A Few More East Texas Turkey!

[Anvilheadtexas]

Hunt on a lease in Trinity County, west of Groveton. Had a few lease members swear they heard turkeys this year but no reported sightings as of yet or trail cam pictures. TPWD had us fill out turkey sighting surveys for the first time this year. Apparently one of the superstockings was close to our lease property and they wanted any hunter observations in the area.

Very familiar with that area (wood lake) ... definitively turkey in that area.

[GraceNmercy]

A big coon might be able to kill a hen on the nest, but a hen will put up a fight with something like a snake or rat. One of the predators people don't think about that actually do put a dent in the population of nesting hens are big owls. They can see the hen on the nest at night and kill them while they're setting.

As far as the bobcat theory, they may kill a few turkeys but not many as most people would think. This is the reason the super stocking method is being done, because even though you have a few birds killed by predators, the more birds you have nesting in an area the higher the survival rate. Hog, coons, fire ants and everything else mentioned exist all across the south and in places like Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and those state have plenty of birds.

The person who mentioned doing more burns and habitat work hit the nail on the head. 150 years ago turkey were plentiful in east Texas because much of the old growth habitat till existed them and east Texas wasn't as thick as now. Back then there was lots of open forest and grassland, and where you may had only had 25 big giant old growth trees to an acre, you now have thousands of trees and underbrush growing on that same acre. Burning open up the under story and allow native grasses to grow.

For those who live near release areas, implementing predator control your your leases and properties will help, but if you focus on the habitat you are really making a difference.

I guess at this point killing a hog is just good all around. Funny enough, biologist fingered rat snakes and coons as a big problem to nests.

[GraceNmercy]

I see you have Bullard as your location. I am organizing a couple of co-ops in that area. The main area is south of 175 and east of 155 and we're near 12,000 acres worth of landowners on board. We're trying to connect a few more large large properties to make the landscape contiguous. The second location is to the north of 175 just south of lake Palestine and we're trying to connect with a few more landowners to the east of the lake from Bullard to Reese. Let me kno if you know any other landowners in that area...

My family lives in Jones Country east of Colmesneil on 255 and has some more land north of Colmesneil on 69. There has been multiple sightings of a group of about 4 hens at both locations. I've got a trail pic of the group from this year from next door to my moms.

I hope they make a come back and we can have a season again. When we had a couple seasons when I was in high school, I called one up and missed. I'm 0-1 on east Texas turkeys and need to make that better

[GraceNmercy]

There's still a season on Moore Plantation. They only closed Angelina due to the fact that the numbers had dwindled and new birds were stocked. I've harvested 3 birds over the years near the Moore. I came home empty handed this spring as I passed on 2 jakes and never got a long beard in range.

Very cool! I that's not far from Angelina NF. I called one up on Moore Plantation when there was a season several years ago and I live hen stepped in a pulled my gobbler off with her before I had a clear shot. I guess you could say I am 0-1 as well.

[GraceNmercy]

Go talk to all your neighbors and establish a co-op. You'll need a minimum of 10,000 contiguous acres of habitat that passes a series of evaluations by biologist. If it passes there's a good chance that birds will be released. Neches and sulpher river watershed areas are priority areas, but anyone an apply.

I'm currently organizing one in northeast Anderson and northwest Cherokee counties. We're at nearly 12,000 acres now, but working on getting a few other landowners on board to fill in the gaps to make t a contiguous landscape. Once that's done we will set up a landowner meeting with state and local biologist and hopefully start evaluations. Will be great to see other landowners band together or someone with solid large 10,000+ acre tract jump on the band wagon.

I also encourage everyone who enjoys hunting turkeys to join organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation. Just doesn't seem right to want to hunt the species and not support the organization that helped bring them back to huntable populations.

Ok thanks. I live on a hill with creek bottoms and rolling hill pastures all around. Wish I could help get some native birds established.

[Native Texan]

Go talk to all your neighbors and establish a co-op. You'll need a minimum of 10,000 contiguous acres of habitat that passes a series of evaluations by biologist. If it passes there's a good chance that birds will be released. Neches and sulpher river watershed areas are priority areas, but anyone an apply.

I'm currently organizing one in northeast Anderson and northwest Cherokee counties. We're at nearly 12,000 acres now, but working on getting a few other landowners on board to fill in the gaps to make t a contiguous landscape. Once that's done we will set up a landowner meeting with state and local biologist and hopefully start evaluations. Will be great to see other landowners band together or someone with solid large 10,000+ acre tract jump on the band wagon.

