Turkey hunting in Oklahoma

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William Suter

Active member
We had a speaker at our monthly gun club meeting. He's a retired Game Warden. Topic was about the 2024 turkey season and the number of turkey we have now. The news wasn't exactly good as turkey numbers in Oklahoma are really low. He did his best to explain what was being done and what biologists were doing. One point was very interesting. Seems the wardens are finding the hens and their nests. When the babies hatch they put a micro transmitter on several of the young birds to keep track. Seems they all died. In short, most of the young birds are either killed or die. Another topic was corn from a feeder that developed a fungus is very deadly to turkey's as well as other animals. Turkeys nest on the ground when setting on eggs and for 28 days are easy targets for predators. Of course habitat was important. He said habitat works two ways. Good for the birds but also good for predators. I only repeated some of the high points but all in all it was very interesting and I'm no a turkey hunter. Now in Oklahoma, hunters are allowed "One turkey" per season. That's a lot of work just to harvest on turkey. On a good note, he said the biologists said that Oklahoma had reached the bottom and it looked like the number of turkey's were on the way back up. If you call that good news.
 
I see turkeys fairly regularly here in my neck of the woods. I don't agree that we have reached the bottom. The bottom was back in the 40's, 50's when there were no turkeys anywhere in southeast Oklahoma. My dad, who lived to be 97 said there was a time back in the 30's when it was difficult to find any wild game as most had been taken during the depression years. He was born 1914.
 
I'm not a turkey hunter. Been a few times, heard turkeys but didn't harvest one. I do know that the property I use to hunt had a lot of turkeys. Seen them on the trail cameras and coming to the feeders almost daily. The speaker had talked to biologists and that's where he got his info. I do know several guys that hunt and they have said the turkeys don't seem as prevalent as they use to be. Not being a turkey hunter I just repeat what I hear. I get my turkeys at the grocery store. They're cheaper and easier. They just don't like the shotgun blasts. LOL!!!
 
Can’t speak for Oklahoma, but turkeys are on the decline everywhere. Just about every Southern state has either reduced the season or the bag limits.
I’ve heard an enormous amount of “possibilities” as to their demise. Predators, crops, fertilizer, habitat, even humans. Also heard maybe this “is” the norm. Maybe they’ve finally leveled out. The “golden”days everyone is referring to is during the restocking phase throughout the US. Now the carrying capacity is what it is.
The best hope for turkeys is through private landowners. Habitat can be put in place to help. Predator removal can be implemented. And harvest numbers can be regulated.
We hunt 2500ac and only take 3 gobblers a season. 3 hunters take one bird each. Trapping is almost year round as well.
Unlike up north or out west we can’t trap public land and trapping isn’t very big here due to the value of Southern furs. The good news is there are quite a few rich landowners that pay to have critters removed and it all helps in both quail and turkey numbers.
I’ll probably tick off a few people here, but if they would outlaw decoys and reaping (fanning) then I believe that would be a huge step in increasing the numbers. I know folks that don’t even have a clue about actual turkey hunting or even own a call nor know how to operate one yet they limit every year. Throw out a flick of decoys and just wait. That’s not turkey hunting, that’s just shooting.
 
The spokes person said that landowners could be the most help as well. Getting them to group together and create habitat and reduce the number of predators. He said coons (raccoons) were a great threat to turkey nests. There use to be a limit on the number of coons (raccoons) killed and even a season on them. Five years ago they dropped the season and bag limit. So coons (raccoons) are fair game now and kill all you can.

Not trying to ruffle feathers but the spokesperson also said that corn feeders with old corn develops a fungus that is deadly to turkeys and other animals including deer. He talked about possibly banning feeders. As I said before, I'm not a turkey hunter. I don't hunt birds of any kind but may bust a crow once in a while but usually not very often. I do enjoy watching the turkey's as they do some crazy stuff. But if I see a coyote, its getting a dose of lead poisoning.
 
Yes, I forgot crows. Crows will raid a nest in a heartbeat. Don’t believe me, go out a make a few yelps on a call and see what shows up. Crows will follow hens and figure out where she’s nesting and when she leaves, destroy the nest. They also have studies that show they do the same with ducks.
And yes, Georgia delisted coons and possums as game animals here and they along with coyotes can be hunted/trapped year round here now. Hoping to see a study where this is helping, but it still boils down to whether people utilize it. We’ve been doing it for years when my landowners would get permits to allow year round trapping. Their properties show that it does work. Turkey numbers on all these properties have actually increased despite the States decline. We just need more people/landowners doing it.
Trapping occurs by DNR on our WMA’s, but it may be a little too late. I know of one WMA your decision would be WHICH bird to go after. Now it’s “if” I even hear one. When only 8 birds are killed in a season on 20K acres, there’s a huge problem.
 
Spurchaser, WE will ruffle the same feathers as I agree 100% with the decoy/fan comment. I have hunted/killed many turks in PA and 3 adjoining states in the last 44 years and have not once used or will use a decoy. At 73 I still am a run and gunner.
 
Their numbers have drastically dropped. Oklahoma did move the season forward a couple weeks and limited it to one tom. A few years ago you could shoot 3. I don't use decoys but if you think about it, either way, you are only shooting males. The problem is the young are not living to adulthood. Instead of making it illegal to use decoys, they should do a beard restriction length, which would eliminate people shooting jakes and only allow fully mature Toms. Also change the definition of tom to an actual tom, right now it is defined as any turkey with a beard, and some hens grow a beard. Other than outlawing feeders, I do not see any other hunting restrictions doing anything to increase the overall population since hens are not legal to shoot.
 
A lot of states do state only male turkeys with beards. But there are states as you mentioned that state any turkey with a beard.
I’ve never understood allowing the taking of hens or even a Fall season. If numbers are low, I’d stick to a Spring season and gobblers only.
Actually listened to a podcast about jakes and gobblers. Contrary to what people think, jakes cannot breed a hen successfully. They can breed her, but nothing becomes of it. You’re talking baby Lima bean testis vs a gobblers walnut sized testis. Even during the breakup and hierarchy phase they say it reduces the Jakes testosterone levels dramatically. I’ve always heard it’s ok if I shoot what gobblers I have because the jakes will breed the hens…absolutely not true.
 
Agree with you Jeremy about males not affecting the population, just don't think decoys are the correct way to hunt turks--they, like coyotes need to be called.
 
Turkey populations are way down here in western Ma, only up in the eastern cities where there are few predators and lots of bird feeders. I used to stand in front of my house and hear birds at all points of the compass. I scouted with a cup of coffee. Now I hear a couple birds every other day or so. I agree bearded hens should be protected, we preach that at every hunter ed class. Habitat hasn't changed much locally, but predators are on the increase, hawks are everywhere, especially red tails, and barred owls are calling every afternoon. Fall hunting is more of a casual target of opportunity for archery deer hunters, and I have been guilty of that myself, too much temptation when that flock of hens comes by after hours of no deer sighting. Cutting out the fall season would save a lot of hens .
 
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Predator control will increase your Turkey Numbers, Alfatoxin, from moldy corn will kill Turkey's and Quail, once Corn hit's the ground and collects moisture it develops Alfatoxin Turkey's scratch around under corn feeders for the corn, we feed protein in our feeders but no corn, and have no problems and we are covered up with Turkeys
 
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