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is the north empty of birds?

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#21 ·
The transfer of turkeys to south Jersey is one reason for left over permits and that is only because the south Jersey hunters don't have to come up here anymore.
Prior to that it was hard to get over the counter permits.
I know...I stood in line at the pequest hatchery from midnight till 9:00am in the rain to get one zone 4 tag !
I'm proud to say I took part in the trapping of turkeys with Canon nets, to Not only help establish a healthy Turkey population in south Jersey (my birds went to 14 , 20, and 21.) but to also release pressure on our turkey permits.
On another note....if you really want to help the wild turkey....become a trapper.
 
#23 ·
I got one in south jersey during the c period with a friend that invited me down in south jersey. I am still yet to see or hear a gobbler this spring in North jersey
 
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#24 ·
I never hunted turkeys or scouted them in north nj. bought a sat. permitt 2 fridays ago, killed on sat. the following sat. herd one but didnt get it. both public land. both birds probably never saw a person before
 
#25 ·
gobblergetter said:
The transfer of turkeys to south Jersey is one reason for left over permits and that is only because the south Jersey hunters don't have to come up here anymore.
Prior to that it was hard to get over the counter permits.
I know...I stood in line at the pequest hatchery from midnight till 9:00am in the rain to get one zone 4 tag !
I'm proud to say I took part in the trapping of turkeys with Canon nets, to Not only help establish a healthy Turkey population in south Jersey (my birds went to 14 , 20, and 21.) but to also release pressure on our turkey permits.
On another note....if you really want to help the wild turkey....become a trapper.
Click to expand...
You transported turkeys to relieve pressure on the permit system?
 
#26 ·
Buckeyes11 said:
You transported turkeys to relieve pressure on the permit system?
Click to expand...
The state did to established turkey populations, I helped by offering private property with winter flocks, baiting, and capturing, the weighing, tagging, sorting, and creating was done in my garage, incase of an escapee.
Releiving pressure on the northern permits was a second reason.
 
#30 ·
I live in the north zone. I see plenty of birds here and regularly take my gobblers. I also hunt NY and do well there too. Gobblers are here. So much so that they're roaming our suburbs in flocks of 3-8 birds at a clip. Some public areas receive a lot of pressure and yes, it'll make hunting a bit tougher but IMHO, guys have to stop going out with calls and educating birds a week or two before the season. I see and hear guys owl hooting, crow calling and clucking-cackling right after work or in the morning on weekends. I think many guys underestimate the wisdom of a gobbler. They're smart, alert and quick to peg a hunter vs a hen after a few encounters. Stop educating the birds and do your homework silently with a pair of binoculars and hiking boots. You'll see plenty of birds this way. Just my .02 cents worth
 
#31 ·
It's been decided!!!!! The decree is written!!! To everyone even thinking of coming to Zone 5 for any outdoor activities such as deer hunting, Turkey hunting or small game hunting. STAY HOME. It's a complete waste of time there's absolutely no game whatsoever left anywhere in the entire zone. Don't listen to anything contrary, especially that Sryker fellow he's leading you down a road towards heartbreak and misery.
Good God where do I live? It's hunting! Learn it! Guess what it aint like Sat morning TV.. That is all
 
#32 ·
ruffhills said:
It's been decided!!!!! The decree is written!!! To everyone even thinking of coming to Zone 5 for any outdoor activities such as deer hunting, Turkey hunting or small game hunting. STAY HOME. It's a complete waste of time there's absolutely no game whatsoever left anywhere in the entire zone. Don't listen to anything contrary, especially that Sryker fellow he's leading you down a road towards heartbreak and misery.
Good God where do I live? It's hunting! Learn it! Guess what it aint like Sat morning TV.. That is all
Click to expand...
Agreed. Just a thought: if almost all animals in a zone are killed off, why try kill off the rest so they can't reproduce? Hunting should be sustainable- it's not a sport anymore when we've killed everything off
 
#34 ·
Guess I'm the only one happy with northern bird populations and our ample permits. [ko]

I'm always shocked how many birds and how few hunters I see these days "up north". Been hunting the same area for well over 25 years and I used to see fewer birds and lots of hunters. Now it's the opposite. No complaints from me! And our bobcat and coyote populations have never been higher, yet the turkeys are doing just fine.
 
#35 ·
Agreed bucksnbows... I see lots of turkeys, not too many guys( just the weekend call junkies who teach the birds!) Coyotes have been a bit more evident even here by my house. Haven't seen any bobcats while in the woods, but the Yotes are having a good year. Plenty of water and food so far. My 22-250 AI is going to have to come out of the safe and speak to them dogs! LOL
 
#36 ·
Not in the one spot I hunt, place used to be sick with turkeys, then the bobcats moved in and now you can't buy a bird!! I hunt deer at this spot and when I started hunting there it was nothing to see a fall flock numbering 70 birds! And gobbler groups of 10-15 at a time in fall, come spring the whole area would light up with gobbles, now? Not a peep and the last birds I even saw there was 3 years ago. It was a sudden drop, I mean within two years they where gone.
 
#37 ·
Wow Ghostbear, that's a dramatic change from your usual patterns. Are you seeing predation, i.e. carcasses or road killed birds? Its seems odd that in a 2 year period, such an area with the population you speak of could be wiped out so quickly. Are any trappers working the zone or area you hunt? Trappers can do a nice job of thinning out the predators. Plus, I know that certain winters result in a higher mortality on birds, depending on snow and extreme cold. This past winter wasn't bad at all; there should be a decent amount of survivors in that area. I'd be curious to see what a biologist has to say after studying that area. Bird disease epidemics perhaps, avian flus or the like. If I could hunt here where I live, I could get up at 6am, have coffee and breakfast, take my shotgun, go for a 1/2 mile walk and kill at least 2-3 birds in 30 minutes or less. Last night coming home from work I saw six... 3 jakes and 3 longbeards on a lawn 4 blocks from my home. We got turkeys living in our yards now. The zones I hunt have a good amount. I hope your area has a renewal as nature usually does every few years and the birds repopulate. Good luck GB
 
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#38 ·
Short story: I had a farm I hunted in Pa 267acres. Deer Turkeys you name it game was everywhere. Turkeyhunting was like shooting fish in a barrel. All the my buddy did was move a trailer, a simple camping trailer. It disturbed those birds to no end. Guys who hunted that farm with me were all screaming coyotes this and bobcats this. Now I'm not saying that predators haven't taken a stronger hold and affect on things. But turkeys believe or nor are fairly intelligent animals and when their livingrooms get disturbed they do take notice. Those birds never left that farm they had just changed their ways of living on it. The one good thing. After everyone decided the farm sucked. I had the place to myself[hihi]
 
#39 ·
One of the basic tenants of wildlife biology is that predator - prey balances will always be maintained. Predators cannot and do not "wipe out" their prey. Only man has that ability....

Sure, coyotes and bobcats are on the uprise, but I bet skunks and racoons take far more eggs than any birds killed by yotes or bobcats. Like Gobblergetter said, make friends with a trapper and save a few birds!
 
#40 ·
I guess there are no deer, turkey, trout, or muskrats in NJ anymore anywhere. Bottom line in most cases are human beings are lazy by nature. Some people are just better outdoorsman than others and most of those work harder at filling tags instead of complaining about a deer or turkey that didn't shoot itself, field dress itself, drag itself, or jump in the truck by itself for the satisfaction of a predator that doesn't need it's prey to survive itself.
 
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