SCDNR turkey hunting survey

[Coastal Woodie]

we should go together, but separate.
and put leroy way the hell away from where i'm hunting, just in case.

Only if ccleroy agrees to leave his gun in the truck. We might can kill something then.

[AnythingFeathers]

I know that the numbers being reported don’t necessarily reflect this, but in the Lowcountry in the late 90’s early 2000’s there were not 1/4 as many people actively hunting turkeys. Ask anyone else in this area. Same response. We have waaaaay more people chasing them and even beginners are much more effective given the shortened learning curve with available information and ultra realistic male decoys.

Is this the main problem? Probably not, but it is a portion of it. Increased predation, change in timber management on old paper company land, lack of fire, alll play a part. But to say that we don’t have more people turkey hunting today than 20 years ago is ludicrous

Interesting, In the Upstate this year, I saw less hunters out than I can remember since I started hunting in SC (1995). And I went out to listen, scout, or hunt almost everyday. But that could just be in the areas I hunt. Union, Spartanburg, Laurens. Laurens was a top 6 county for hunter numbers in 2023. And maybe they're hiding their trucks better. In the early 2000's there seemed to be a hunter by every other tree around my property. Did not encounter a single hunter, whether seeing or hearing (calls or shots), on adjacent properties on all but 1 of 4 places I hunt regularly. Early morning at gas stations full of hunters getting coffee, snacks. Saw 1-2 other trucks at most in mornings this year.

[FULLCHOKE]

I know that the numbers being reported don’t necessarily reflect this, but in the Lowcountry in the late 90’s early 2000’s there were not 1/4 as many people actively hunting turkeys. Ask anyone else in this area. Same response. We have waaaaay more people chasing them and even beginners are much more effective given the shortened learning curve with available information and ultra realistic male decoys.

Is this the main problem? Probably not, but it is a portion of it. Increased predation, change in timber management on old paper company land, lack of fire, alll play a part. But to say that we don’t have more people turkey hunting today than 20 years ago is ludicrous

Interesting, In the Upstate this year, I saw less hunters out than I can remember since I started hunting in SC (1995). And I went out to listen, scout, or hunt almost everyday. But that could just be in the areas I hunt. Union, Spartanburg, Laurens. Laurens was a top 6 county for hunter numbers in 2023. And maybe they're hiding their trucks better. In the early 2000's there seemed to be a hunter by every other tree around my property. Did not encounter a single hunter, whether seeing or hearing (calls or shots), on adjacent properties on all but 1 of 4 places I hunt regularly. Early morning at gas stations full of hunters getting coffee, snacks. Saw 1-2 other trucks at most in mornings this year.

Here's the problem related to hunter density (from a very credible publication):

SC residents increase 2001-2016: 893,000

Farmland converted to development, residential, or other urbanization 2001-2016: 280,000acres.

Less amount of huntable land even with roughly the same amount of hunters...equals increased hunter density on huntable land.

[TXFowler]

Wow, that’s pretty sad.


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That was my exact thought.


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[TXFowler]

I've said this for a few years and also would like to see it happen. Will it? Probably not.

Turkeys that shouldn't die get killed every year by an already tagged out killer finding a newbie with a fresh set of tags as his trigger man.

None of this even matters if they aren’t even enforcing the laws that are already in play…


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[TXFowler]

It's hard to keep up with everyone's rules. I just enjoy turkey hunting, usually solo because I don't like people that much.

My man!


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[TXFowler]

I know that the numbers being reported don’t necessarily reflect this, but in the Lowcountry in the late 90’s early 2000’s there were not 1/4 as many people actively hunting turkeys. Ask anyone else in this area. Same response. We have waaaaay more people chasing them and even beginners are much more effective given the shortened learning curve with available information and ultra realistic male decoys.

Is this the main problem? Probably not, but it is a portion of it. Increased predation, change in timber management on old paper company land, lack of fire, alll play a part. But to say that we don’t have more people turkey hunting today than 20 years ago is ludicrous

I hope you’re better at golf.

There isnt more hunters, there’s less places to hunt!


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[TXFowler]

Here's the problem related to hunter density (from a very credible publication):

SC residents increase 2001-2016: 893,000

Farmland converted to development, residential, or other urbanization 2001-2016: 280,000acres.

Less amount of huntable land even with roughly the same amount of hunters...equals increased hunter density on huntable land.

I guess I’m not a credible publication, but Ive been telling you clowns this for a while now.


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[ccleroy]

I hope you’re better at golf.

There isnt more hunters, there’s less places to hunt!


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There are definitely more people who chase turkeys than 30 years ago.


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[TXFowler]

There are definitely more people who chase turkeys than 30 years ago.


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There are definitely more people who chase turkeys than 30 years ago.


