Public Land Results Poor???

[Multidigits]

With thousands of prime acres available, seems the number of turkey killed would be a lot higher.....could it be too much pressure???

http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/turkeypubliclandresults.aspx?lid=1074&NavPath=C151C161C380

It was up from the prior year though?

[turk2di]

Hunting pressure was still bad, but it seemed that it slacked off some from years past! I think your seeing Peabody come back to the pack somewhat too. After a decade, Peabody isn't overrun with birds anymore!

[kycurhunter]

it could be the hunters.............birds are harder to hunt

i hunted public land. i hunted 4 mornings and tagged out. there are turkys EVERYWHERE. if you don't get one (or two) you should think about working on your skills.

good lord.

[cobbhunts]

Could be the controlled burning they did in the DBNF the day before the opener. Just my personal observation!:D

[Multidigits]

DBNF and Peabody accounted for about half the public land total.

[Valley Station]

Kycur,
Was you hunting on Peabody WMA??
What WMA did you hunt?? Maybe, we can send some of Peabody's hunters
your way.

[Valley Station]

Cobbhunts,
"Professionals" did a control burn, the day before turkey season on DBNF??
These "professionals" have NO Knowledge?? or NO Concern that turkey and grouse were already nesting???
What was wrong with back in Feb. or March???

[cobbhunts]

Cobbhunts,
"Professionals" did a control burn, the day before turkey season on DBNF??
These "professionals" have NO Knowledge?? or NO Concern that turkey and grouse were already nesting???
What was wrong with back in Feb. or March???

Not sure why they did it. We went out opening morning to Devil's Creek/Young's Creek in the DBNF and one whole side of the road was on fire. I'm talking a lot of acreage. Turkeys were silent when usually they are pretty abundant.

[jdattilo]

With public land, you just have to think outside the box and try and get away from the crowds. I live in Louisville and killed a bird 25 minutes from the house on public land. Very few other hunters, but there certainly were a few turkeys. Scouting and the desire to puty in the time and do something a little different are the keys .... Jason

[Valley Station]

Kentucky's title of "WMA" is a misnomer. Anybody seeing any "wildlife management " practices going on at Peabody, Barren, Green River, Nolin, Taylorsville "WMA" properties????? Seeing any food plots??? Any farmer/F&W alliance farming of corn, hay or beans??? I have seen none!
All I'm seeing is fescue and serissa fields and "neglect" and no law enforcement to stop off road driving/garbage dumping.
Turkey, deer and small game densities could be doubled with a little "wildlife management"!
Anybody got any ideas on how to adequately convince F&W management to "manage and improve" our rapidly dwindling public hunting properties, NOT to be confused with real WMA'S???

[Multidigits]

Kentucky's title of "WMA" is a misnomer. Anybody seeing any "wildlife management " practices going on at Peabody, Barren, Green River, Nolin, Taylorsville "WMA" properties????? Seeing any food plots??? Any farmer/F&W alliance farming of corn, hay or beans??? I have seen none!
All I'm seeing is fescue and serissa fields and "neglect" and no law enforcement to stop off road driving/garbage dumping.
Turkey, deer and small game densities could be doubled with a little "wildlife management"!
Anybody got any ideas on how to adequately convince F&W management to "manage and improve" our rapidly dwindling public hunting properties, NOT to be confused with real WMA'S???

Your sort of correct on the misnomer, not totally though. Most WMAs are only managed on a statewide basis--such as zoning and specific bag limits and seasons as set by the Commission. those needed special help are managed by the quota hunt system--which isn't used yet for turkeys. Maybe it's time to try that on some of those such as Peabody while it lasts?

Green River WMA has tons of crops planted on a co-op basis. Yellowbanks does as well as some others.

Food plots won't work well on public hunting areas, because it congregates hunters to that area. Deer and turkey like food plots it seems, but don't need them to exsist. Look at Fort Knox, full to the gills with turkeys and very little in the way of food plots or crops.

[kycurhunter]

Kycur,
Was you hunting on Peabody WMA??
What WMA did you hunt?? Maybe, we can send some of Peabody's hunters
your way.

no not Peabody....

I can't bring myself to let the cat out of the bag as to where I hunt but let's say it is a WMA and is as good as anyplace in the state..It used to be a great place to deer hunt till word got out and now you are lucky to see a deer there all season...I guess word isn't out as to the turkey or the freaks and geeks would kill all the turkeys out too...It looks like walmart parking lot there in deer season. the big part is people froom out of state also.

some people couldn't kill a turkey if it was tied to a tree in their backyard.

as a general rule WMA hunters aren't the cream of the crop to say the least. but as good as the ones are around here I choose to hunt them over private land I can hunt.