As many of you have seen our turkey numbers have been way down the past few years. From what I have seen this year I feel they have made a slight rebound. Does any one agree? What are your thoughts?
San Diego Turkeys Numbers
- Thread starter TJD123
- Start date
While possibly on the rebound it will take several years of recruitment until numbers are back to where they need to be to have a sustainable population. If we don’t shoot jakes , avoid hunting the fall and continue to get average or above average rainfall we might get numbers up to sustainable in a few years
just my thoughts
just my thoughts
I have kept records of our turkeys for quite a long time (pictures & journal)...My thoughts (& educated guess) is that our turkeys are at about 25 % of what we had at the peak in 2007-2012.
We had pretty good recruitment last year by the number of jakes I've seen (in a lot of places)...If Mother Nature will let us have a drier and warmer May, we could have a banner recruitment year.
The other problem we have is the die off of so many oak trees...Mast (acorns) is very important to adult turkeys...Thankfully, they're very adoptable food wise...Bugs, bulbs, grasses, berries, fruits, and tweety bird feeders all sustain our local birds.
Water and drought is a major factor in spring recruitment...Hens nest near water...In our drought years, most smaller creeks go dry...Hens are forced to nest near bigger waters or in streams that run year round...These spots are also the most commonly visited by almost every predator...Wet springs also create high grasses...Especially needed from the avian killers of eggs & poults...The one draw back from a lot of rain is if it comes late...Last year we had a lot of snow & rain in May...Poults will die from hypothermia, if that rain comes in their 1st 10 days of life...One other note...Hens will renest, if their eggs are destroyed before they hear the peeping in the egg...On good years, they will renest up to 2 times...I have seen poults in September...I believe because most jakes have the very small beards, many of our them are from late nesters or jennys (they breed last).
ps...Please pass on bearded hens...They lay 12 eggs just like any other hen turkey.
Jakes from yesterday (MCC)
.
We had pretty good recruitment last year by the number of jakes I've seen (in a lot of places)...If Mother Nature will let us have a drier and warmer May, we could have a banner recruitment year.
The other problem we have is the die off of so many oak trees...Mast (acorns) is very important to adult turkeys...Thankfully, they're very adoptable food wise...Bugs, bulbs, grasses, berries, fruits, and tweety bird feeders all sustain our local birds.
Water and drought is a major factor in spring recruitment...Hens nest near water...In our drought years, most smaller creeks go dry...Hens are forced to nest near bigger waters or in streams that run year round...These spots are also the most commonly visited by almost every predator...Wet springs also create high grasses...Especially needed from the avian killers of eggs & poults...The one draw back from a lot of rain is if it comes late...Last year we had a lot of snow & rain in May...Poults will die from hypothermia, if that rain comes in their 1st 10 days of life...One other note...Hens will renest, if their eggs are destroyed before they hear the peeping in the egg...On good years, they will renest up to 2 times...I have seen poults in September...I believe because most jakes have the very small beards, many of our them are from late nesters or jennys (they breed last).
ps...Please pass on bearded hens...They lay 12 eggs just like any other hen turkey.
Jakes from yesterday (MCC)
.
Agreed, please don't shoot jakes and for the love of god no bearded hens. Hopefully the "Good Ole days" are not behind us!
I don't shoot jakes anymore, but I see no problem with shooting jakes, especially on public lands (it's not like they're easy to get)...My PERSONAL rule was to get a turkey (jake normally)...Then pass on jakes till I got a longboard.
What I really hate is someone shooting fall hens or bearded hens in the spring, despite being legal...They are the future of turkey hunting in SoCal.
Good luck guys
What I really hate is someone shooting fall hens or bearded hens in the spring, despite being legal...They are the future of turkey hunting in SoCal.
Good luck guys