Turkey season ?

[flywise]

I just noticed that Nacogdoches county starts 21 days after the hill country counties i hunt. Just curious how a couple hundred miles makes that much difference?

[jay07ag]

TPWD is trying to let the vast majority of hens in East Texas start incubation before the hunters get in the woods and start disrupting the breeding cycle. Peak incubation for Eastern birds is around April 15, hence the start date.

[flywise]

[Outback]

^^^Great answer. I hope to find a way to hunt Eastern turkey in Texas one day. Growing up and tromping around San Augustine, I never saw turkey until they started transplanting sometime in the late 80's then I saw them routinely. It's been a while since I was in the area but I'm hopeful we can grown and maintain a huntable population.

[jay07ag]

I think we are on the verge of making it happen, its just been a slow grind. Going to take landowners continuing to do their part with habitat work across the region, since most turkeys live on private lands. There are fair to good numbers in parts of Nacogdoches, Polk, Newton, Jasper, Sabine, San Aug, Cherokee, and Anderson Counties, but those birds are essentially on islands...TPWD is working on connecting all of these populations of birds by doing Super-stockings on Angelina and Trinity County properties. If these new stockings are successful these extant birds will be able exchange genetics along travel corridors (the Neches River for example). Maybe one day we will have a full season on Eastern birds. But I know Easterns are experiencing decreased poult production all across the entire Southeast and they're having trouble pinpointing exactly what the problem(s) are.

[flywise]

I didnt realize the population was so much different from central Tx

[ultrastealth]

I think we are on the verge of making it happen, its just been a slow grind. Going to take landowners continuing to do their part with habitat work across the region, since most turkeys live on private lands. There are fair to good numbers in parts of Nacogdoches, Polk, Newton, Jasper, Sabine, San Aug, Cherokee, and Anderson Counties, but those birds are essentially on islands...TPWD is working on connecting all of these populations of birds by doing Super-stockings on Angelina and Trinity County properties. If these new stockings are successful these extant birds will be able exchange genetics along travel corridors (the Neches River for example). Maybe one day we will have a full season on Eastern birds. But I know Easterns are experiencing decreased poult production all across the entire Southeast and they're having trouble pinpointing exactly what the problem(s) are.

If I were to guess, I'd say that it's Jethro's shooting them off the roost all year long. That's the case on my in-law's property in Mississippi.

[jay07ag]

If I were to guess, I'd say that it's Jethro's shooting them off the roost all year long. That's the case on my in-law's property in Mississippi.

Yeah that certainly doesnt help the birds cause...its a year round season (with no legal shooting hours) for the East Texas outlaws unfortunately

[MASTERS]

Yeah that certainly doesnt help the birds cause...its a year round season (with no legal shooting hours) for the East Texas outlaws unfortunately

Should make the fine for getting caught like killing an eagle, until the population is able to sustain hunting pressure. I wish I had big timber property, I’d love to manage it for quail and eastern turkey.

[jay07ag]

Should make the fine for getting caught like killing an eagle, until the population is able to sustain hunting pressure. I wish I had big timber property, I’d love to manage it for quail and eastern turkey.

I think its a pretty big fine if you're caught poaching a turkey, but I agree, should make it as harsh as possible.

[Big pig]

TPWD is trying to let the vast majority of hens in East Texas start incubation before the hunters get in the woods and start disrupting the breeding cycle. Peak incubation for Eastern birds is around April 15, hence the start date.

After the drought we had I wish they would adjust the rules in our area for a yr
I know you can’t stockpile them, but we had no poults last yr

BP

[Passthrough]

I just noticed that Nacogdoches county starts 21 days after the hill country counties i hunt. Just curious how a couple hundred miles makes that much difference?

Because the state really don’t want you to kill one…..that’s why it’s so late.

[jay07ag]

Wanted to circle back and share the link this video (and this series of videos, there are 5-6 in this series). This is basically why TPWD wants to wait to open the season in East Texas until peak nesting begins. Some really good info here.

https://youtu.be/b71bqSubn8I

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bard]

1 Raccoon, fox, coyote, opossum etc.. wiping out one nest full of eggs will take out a lot more Turkeys that the human turkeys doing bad stuff will. Probably need more predator control in certain areas.

[eradicator]

Wanted to circle back and share the link this video (and this series of videos, there are 5-6 in this series). This is basically why TPWD wants to wait to open the season in East Texas until peak nesting begins. Some really good info here.

https://youtu.be/b71bqSubn8I

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

But yet the population still suffers because they don't manage the properties/habitat properly.....or at all in some cases