I also encourage everyone who enjoys hunting turkeys to join organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation. Just doesn't seem right to want to hunt the species and not support the organization that helped bring them back to huntable populations.

Hearing Wild Turkeys sounding off in an East Texas creek bottom is truly a thrill and adds something very special to times spent in the woods. That has been missing for the past century, but thanks to TPWD and lots of NWTF volunteers and supporters we are bringing them back to their historic range.

Even if you don't have the time to get involved in the work, you can help by joining a local chapter and attending a banquet. Check out the NWTF events page...good chance there is chapter and events in your area.

http://www.nwtf.org/events

We just started a Montgomery County chapter and will hold our first banquet on August 24th at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Everyone is welcome to join us for an evening of food, fun, games, and fellowship!!

Even if you can't attend, you can help us get the word out by liking and following us on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/MontcoTxNWTF/

NWTF is doing great work in Texas and we are seeing (and hearing) the results!!

[jaspermac]

There's still a season on Moore Plantation. They only closed Angelina due to the fact that the numbers had dwindled and new birds were stocked. I've harvested 3 birds over the years near the Moore. I came home empty handed this spring as I passed on 2 jakes and never got a long beard in range.

They are burning too late on the Angelina. They were burning first of April this year. We were finding nests full of eggs in the middle of March in north Louisiana. Burning is great but timing is everything,

[Etxbuckman]

Go talk to all your neighbors and establish a co-op. You'll need a minimum of 10,000 contiguous acres of habitat that passes a series of evaluations by biologist. If it passes there's a good chance that birds will be released. Neches and sulpher river watershed areas are priority areas, but anyone an apply.

I'm currently organizing one in northeast Anderson and northwest Cherokee counties. We're at nearly 12,000 acres now, but working on getting a few other landowners on board to fill in the gaps to make t a contiguous landscape. Once that's done we will set up a landowner meeting with state and local biologist and hopefully start evaluations. Will be great to see other landowners band together or someone with solid large 10,000+ acre tract jump on the band wagon.

I also encourage everyone who enjoys hunting turkeys to join organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation. Just doesn't seem right to want to hunt the species and not support the organization that helped bring them back to huntable populations.

Where in Anderson County? How far west are you at this point?

[GraceNmercy]

I agree...I was hunting near the Moore with someone from Parks & Wildlife videoing and forest service came in looking for us in the middle of our turkey hunt so they could burn on April 21st. With the helicopters flying over our heads, sirens sounding on the road, and polaris ranger driving through the forest we thought there was a man hunt for an escaped convict. I know for a fact the burning is important, but think it should take place between February and March.

They are burning too late on the Angelina. They were burning first of April this year. We were finding nests full of eggs in the middle of March in north Louisiana. Burning is great but timing is everything,

[GraceNmercy]

We are focusing in an area south of hw 175, east of 155, and north of hw 79. As far west as the properties along the eastern side of 155 and to the east across the Neches into Cherokee county.

Where in Anderson County? How far west are you at this point?

[Native Texan]

I agree...I was hunting near the Moore with someone from Parks & Wildlife videoing and forest service came in looking for us in the middle of our turkey hunt so they could burn on April 21st. With the helicopters flying over our heads, sirens sounding on the road, and polaris ranger driving through the forest we thought there was a man hunt for an escaped convict. I know for a fact the burning is important, but think it should take place between February and March.

I agree...mid April is pretty late to be burning especially considering that's when newborn wildlife is most vulnerable. I know that rainfall, wind, and humidity are important considerations when burning and timing those uncontrollable factors is not easy, but key for a successful burn. Getting it done through a bureaucracy like the USFWS has got to be frustrating too.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd541179.pdf

[WalkieTalkie]

I have seen turkeys in Zavalla near the Angelina National Forest at 255 and concord hill - concord heights

[Pineywoods Paul]

We have had a fledgling group of eastern birds since the mid 90's in northwest Polk County between Groveton and Corrigan. My hunting buddy Jeff harvested one of the two gobblers taken in Polk County this Spring.

I'm told there was a stocking in the mid 90's off highway 350 west of Moscow then, and assume these birds are descendants.

