Hunting with the Hedge 2020-21

[Digital Caveman]

I just received the feathers; they're wonderful, Thank you so much.

I have a batch of heavyweight arrows in progress that some of these will go on, I'll post photos when their done.

[HH~]

Ok, Andrew. Did i throw in enough for ya. I did not have as many rights as i thought i did.

Shawn~

[Digital Caveman]

There's enough there for over a dozen arrows, actually several more than I was expecting. 

[HH~]

Some friends bring me some wings. problem is these Easterns are dwindling here in Tenn fast. If they do not start a bounty on Varmints soon Turkeys will be gone. At my place I see dozens of coons deer and turkey hunting every morning and evening. Saw a Yote catch a turkey at long range not long ago. The chick and polts dont have a chance here, to many Owls, Hawks , Eagles, and varmints.

Folks better start asking their F & G Dept to do something fast or they will put em on the endangered species list. I drove all over Northen Alabama on Tuesday. Never saw a single bird in the hunnerds of wheat, cotton, corn, hay fields. Ten years ago I woulda saw hunnerds of em on that state hiway.

Shawn~

[Allyn T]

A lot of the problem is habitat loss and loss of habitat diversity. If the hens don't have good places to nest it doesn't matter how many predators there are or aren't. Also if seasons open too early there aren't enough toms around to fertilize the hens

[HH~]

Habitat is surely an issue but by and large predators are the main issue. Spraying of weed inhibitor is no good either. A bunch a us turkey hunters have had some discussions. Later season, Cancel fall season, go to one bird limit, start varmint bounty like SD has 10$ per varmint up to $500/person per year will really have an impact you could see quickly. If it works expand on it. I use to have a flock here at my place of 60-80 birds for 20yrs. Now zero every once in a while a lone hen or two. The eastern wild turkeys came from AL and MS in 70-80's and were transplanted all over eastern seaboard. Hope we can get it fixed up.

Shawn~

[Allyn T]

I hope so too, I've never gotten a turkey but I'd like to. You should keep the weeds they are great for native wildlife, the stuff they don't like is cool season grasses like fescue

[Outbackbob48]

Shawn, used to have lots of turkeys in Pa. lots of predators but since Fishers have moved in definite less turkeys . Game comm. claims west Nile is a bigger factor, I just know that Fishers are very efficient predator, tuff and fast, a turkey roosting is way to easy for a fisher to pass on. Bob

[Digital Caveman]

My brother got a game cam video of either a martin or a fisher running after a turkey in broad daylight.  It was kind of interesting, but I never found the pile of feathers. 

[HH~]

Yeah, I bet they say its west Nile. I have two water ways at my place. A creek that dumps into a big river and both are in bottom land with lots of big sycamores and hollow trees. Place is full of coons. Hundreds and we had distemper come up the river 8yrs ago and it wiped out the coons pretty good.They wandered around daylight and would tremble. Found em dead all over. After that there were so many turkeys about. Now were are over run with coon, skunk, opposum, bobcats and yotes. Fox have been killed off by coyotes for most part. We get a super hot summer we may well see that distemper on the river here again.  If fur was worth something we'd be in good shape. Russian ladies are not wearing fur currently however.
This year I bring a bunch of Raccoon killer arrows to stand with me or a my 10" ruger 22lr with cb caps.

Either way Turkeys are going to be gone if we do not do something this year. I would say our TRWA commissioners will vote to sell more NR Licenses not save more turkeys. With all the state paid biologists on the payroll (think they have a specific turkey one too) they should have headed this off but they are politicians or friends of politicians. That is how they get on the wildlife board of commissioners. I will do my part. Kill over populated Varmints.

Hedge~

[Digital Caveman]

Raccoons dropping dead all over sounds pretty close to a rabies pandemic.  I should learn the difference.

[Outbackbob48]

Shawn, ya better bring something bigger than cb caps to the that fight, coon are damn tuff, and ya ma nature usually jumps in with distemper when coon populations get to big. Sadly you are right about trapping prices, I actually got more money for beaver castor than beaver pelts put up. See ya in a couple days, ALERT yankees headed your way Bob

[HH~]

No it was distemper. I still never wanted to shoot them with a deer arrow. I counted 25 coons only morning on a early Sept bottom sit! Twenty five and that was in just in an area I could see maybe 50yd radius. Yeah, think varmints can get out of control with out checks on population! This is after the distemper kill off in 2012.

Most Citidiots will say "You cant kill the varmints, we need the varmints, they eat the ticks and keep nature in balance". Sure they do "At a Price". We have a good rabbit spring and you'll see even more varmints this fall. I have been seeing plenty cottontails this spring and almost zero turkeys. When you start to see see turkeys right up in yards People think "there are lots of turkeys". Yep, turkeys are smart they go where the varmints wont go "right up to your back door". Most folks dont know chit about whats outside their door or grass patch.

HH~

[Digital Caveman]

If fur prices are down now they must get really high!  I was playing with the idea of a fur quiver, but I can't justify $55 when I have a few good ones already.

Good luck with the Classic!

[Outbackbob48]

tradcraftsman, Tanned fur and raw fur are 2 differnt things, raw fur is at rock bottom , I put up some beaver and sent to tannery, beaver were 30 bucks a pc to tan and the shipping  was 25 on top per beaver, I had 55 dollars a pc not counting my  time trapping skinning and  fleshing and stretching.  Finish goods are not cheap. Later Bob