Time to really fall hunt?

[charlie elk]

Between seasons is a time I spend doing some thinking, usually a lot thinking about the next hunt.
This led to thinking about carrying capacity..
By all accounts there are more poults across WI landscape than there has ever been. If this is true then it might be time to take out some of the surplus population this fall. If winter is tough as it was in 2010 when there were massive die offs of turkeys we could lose all those new poults plus part of core population due to, too many mouths to feed.

What you think is it time to kick up the fall harvest?

[Gopherlongbeards]

The fall harvest already doesn't even come close to hitting the conservative limits that have already been established for it. I don't know how you would increase it any, except for the fact that more turkeys available this fall will likely lead to more turkeys taking a ride home in someone's vehicle.

[ticklishtompro]

I think so. I wish they would just go all OTC tags in fall also. I have normally been one of those bowhunters that just waits for one to walk by while out bowhunting, but this year I am going to go about it a little different. Hoping I can get more than one tag in unit 2, but never have been able to before, so I hope they do bump up the numbers here.

The food situation here never seems to be a problem here. We have so much agriculture that between picking through spread manure on top of the snow, or they just go right into the farmers yards, bunkers, or big feed bags and help themselves. Then you have all the peoples bird feeders that they hit. We never really have that much winter kill. But hey, I am always open to more opportunity to get out turkey hunting!!!

[WillowRidgeCalls]

It won't be long until the left over OTC tags go on sale, Saturday Aug. 25 at 10am. If you sent in for a tag, they will come out the week of Aug. 19th. I think most people just buy the OTC tags in the fall, and a lot don't even bother with sending in for a tag. I think they should go to just OTC tags for the fall season. but then they may have to set a limit of tags you can get, guess that's why they did the survay, to see how many tags people would want for the fall?

[charlie elk]

The fall harvest already doesn't even come close to hitting the conservative limits that have already been established for it. I don't know how you would increase it any,

According to WI biologists I've spoken with the fall kill can go to 60-70,000 birds, last year was about 5400 killed in the fall, conservative is a good word for it. The only way I see an increase in the fall harvest is more hunter participation. Some might have noticed I go out of my way to encourage more fall turkey hunters in WI.
Fall 2011 WI only sold about 26,000 turkey licenses so there is lots of room to roam and every turkey you see is a legal bird. So if we did away with the fall draw not only would WDNR save a chuck of money, they would still get all the OTC tag sales. Assuming no limit is placed on hunters buying those tags. In units 1,3 & 4 thousands of unsold tags remain at season's end.

I am very curious about the reasoning for a limit on the OTC tag sales if the drawing were to be eliminated? At least regarding units 1,3 & 4 that never sell out. Maybe a Western Southern turkey zone should be established and managed separately from an Eastern Northern zone?

BTW, does anyone else think the best eating game bird is a turkey of the year?
I drool just thinking about those fork tender morsels of goodness.

[Treerooster]

BTW, does anyone else think the best eating game bird is a turkey of the year?
I drool just thinking about those fork tender morsels of goodness.

Best bird I ever ate in my life was a very young turkey poult.



When I plucked it the poult was no bigger than an adult rooster pheasant.
Marinated it in terryaki. Got some hot coals going on the grill, then put some wet alder chips on them followed by the poult and put the lid on the grill.

The wife's only comment while licking her fingers was..."go get another one".

Now a turkey poult may not be the best eatin' bird there is as I have not had a very young grouse poult yet. But a fall grouse is pretty good cooked the same way.

[charlie elk]

The wife's only comment while licking her fingers was..."go get another one".

Hmm.. mrs elk ordered me to do the same.
Thanks for the pics now I have wipe all this drool of the screen.

[ticklishtompro]

It won't be long until the left over OTC tags go on sale, Saturday Aug. 25 at 10am. If you sent in for a tag, they will come out the week of Aug. 19th. I think most people just buy the OTC tags in the fall, and a lot don't even bother with sending in for a tag. I think they should go to just OTC tags for the fall season. but then they may have to set a limit of tags you can get, guess that's why they did the survay, to see how many tags people would want for the fall?

All they have to do is set the total number of tags available as they do now, and when they are gone they are gone! Wouldn't be that hard.

Treerooster, you always put up great pics all the time, but these sure are making my mouth water!!! That sure is cruel, the burgers I threw on the grill tonight just don't measure up.

[turkey junky]

treerooster that baby bird reminds me of 1st ever all on my own out of state turkey hunt i went on with a buddy no dad or big bro involved so i went to hunt merriams in western nebraska with a buddy & the 1st few hrs after we got there we went into the woods & had a chance at a tom but couldnt connect so we roosted him & i tried to get my buddy his 1st bird but he missed at close range so i went looking for more birds i ended up calling up & harvesting a young jake it was the smallest turkey i have ever seen in the woods he mite of been a midget lol but any way my dad gave me a little rib n cuz that was the only bird we killed after shooting at 3-4 birds on the trip but after i cooked that baby jake on the BBQ doing it sweet & sour style with a few onions & apples cut up my family couldnt stop talking about how they never had a turkey so good till this day i have never seen a smaller turkey killed BESIDES TREEROOSTER lol that is tiny but they do taste good... lol i mite feel bad if that little girl walks up to me in the turkey woods i dont think i could shoot it im a hen lover i will never blast a hen but more power to you if you can bring yourself to shoot that hen... i just like to hope if i let her pass that she will live & have babys but i know thats not always the case with the high turnover rate in turkeys 3-5 yrs theres a hole new flock of turkeys in a area

[charlie elk]

till this day i have never seen a smaller turkey killed BESIDES TREEROOSTER lol that is tiny but they do taste good...

In the interest of full disclosure, charlie has killed turkeys smaller, he just didn't record any photographic type evidence.
Fall turkeys use to give me fits trying to figure out and understand how to call them in. The only turkeys I killed were while bowhunting, I refer to those as accidental turkeys; they just happened by. Because of this fall turkey hunting stayed on my back-burner for several years.
Then one year after listening and watching flocks of turkeys for so long it was time to setup to call them in and kill one on purpose. An early rise put me in the woods all day searching for turkeys, the only flocks encountered had fur and hooves making me kick myself for getting distracted from bowhunting.
Frustrated, I decided to head back late afternoon in order to deer hunt before dark. Low and behold; I stumbled into a large flock of turkeys, some scattering and some hanging around in the undergrowth kee-keeing their heads off with the hens sounding off their assembly calls. Quickly setting up I imitated the hen's call, in short order I was surrounded by raucous turkeys popping their heads above the low brush to look and then just as quick back down to make more noise. It was like that whack a mole game my kids played. To my surprise my heart was racing as if a trophy gobbler was hammering his way in.
Two fast shots and two turkeys fell to the ground. In those days WI only allowed 1 tag 2 if you were lucky on the second draw. I was lucky.
I'll never forget the sinking feeling in my stomach standing over those tiny piles of feathers wondering where my "big" turkeys went, it was like they shrunk. Embarrassment crept into my mind as wondered if I could bring myself to register them knowing registration Dave would never let me live this down. Understanding the importance of reporting kills to the DNR it was time to suck it up and endure.
Just as anticipated the mockery at the station was tough, these days it might be called bullying.
The last laugh was mine. Those turkeys were hands down the finest eating I had ever carried out of the woods, any guilt or embarrassment is long gone. Hunting to eat is a large part of my motivation to hunt.