There was a larger population on the Brushy Creek pasture between Groveton and Onalaska and the state even trapped some turkeys there in the late 90's or early 2000's to relocate to other eastern turkey sites.

I've harvested 4-5 gobblers on our club over the years. We average about 2 per year on our club.

We've only seen 1-2 poults so far this summer, but in 2014 and 2015 we had better hatches.

I've got a few using my personal tract and sightings ebb and flow. I thinned my timber in 2014 and prescribe burned it which has yielded more use since then. I believe the birds on my place are the same ones you mentioned above near Woodlake. They roost along Bull Creek east of Woodlake.

I videoed a hen who was really acting tame in 2015. I cannot describe how stoked I was in April when we heard our first Gobbler sound off on my own place after thunder stoked him!

We support the Pineywoods Chapter of NWTF and enjoy the annual banquet in Lufkin each August.

[GraceNmercy]

That's awesome! I look forward to seeing them show up on our place in Anderson county. The 3 I've harvested over the years have all been on the national forest.

I hope to make it up to the Piny Woods banquet. I always hear of their success and know many of the folks involved. I'm President of Harris County Wildlife Group NWTF and also a supporter o the Houston Chapter.

Anyone in or near the Houston area is invited to our August 11th banquet...https://events.nwtf.org/431420-2017/tickets

We have had a fledgling group of eastern birds since the mid 90's in northwest Polk County between Groveton and Corrigan. My hunting buddy Jeff harvested one of the two gobblers taken in Polk County this Spring.

I'm told there was a stocking in the mid 90's off highway 350 west of Moscow then, and assume these birds are descendants.

There was a larger population on the Brushy Creek pasture between Groveton and Onalaska and the state even trapped some turkeys there in the late 90's or early 2000's to relocate to other eastern turkey sites.

I've harvested 4-5 gobblers on our club over the years. We average about 2 per year on our club.

We've only seen 1-2 poults so far this summer, but in 2014 and 2015 we had better hatches.

I've got a few using my personal tract and sightings ebb and flow. I thinned my timber in 2014 and prescribe burned it which has yielded more use since then. I believe the birds on my place are the same ones you mentioned above near Woodlake. They roost along Bull Creek east of Woodlake.

I videoed a hen who was really acting tame in 2015. I cannot describe how stoked I was in April when we heard our first Gobbler sound off on my own place after thunder stoked him!

We support the Pineywoods Chapter of NWTF and enjoy the annual banquet in Lufkin each August.

[Native Texan]

We have had a fledgling group of eastern birds since the mid 90's in northwest Polk County between Groveton and Corrigan. My hunting buddy Jeff harvested one of the two gobblers taken in Polk County this Spring.

I'm told there was a stocking in the mid 90's off highway 350 west of Moscow then, and assume these birds are descendants.

There was a larger population on the Brushy Creek pasture between Groveton and Onalaska and the state even trapped some turkeys there in the late 90's or early 2000's to relocate to other eastern turkey sites.

I've harvested 4-5 gobblers on our club over the years. We average about 2 per year on our club.

We've only seen 1-2 poults so far this summer, but in 2014 and 2015 we had better hatches.

I've got a few using my personal tract and sightings ebb and flow. I thinned my timber in 2014 and prescribe burned it which has yielded more use since then. I believe the birds on my place are the same ones you mentioned above near Woodlake. They roost along Bull Creek east of Woodlake.

I videoed a hen who was really acting tame in 2015. I cannot describe how stoked I was in April when we heard our first Gobbler sound off on my own place after thunder stoked him!

We support the Pineywoods Chapter of NWTF and enjoy the annual banquet in Lufkin each August.

I hunt the same area South of 287 and we see them quite often, but none of our members have killed any. If we are hunting in April it's usually thinning out the hogs with rifles. Great to see and hear them though!!

Most of our lease has been logged in the past 2 years and it really opened up a lot of area for grasses instead of dense yaupon brush, so we hope to see even more birds.

The Pineywoods Chapter puts on a great banquet!! I plan to be there on August 5th and hope to make the Harris County Wildlife Group banquet on the 11th as well. I've been a NWTF member for a few years but this will be my first time to serve on a comittee. We just started the Montgomery County Chapter in April and our volunteers are going all out to make our first event one to remember. I never realized the incredible amount of man-hours and work it takes to put on a banquet, but we're having fun doing it and know it is a worthwhile effort!!