Originally Posted by 10gaugemag
Trying to get a link from MDC on harvest numbers to attach. Having issues.

Some interesting numbers from the last 8 years in Missouri. Just 2015 and 2018 are the 2 I looked at. Approximately 10k less birds harvested in 2018 than 2015.

I am trying to find some numbers from mid/late 90s through 2010 or so.

Have this same discussion going on over at ultimatepheasanthunting.

Pulled these numbers from that discussion

Missouri harvested 34,595 inn 2022. Missouri used to harvest around 50,000 (2005 ish)

Kansas harvested 13,488 in 2022. Kansas used to harvest around 35,000 each year. (2005 ish). Kansas will have a hard time reaching 10,000 this year.

2006 Arkansas was around 20k birds, last year was 8k.

Here is a pretty good podcast (BearGrease Podcast, episode 48) talking about the declines across the southeastern US.

https://www.themeateater.com/listen...n-turkeys-part-1-will-primos-and-dr-mike

Quote
IN THIS EPISODE
On this episode, we’re contrasting two eras of turkey hunting with Will Primos and Dr. Mike Chamberlain of the University of Georgia. Turkey populations peaked in modern times in the late 1990s, and with it, the innovation of call makers and outdoor media groups skyrocketed, forging the turkey hunting culture of the nation. Mr. Will Primos stood on the forefront of that innovation and he taught us how to call and hunt. However, recent decades have yielded dramatically decreasing turkey populations in much of the Southeastern United States. Dr. Chamberlain will detail the five biggest culprits of the decline and make some projections for the future.

Pretty much, don't ever put your love into a ground nesting bird. Everything is trying to kill them. Mother nature and her weather, predators, man with his changed land use, etc, etc, etc. Arkansas state biologist is on there talking about prescribed burns. How the big forests look like great habitat, but they're realistically a dessert with nothing the birds like. Then they try and do a burn and the area keyboard biologists throw a fit that they're killing all the animals and taking their homes away....