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Well there’s also 2 million extra people in SC today than 30 years ago. That’s a 57% increase in population with less than 1% hunter increase. That number is nothing and what yall are perceiving as the “huge hunter increase” is actually hunters being condensed in less area available to hunt.


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[PBiz]

Hunting is way more easy, and people would follow social media heroes to the end of the earth..

[Golfernash]

I hope you’re better at golf.

There isnt more hunters, there’s less places to hunt!


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False. The general public may have less access, my point being is in my part of the world 20-30 there were thousands of acres that went virtually unhunted during turkey season. You can twist the data how ever you like but this is a fact. I’m talking about ACTIVE turkey hunters. Not folks that received tags because they bought a hunting license

[Golfernash]

False. The general public may have less access, my point being is in my part of the world 20-30 there were thousands of acres that went virtually unhunted during turkey season. You can twist the data how ever you like but this is a fact. I’m talking about ACTIVE turkey hunters. Not folks that received tags because they bought a hunting license

20-30 years ago

[TXFowler]

False. The general public may have less access, my point being is in my part of the world 20-30 there were thousands of acres that went virtually unhunted during turkey season. You can twist the data how ever you like but this is a fact. I’m talking about ACTIVE turkey hunters. Not folks that received tags because they bought a hunting license

Well let’s see the data…because everyone that has actually given data, has proved you incorrect.


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[PharmHunter]

There is absolutely more people hunting turkeys today than there was 20 years ago. I don't need any data to tell me that. It's plain to see all across the US. Not just here at home.

[Golfernash]

Exactly

[AnythingFeathers]

Here's the problem related to hunter density (from a very credible publication):

SC residents increase 2001-2016: 893,000

Farmland converted to development, residential, or other urbanization 2001-2016: 280,000acres.

Less amount of huntable land even with roughly the same amount of hunters...equals increased hunter density on huntable land.

That is a loss off 4.7% of FARMLAND. By that, they meant income producing agricultural land. Yes, you see turkeys there but ag fields are not ideal turkey habitat. If what that article states is correct, 280000 of 6,000,000. That does not include timbered land, which I believe is around 11,000,000. So just for fun let’s say we lost 500,000 of timberland and farmland to development, that equates to a 2.9% loss of 17,000,000 of undeveloped land.
280,000 sounds big, but in the grand scheme of thing it’s not a huge loss. It’s not ideal to any hunter, but not devastating.

I think
85-90% of our population lives on 10-12% of the state’s total acreage.
3% loss of habitat does not equal 50% loss of animals

[AnythingFeathers]

The last several years of DNR turkey reports give figures on hunter numbers and hunter effort. But hunter density is relative. I own 380+ acres never more than 2 hunters and they are together only one shooting, so practically one hunter. Another 1200 that only 2 can hunt. Another 1000 that only 2 can hunt and 1 hunter only hunted twice, for less than 3 total hrs( no kill). And I know of 6000 acre tract, with optimal, highly managed habitat, had 10 total hunt days over 4 days, not sure of kills but not many. No more than 5. If the hunter density numbers and how much people are hunting or killing are as crucial as you make out, I should be able to walk across the turkeys on this property,, but you can’t. Yes it’s better than most but not what it has been and could be.

In contrast I have a small, 160+ tract with 400 next door( about 3/4 mile of property border). I’m alone on 160+, the 400 is part of club with multiple leases, it has 60-70 members who have access. The turkeys there are as good or better than my other properties.
This is a biological issue, what biological issue? I haven’t a clue. But scientists are working theories, and right now they seem to be disproving more theories than they are proving, but that is progress by elimination.
The legislature and and us hunters need to settle down, quit calling for drastic changes that won’t fix the issue until the science and data point in the right direction.

[TXFowler]

There is absolutely more people hunting turkeys today than there was 20 years ago. I don't need any data to tell me that. It's plain to see all across the US. Not just here at home.

Okay. Keep telling yourself that’s. What you see MUST be right.


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[TXFowler]

That is a loss off 4.7% of FARMLAND. By that, they meant income producing agricultural land. Yes, you see turkeys there but ag fields are not ideal turkey habitat. If what that article states is correct, 280000 of 6,000,000. That does not include timbered land, which I believe is around 11,000,000. So just for fun let’s say we lost 500,000 of timberland and farmland to development, that equates to a 2.9% loss of 17,000,000 of undeveloped land.
280,000 sounds big, but in the grand scheme of thing it’s not a huge loss. It’s not ideal to any hunter, but not devastating.

I think
85-90% of our population lives on 10-12% of the state’s total acreage.
3% loss of habitat does not equal 50% loss of animals

You need to read my post above. In the southeast alone, we’ve lost a lot more than that since 1950.


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