 pound 3 year old that had an 11.5 inch bird with 1 5/8 limbhangers........

[maxcam]

On another note.....I spent the day down at Rough River yesterday and didnt hear a single gobble.....I couldnt believe it! :confused:

[Valley Station]

If there was some economic reason for our farmers to put off their 1st cutting
of hay till after Memorial Day, would sure increase our poults per hen numbers.
Anybody got any suggestions??

[Feedman]

Anybody got any suggestions??

Hunt hard, Hunt long, and kill everything that you see. If you don't the next guy will.:confused: :eek:

Turkey population number's are an estimate. We may have more or we may have less. We currently have less on our farms than we had 4 years ago. Use your own judgement on how you feel you need to manage the population that you have.

I think that they are still expanding in some area's and have not stabilized.

[CSS archer]

Max, I hunt part of every day of season on most years, bow and camera. I may miss a day once in a great while, but rarely. Back when I shotgun hunted I usually tagged out in the first two or three days and called for friends from there on. I like May because of cover and longer daylight and easy gobblers....

The reason vegetative cover is such a factor is multi-faceted it provides nesting cover for hens, and conceals hunter movement when trying to set up on birds. Late season birds are easy to call, they may not gobble coming in, but they are lonely once the hens start incubating.

Hunting pressure does more to shut birds up than anything. I've seen people walking logging roads, flush a gobbler and call to him as he's flying off, (LBL where I learned to turkey hunt). That is what truly educates birds, and they can learn to distinguish calls and decoys.

In my opinion more birds would be more educated due to the visibility, and lack of workable birds with an earlier season opening, resulting in lower hunter success and total harvest.

A hen does not have to be bred each time to fertilize each egg, one breeding can fertilize the entire clutch. I don't care where you are no one is killing all the male turkeys.

I'll say it again, killing gobblers does not impact turkey populations (growth).
I think there is still room for growth in most places. I see many more birds in western and eastern KY than in my areas.

KY is awesome, we could have a state that does not allow Sunday hunting, or does allow rifles for turkeys, or makes you apply to get drawn to hunt turkeys.

Back in the early 80's when I began hunting them 200 miles west of here, I never in my wildest dreams imagined someday I'd hear birds gobble in the river bluffs at dawn in my back yard. I'm so thankful for that sound.

[turk2di]

What logic????? Turk keeps posting crap about George and Mo. and other places that have good turkey hunting. We have good turkey hunting here, but it's not exactly like any other state. Some states have better, a lot of states have worst. Even the better ones don't have GW as their turkey biologist, so that doesn't mean a damn thing to what happens here. Most people agree that we have very good turkey hunting, very good turkey managers, and a very good program going our way--so where's the problem. There is none. You need to get out and hunt more and maybe you'll agree?

I'll say again, we have more turkeys NOW, then we did when GW retired. That means more poults born in a bad hatch year then when there was a good hatch under his watch. He missed the number at which the flock would stabalize by half. Still don't mean it's doom and gloom for Ky. turkey hunters.
I didn't post crap!!!!! Simply my opinion. I value your opinion,wether i agree or not. I simply don't see why you feel the need to jap slap someone's opinion when you disagree. Whats the point in that?
Anyway, no doubt hunting turks in Ky is good. Why not make it great! Or make it greater!

[Multidigits]

I didn't post crap!!!!! Simply my opinion. I value your opinion,wether i agree or not. I simply don't see why you feel the need to jap slap someone's opinion when you disagree. Whats the point in that?
Anyway, no doubt hunting turks in Ky is good. Why not make it great! Or make it greater!

You don't need to disrespect Jim Lane every time you post. You don't like something that's going on, quit saying it would be different if GW hadn't retired. You have no way of knowing if that is true or not. You can't compare what is happening with any other state or program, unless you note that others are having the same problems that we are having. Mo. even had a bad hatch last year--are they hitting the skids because of it.

[turk2di]

Tuff to really judge Jim Lane as he didn't stay in the job for very long. But several changes occured under his watch i disagreed with, thats all.

[MENIFEE BUCK]

Ky has excellent Turkey hunting and some great public land to hunt them on although we are loosing more and more of it every year.I hunt peabody alot but not as much as I used to but never have trouble getting on birds.Sure there is alot of pressure on peabody ground but not any worse than most public ground I hunt in Tenn. and Mo.It doesnt matter were you go to hunt public ground its gonna have pressure,some not as much as otheres but thats just one of the downfalls of public hunting.
The biggest problem with public ground is the lack of respect most hunters have for fellows hunters when it comes to turkey hunting.It dont matter what time you get in a spot there is always gonna be some yahoo that comes in on ya!

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

[Feedman]

:D Gentlemen,
you have to realize that the department is trying to manage the turkey population and not make the mistakes that they made with the deer population. They do not want the population to get out of hand and cause problems. This may already be happening in some area's of the state. We are getting more days to hunt, Saturday opener, all day hunting, etc, etc.

Do your part and kill turkey's. I may join Multi and whack a few jakes:D :D :D

I went to get another beverage and lost my train of thought. Good Hunting

[Multidigits]

:D Gentlemen,
you have to realize that the department is trying to manage the turkey population and not make the mistakes that they made with the deer population. They do not want the population to get out of hand and cause problems. This may already be happening in some area's of the state. We are getting more days to hunt, Saturday opener, all day hunting, etc, etc.

Do your part and kill turkey's. I may join Multi and whack a few jakes:D :D :D

I went to get another beverage and lost my train of thought. Good Hunting


I agree....most of the Commissioners I've talked with are pro-oppurtunity, especially when the resource can handle it. The paid wildlife professional say that it can. They hire the best men (and women) that they can get, so you have to give them a chance. Most people agree that they are doing a good job.

[Multidigits]

Harvest was up 27% over the previous year. Must be a few birds out there somewhere?

[PA Backwoods]

Well mcdenney you are right it does upset a non-resident. The turkey hunting in PA is great. Our spring gobbler only season doesn't start until April 29. Every morning on my way to work I see 4 or 5 different groups of turkeys each sporting at least one nice tom and some have 2 or 3. Now I have not yet hunted KY but here in PA it is fantastic hunting.

[mcdenney]

Sounds like some awesome hunting up in PA as I have never hunted it. I may have to give it a try sometime though. Good luck!