adkbuck

Killed my second bird yesterday (May 2) morning at 10:40 AM. Luckily I didn't have to be at work until 3 in the afternoon. I didn't hear anything until about 10 AM but managed to call in this 18# fellow from long distance. He's a bit little smaller than my first bird, but they are all a beautiful gift. My season is over. Good luck to my brother hunters.

I was surprized to kill this bird at 7:15 this morning, 19#, 9.5-inch beard, 1-1/8 spurs. I really thought there was nothing around but I was wrong.

BKLN, The citation below is a study on predation of the wild turkey by the NWTF and others. From my own experience the boom in the turkey population which took place in the last 12 or 14 year where I hunt took place in parallel with the great increase in coyotes. I feel racoons are the biggest nest predators. I feel fox, bobcat and coyotes have some impact but it is small compared to the weather during the nesting and poulting seasons. Also in my 14 years of hunting turkey I have found only one case where a coyote was feeding on an adult wild turkey and I later found out that it was a bird that had been previously wounded. Check Out: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nwtf.org%2FNAWTMP%2Fdownloads%2FLiterature%2FImpacts_Predation_Wild_Turkeys.pdf&ei=d4ueT4eiLKmC6AGbhqj7Dg&usg=AFQjCNHt55tww853I3MfnL2Vc4eA91AlYg Also see: http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/predators.html

Well, I have read the postings and I think that its not a bad thing to comment on the lack of turkeys this spring. Honesty is generally a good policy! I don't think its reasonable to fault someone for stating the truth. We have had so many great seasons to be thankful for. This year in some areas (like mine) we have to deal with the ravages of nature. Wet springs I feel are the main culprit and that is nothing anyone inclusing the DEC can do anything about. Many like myself won't be able to fill their two gobbler limit as easily as in the past. Many of us will have to find new hunting areas where the birds are more plentiful and try our luck. I don't think coyotes are the problem because turkeys are endowed with great sense of avoiding danger and studies have shown that coyote predation are not a significant factor when it comes to the wild turkey. For the last 10 years I have had banner turkey years and coyotes have been abundant everywhere I hunted. Personaly If feel it should be legal to kill coyotes through turkey season and maybe even year round as I have called them in many times in reponse to my turkey calls. Good luck to everyone hunting the mighty gobbler, but don't be discouraged and don't get negative on your fellow hunters!

Like tjm I must say things are looking not too good here in southern Onondaga county. I have spent countless hours in the woods cutting and splitting and loading wood and for the last month and have yet to hear a gobble. This is the first year that I have seen such a lack of turkey activity, I hope they are just being silent but I haven't been seeing many either.