Author Topic: Life is good (Read 4706139 times)

Pappy · « **Reply #14310 on:** January 09, 2017, 04:42:08 pm »

It's on my bucket list Kevin when I retire also the big one in August. Looking forward to seeing it Little John. Shawn I didn't know it was a quota hunt, thought it was for land owners only. Good luck just the same. $:-\$ Pappy

Pappy · « **Reply #14311 on:** January 10, 2017, 04:09:48 am »

Had a great evening in the stand yesterday, seen 9 doe, no shots , it is just a good thing Turkey wasn't on the menu. seen 41 hen Turkeys and 2 had really nice beards, 1 was dragging the ground.

I have seen bearded hens before but never one like that.

Pappy

osage outlaw · « **Reply #14312 on:** January 10, 2017, 07:20:39 am »

That's a lot of hens

bjrogg · « **Reply #14313 on:** January 10, 2017, 09:06:43 am »

They'll be laying a lot of eggs next spring and trying to keep those big toms from coming to your calls. Had a bunch here to Pappy. I've never hunted them before, spring season is busy time for me but it's on my bucket list
Bjrogg

Pappy · « **Reply #14314 on:** January 11, 2017, 04:35:48 am »

I don't hunt them very much BJ but have some good friends [Eddie and Dave] that love them things. I really do like them much, they eat all the acorns and haven't seen a Quail since they have really got populated. Just to many of them around anymore and they will eat anything in front of them. We have opened up their craw and found broken eggs/feathers/fur/worms and bugs of all descriptions so they clean up the ground and Quail and baby rabbits live on the ground. Sad, the TWRA don't seem to care much about the deer and other wildlife but they LOVE their Turkeys for some reason. $:-\$ I do like their Breast and wing feathers though.

Pappy

Chief RID · « **Reply #14315 on:** January 11, 2017, 06:41:13 am »

Interesting perspective on turkeys, there Pappy. Makes a lot of since. Everything is out there competing, especially when food is scarce. The money and resources put into relocating and studying turkey by the DNR in SC is substantial. I wonder how much thought has been put into the detrimental attributes of the wild turkey on small game species?

bjrogg · « **Reply #14316 on:** January 11, 2017, 07:00:47 am »

Sure can mess up a corn field in the spring Pappy. When the corn is just emerging they go down the row a eat every newly emerged plant. After crop get bigger they seem to leave it alone. There numbers are getting high around here to. About 10 years ago we had a large flock. A couple 100 in my field every day. We got a really bad ice storm and I didn't see hardly any for a couple years. Not sure the ice storm did it but something knocked them back for awhile. Now their almost back to those numbers again
Bjrogg

Pappy · « **Reply #14317 on:** January 11, 2017, 07:54:27 am »

None I am sure Chief

Not much bad enough weather here to knock them back BJ, maybe a really wet rainy spring will effect the hatch a bit but that is about all. They have 12 OR 15 young each year and I have read that about 50% make it so the numbers just keep getting bigger, I have about given up food plots for the same reason, they will come in when it first comes up and pull it up, worse than crows and what they don't eat they will dust in it and destroy the rest. Very aggravating.

Pappy

bjrogg · « **Reply #14318 on:** January 11, 2017, 08:53:48 am »

I hear ya Pappy, I'm thinking the last two years they must have had a second hatch here because late summer I'll see smaller birds following hens way after 1st hatch
Bjrogg

BowEd · « **Reply #14319 on:** January 11, 2017, 10:47:24 am »

That's a debate here too whether turkeys are affecting the quail populations.Throwing the coyote populations in there too as a factor.The DNR introduced them in here years ago.I did see 13 quail here though[a covey] go by under a stand of mine in a cottonwood this fall though.Pretty cute just like a train following each other.Those are native birds here.Usually always see at least 1 covey in my area.Sometimes 3 to 4.They say all they need is 40 acres to live on.I don't agree with that really.We've got a spring and a fall season here on turkey.In the fall a person can legally shoot hens too.
I've seen larger flocks of turkeys here clean up quite an area of fall lime applications on the farm ground before.They are hell on grass hoppers.See them early in the mornings cleaning them up on the hillsides when the insects are cold and slow.They do eat those large hickory nuts up too.

Pappy · « **Reply #14320 on:** January 12, 2017, 04:38:24 am »

Not much of a debate in my mind Ed, O well they done it, we have to live with it.

Pappy

Chief RID · « **Reply #14321 on:** January 12, 2017, 04:53:18 am »

Can't forget the fire ant in our area for destruction of ground nesting fowl of any kind in our area.

Chief RID · « **Reply #14322 on:** January 12, 2017, 04:59:51 am »

We have a very active group of folks in our area that have 2 WMA's in our area. One in McBee, SC and one outside of Rock Hill, SC. Quail Unlimited has a big say in these two public hunting areas and they are specifically managed for quail. To me it seems like a tough road. I do applaud them and our DNR for persevering in those areas.

BowEd · « **Reply #14323 on:** January 12, 2017, 11:09:47 am »

It's a debate if a person talks with the DNR here.They've made mistakes introducing species flora and fawna in the past in this state.Seems though that nice drier and warmer springs do help the quail here get started.Pheasants too.Turkeys it seems are a bit tougher and it does'nt affect them much.
I've got fellas around me here using running dogs on coyotes to keep them backed off.Although if populations get too high mange can get to them too.There's a year round season open on them here.Does'nt seem to exterminate them though....lol.

Pappy · « **Reply #14324 on:** January 13, 2017, 04:36:52 am »

Well it's Friday and a long weekend, MLK day ya know, Monday off.

We got a lot going on around the club, we are starting the kitchen / pavilion and target shed expansions this weekend. :)The youth hunt is also this weekend and today is the last day of Deer season .

The annual Twin Oaks Squirrel hunt is Saturday. To top it off Saturday is Miss Joanie's birthday so to say I have a busy weekend ahead is an under statement.

I hope to get a little time in the shop but not sure I will have time. $:-\$ I am headed down today so we will see if the weather is suitable for hunting [calling for rain] this last evening if not I plan a little time around the fire and in the shop. My meeting went well with My boss , the owner of the company that hired me 36 years ago , so I officially retire Sept. 29 2017. YES.

Hope yall have a good one also. See ya Tuesday.

Life is Good.

Pappy

Primitive Archer