# numbers down?



## TRACKERT (Aug 5, 2013)

I would think this winter was tough on the birds, and I have not heard or seen any around the house ( allegan county ) or at work ( cutlerville ) usually there all over the place strutting in the parking lot at work and pecking at our windows at home, anybody else seeing lower numbers?


----------



## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

Im definately seeing less overall,properties i hunt and roads i drive.
i did have good hunt yesterday,saw 15 birds before noon 4 toms,4 jakes,the rest hens 1 with a beard.
couldnt quite get toms pulled from there hens! :rant:


----------



## TheLionsFan (Dec 20, 2011)

Ya I only have seen one tom in the flock where I hunt...and I shot him. Haven't seen a tom since. Normally there is around 3 or 4. Not liking it.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## buck11pt24 (Mar 11, 2007)

Weird...... I have the same amount as i always have.


----------



## Wurm Slinger (Dec 10, 2013)

Definitely less birds overall in my area, not sure if it was the winter or not.


----------



## HunterHads (Jun 28, 2005)

Depends on where you are at. I feel the numbers are down a little here in the NE lower. But there are still birds to be found. I know that in the central lower where there is still some snow a lot of birds were still in or around their winter areas as of last week. 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Jager Pro (Nov 8, 2013)

I don't have the experience to determine if the population is up or down, but I am seeing tons of jakes and toms. Not seeing a lot of hens. No shortage of turkeys though.


----------



## michiganoutdoorsman (Dec 29, 2010)

I'm not sure if they've completely split up yet. Still seeing large numbers of birds in certain areas. Some spots have 8 birds with 2-3 toms, some with 4 birds with 1 tom, and others with 20+ in their flocks. No shortage of birds around where I live. 


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## greg12 (Nov 3, 2011)

I have been seeing the same amount of birds in the thumb area. They seem to be smaller then in previous years, but im sure that is due to the tough winter and being able to find food.


----------



## K-zoo (Jul 19, 2008)

I'm in Allegan County also. Numbers last year and this year have been as low as I've seen in a long time.


----------



## mooneyedude (Jan 31, 2011)

Im also hunting allegan county and its been very quiet can't get em to talk, drove all over the place yesterday afternoon did'nt see any in the farm fields like i always do.

Sent from my C771 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## Redbad (Apr 30, 2008)

The numbers seem average in the Kalamazoo area. I was out 4 hours yesterday before I filled my tag. The turkey are much more quiet than normal -- the three that I called into my decoys (one left with me) did not make a noise or display. Perhaps the longer winter means that the turkey are 2-3 weeks behind where they normally are in the year as far as breeding etc.


----------



## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

Opening morning heard maybe 6 gobbles on roost then dead silence til after 8:30 when i called in 3 that performed perfect but had a hen with them and were about 10yds too far before they left with her.
then 9:20 got another gobbler fired up he was strutting and gobbling all the way in and he also had a hen with him,he was only 35yds,when he started to pull more my way then followed her instead,too brushy for shot.
i saw 15 birds before noon.4 toms,passed 4 jakes and a bearded hen.this farm has good numbers still,but alot of my other properties that i hunt have very low numbers.1 farm that was hot 4-5yrs ago i dont even see birds on it anymore.used to wake up early and sit outside and drink coffee and listen to birds wake up,now i done even hear gobbles around my house let alone see turkeys like i used too.coyotes very high in my area,maybe easy meals in winter??


----------



## Up_North_Hunter (Dec 3, 2013)

They been on the decline for the last decade in Southern Missaukee


----------



## ez2cy (Feb 27, 2012)

Headed north this past Monday, went across the entire thumb seen 0 turks
hit 75 north to the 10 to Harrison seen 0 birds. Hunted a locals property 
there and he said if they weren't feed this winter their dead !
he did feed a flock and I was able to score a Tom with a 9" beard yesterday
in AM. I drove up to Manton just north of Cadillac. and called across 300 acres and never got a response. not saying their not there but I didn't hear or see any....Good luck all!


----------



## Up_North_Hunter (Dec 3, 2013)

ez2cy said:


> headed north this past monday, went across the entire thumb seen 0 turks
> hit 75 north to the 10 to harrison seen 0 birds. Hunted a locals property
> there and he said if they weren't feed this winter their dead !
> He did feed a flock and i was able to score a tom with a 9" beard yesterday
> in am. I drove up to manton just north of cadillac. And called across 300 acres and never got a response. Not saying their not there but i didn't hear or see any....good luck all!


congrats!


----------



## DDfishing (Feb 14, 2013)

Yup, too many think they are entitled and take more than what the flock can support and treat the outdoors like its their grocery store.


----------



## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

I just did a walk of my property east of Petoskey where I could get through the snow in the woods and come across 3 dead and eaten turkey carcasses and was wondering if they were casualties of an long winter, or if a disease got em.

I had a pretty steady flock of about 25 hanging around most of last year.

Sent from my XT1080 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## TRACKERT (Aug 5, 2013)

I'm thinking that I might have to take a more active role in feeding during the winter, I don't know if that would helped in my area, but I'm worried that this winter really hurt them.


----------



## Woodduck (Dec 22, 2007)

Where I hunt in St. Clair County the numbers are definitely down. I was lucky and connected with a nice tom in the first half hour of the season. Then scouted and called for my son on Wednesday and Thursday without success. Each day we encountered two or three toms but failed to close the deal. The thing that was most notable was the lack of hens. We saw only two or three hens each day hunting from dawn till 3 pm. I have hunted this location for five years plus and have always seen 10 to 20 hens during a day's hunt. I'm thinking that there was significant winter kill and the smaller hens suffered more than the toms.


----------

