How Many Turkeys?

[Live to Hunt]

I won’t give this shit hole state any credit. I have hunted since I was 16 and  I’m  44. I have seen it change from excellent hunting to shit. You won’t change my opinion I don’t even hunt deer here anymore. I put my efforts elsewhere. If your happy with it good for you. Just remember one thing about those deer numbers. There are a lot less hunters now then when I was a young man. With that said numbers don’t always tell the truth

Edited May 9, 2018 by Live to Hunt

[vdep217]

Since we are on turkey the numbers there are even more consistent..  live to hunt I respect your view but I can only speak on what I've seen in my 20 years of hunting I'm only 31..  and yes it could be improved as we did have potential to have a great trophy state.   I'm just going ny the numbers I see..  I don't want to start a heated argument just a good debate..  here are the turkey harvest numbers because that was the original topic lol

[Live to Hunt]

I will agree with you on turkeys.  They have come a long way. I guess I can agree with you there. 

[vdep217]

I will say that at this point with deer numbers fairly steadywith harvest the state could look into a common ground with numbers and trophy size deer...

[tcook8296]

2 hours ago, Live to Hunt said:

I won’t give this shit hole state any credit. I have hunted since I was 16 and  I’m  44. I have seen it change from excellent hunting to shit. You won’t change my opinion I don’t even hunt deer here anymore. I put my efforts elsewhere. If your happy with it good for you. 

I only sat 3 times last year in Nj. It just keeps getting worse every season.  Id much rather do a few quality hunts out of state

[tomturkey]

Again Thunderchicken did NOT SAY HE HAD A PROBLEM with guys taking more than 2 birds, it was asked opinions and how to make better.

Now back to my opinions, I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A SMART HUNTER TAKING MORE THAN 2 BIRDS. Key is smart.

I will speak to my 27 years of turkey hunting in NJ, again there is the potential to take to many birds off specific areas and negatively affect the population along with the predators and weather!!  There are guys who don't respect the birds and also want the birds gone off their properties because they eat their corn come deer season. Some also sit on corn piles so they can wack as many as possible. 

Again as dominate gobblers are taken another will move into the spot, hens are drawn to the best areas and gobblers are drawn to what?? Yes hens

Again I know the GG rotates and smartly takes his birds, even though  I only personally take 2 birds a year and Thunderchicken  only personally takes 2 birds a year we also take a lot of others and both are responsible for approx 10 birds a year.

This was a discussion on what if anything can be done to improve, just saying the state knows what they are  doing is a simple answer ... so taking that into effect you feel that our Governor Murphy knows what he is doing.....

Yes Tony and the biologist does have a number and looks at it. But when they do they are looking at a wide area, they aren't looking at the small pockets where guys will keep killing at one spot.

Also when we are at events the number of people who tell us that get denied permits is staggering, and don't just say well they need to get a week permit or not be lazy and go to different zone... the fact is some peoples schedules do not permit that!!!

Bottom line is this;

SO instead of factoring the harvest at X number per week per permit=total season limit couldn't we just say 2(or whatever number) per X number of hunter all season=total season limit?????

[vdep217]

1 hour ago, tomturkey said:

Again Thunderchicken did NOT SAY HE HAD A PROBLEM with guys taking more than 2 birds, it was asked opinions and how to make better.

Now back to my opinions, I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A SMART HUNTER TAKING MORE THAN 2 BIRDS. Key is smart.

I will speak to my 27 years of turkey hunting in NJ, again there is the potential to take to many birds off specific areas and negatively affect the population along with the predators and weather!!  There are guys who don't respect the birds and also want the birds gone off their properties because they eat their corn come deer season. Some also sit on corn piles so they can wack as many as possible. 

Again as dominate gobblers are taken another will move into the spot, hens are drawn to the best areas and gobblers are drawn to what?? Yes hens

Again I know the GG rotates and smartly takes his birds, even though  I only personally take 2 birds a year and Thunderchicken  only personally takes 2 birds a year we also take a lot of others and both are responsible for approx 10 birds a year.

This was a discussion on what if anything can be done to improve, just saying the state knows what they are  doing is a simple answer ... so taking that into effect you feel that our Governor Murphy knows what he is doing.....

Yes Tony and the biologist does have a number and looks at it. But when they do they are looking at a wide area, they aren't looking at the small pockets where guys will keep killing at one spot.

Also when we are at events the number of people who tell us that get denied permits is staggering, and don't just say well they need to get a week permit or not be lazy and go to different zone... the fact is some peoples schedules do not permit that!!!

Bottom line is this;

SO instead of factoring the harvest at X number per week per permit=total season limit couldn't we just say 2(or whatever number) per X number of hunter all season=total season limit?????

You could say 2 or 3 but than chances are goals won't be met..  that would bring the population to dangerous points and could actually be harmful to the population..  I get your point and respect it...  there are some not saying you that fully feel more animals is a good thing when in fact could be detrimental to not only the sources in question but all animals will be effected by the over population...  again I see both sides as I believe you do as well but others don't..  just my opinions that I try to back with posted  data

Edited May 9, 2018 by vdep217

[Bonefreak]

I would like to see the statistics of how many guys kill multiple birds.  That data may give some insight what is going on.  I predict the data would show.....a majority of the permit holders get skunked......then, there is a good number of guys who kill 1 bird (probably around 15-18%), .....then there are less guys killing 2 birds a season (maybe 5%)......and finally.....guys who are killing 2 or more birds a season is probably less than 1%.......I hope to fall in this category in a few years when I retire!!  lol.  If the permits are available, and you have the spots with birds, might as well enjoy em!!

I am sure Tony McBride, NJDFW Turkey Project Leader, can dig up these numbers if someone politely asks for them!!

[tomturkey]

Same here just trying to discuss.

I'm not saying to increase population, my thought is just trying to allow more the chance to pursue such an amazing game animal.

 

Also just FYI, even though there is like 20000 turkey hunters in NJ anyone care to guess how many belong to NWTF???  Just over 1000 

 

Bonefreak, I have last years numbers just have to find them. You are in the ballpark  with 15% total successful .      With that that is exactly why I feel can allow more pursue the birds and still keep harvest numbers as desired.

Also can ask Tony and Bob, both are at our our state meetings and good guys.

[Lunatic]

20 hours ago, Russ 11 said:

Well you should look again because zone 8 , 11 -22 are sold out all weeks with a few exceptions . 

I( checked yesterday 11 was still available for next week

[Lunatic]

Going by the very consistent harvest numbers it looks to me they have this turkey thing tuned just right.  Its about the total number not about what an individual hunter kills. Some will kill many some will not see a bird but that's hunting.

[Russ 11]

14 minutes ago, Lunatic said:

I( checked yesterday 11 was still available for next week

That's why I said with a few exceptions .  

[Lunatic]

13 minutes ago, Russ 11 said:

That's why I said with a few exceptions .  

 

[Lunatic]

8 hours ago, Ryanm said:

I hunt zone 8, and yes there’s unlimited does, but I don’t shoot 15 deer a season, I usually take a buck and doe early bow, a buck during permit bow, and sometimes a buck or doe winter bow. I don’t need 15 deer a season. So how many people truly kill a doe almost every week with the unlimited doe permit? 

 

And for turkeys they have good years and bad years. I see turkeys everywhere driving to work almost everyday usually somewhere that you can’t hunt.

From all the hunters I know I would say the average is 3 to 4 deer per year. The point is you can't look at what the regs allow in order to evaluate the program. You have to look at what is actually happening in the field.  I don't know anyone killing 6 bucks or 10 does, never mind one/week.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Lunatic

[Fred Flintstone]

Being a fairly New Member here-- 5 Months, I have been Scrolling around these 34 Turkey Forum Pages and came upon this " page Turner" here. I know this Thread is almost 2 years old as well.  I have read all the posts on the 6 pages.   Here is my Take as a non-resident- NY Hunter who has been making NJ Richer since 1994.   Obviously in NY it is MUCH more crowded with no Zones or Time Periods.  So, I like the less Crowded conditions in Zone 6.         Before going on, I want to bring up a old Turkey Article by Jim Spencer.  " The 80--20 Rule. What this means is that 20% of Spring Turkey Hunters will take 80% of the Gobblers. You put in 15+ plus years in the Spring woods and you start to make all the right Woodsmanship + Calling moves. It is hard to put into words-- you just know what Tree to pick and when + where to walk + how much to call.    Think of it this way-- Spread 1,000 pieces of a Puzzle out and slowly over time-- that Hunter assembles more pieces of the Puzzle together. Maybe 15 years later-- he has done it. Now, I am just picking 15 years. Some Hunters might take just 10 years to put all the pieces together and some hunters over 15 years. Point being is that you put your Time in,you will enter this 80- 20 Club that Jim Spencer was talking about.                         All that said, I think that at the most 2 Turkey Permitsfor each week should be the NJ Spring Limit. So there is A,B,C D,+ SATURDAY E. If a Spring Turkey Hunter is Skillful enough to fill all those Tags, I am counting 10 Gobblers. That should be plenty and only a few Longtime Spring Turkey Hunters would be able to accomplish that.                              If, I get Lucky in Period "A", I would probably right now buy another Turkey Permit if another was available. If, I was successful in taking 2 Gobblers that opening week, I don't think that, I would buy a 3rd permit. Personally, I would feel a Twinge of Guilt as in having a big slice of Cake for Dessert. You want seconds-- sure-- another large piece of Cake is cut for you. Then you ask for 3rds and all heads are turned in your way..                               I believe after 30 Springs + 30 Fall Seasons that, I am in that 80-20 Club. But on Public Land, I have never taken more then 4 Gobblers in a Spring Season between 3 States.  Put me or another Public Hunter on Private  and it stands to reason that our Tallys would go up.                                 All the above said, I think that most NJ Spring Turkey Hunters who are able to take 3 or more Gobblers per week are going to do it on Private Land or a combination of Private/ Public. How all this affects Lands bordering the Heavily Hunted Private Lands is anyone's guess.                   So to conclude, I would say "2" Spring Turkey permits in a " Week Period" should be the absolute limit for any one Man.