A Few More East Texas Turkey!

[GraceNmercy]

Good articles...I guess that's the way it should be looked at. I'd just never seen a burn on the NF conducted as late as what I saw this past spring. The area I typically hunt and have had success the past 3 years in a row until this spring, is usually burned every year or two, but it's usually done before the season starts.

I'm all for burning and currently working to get a large group of new landowners wanting to establish a turkey co-op on board with burning as well. I talked to the supervisor over the Moore and from what I was told he managed some of the best eastern turkey habitat in Georgia before coming hear, so I suspect he has some experience in the matter.

One of the forest service guys I spoke with out there told me that there was a situation where they were aware of a nesting hen and they ended up dozing a 2 acre cut around the nesting area to avoid destroying the nest.

There has been some research on the matter.
Here are a couple good articles.

http://www.gon.com/hunting/shedding-some-light-on-growing-season-burns

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/2016/mar/mar22_growingseasonburn.html

We should focus on the habitat and not the bird. The birds will come if the habitat is right. Turkeys are fairly resilient. Im pretty optimistic that we will succeed in East TX with turkey populations.

[ClayW]

Very cool!


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[Native Texan]

Very cool. There seems to be some consistent turkey sightings in that part of Polk. Spoke to my contact today about monitored nestlings of the birds released in Angelina Forest. Nesting success has been very limited the year. Most of the released birds settled in to private tracts so burning is not cause of failures.... evidence suggests everything else in the woods will mess up a good turkey nest.

A few more Polk County Turkeys seen this weekend by lease members. We see them fairly often, but rarely get them on our trail cameras. Tons of coons pics this year though...time to thin them out again.

[Native Texan]

Got my tickets for the NWTF Pineywoods Chapter banquet tonight in Lufkin!!

One of the top 3 NWTF events in the entire nation...should be a great time as usual.

[.243 WSSM]

Anderson county has the highest population of turkeys in the state. Most people think Red River because they've always had a decent population and the highest harvest rate, but Anderson county just doesnt yet have an open season.

There's been several super stockings in that county in recent years where the birds have done fairly well. When super stocking was first tested in east Texas, one of those initial sites was also in Anderson county in 2007 -2008, and today the population has exploded in that particular area.

I find that hard to believe. The quality of habitat between Anderson and Red River Co is night and day. And Fannin and Lamar Co have more birds for that matter. The quality of habitat has not been there for Anderson, thus poor success in the past and no open season. Why do you think the birds flourished in Red River, Lamar, Fannin Co and had a season opened years ago and continues to this day even though many east TX counties had to close? Anderson was not a success. They were stocked the same. I do hope they can successfully hold on to a self supporting flock out there but it's going to be a while. I have had lengthy conversations with biologists about habitat and they will all tell you the red river counties have much more diversity in them and helps the turkeys thrive. My brother had an eastern he harvested that tpwd got a dna sample from a feather quill in 2007 which was part of a study to find out why fannin, lamar, red river co were so successful. It's all about the habitat plain and simple

[GraceNmercy]

This isn't something I think...this is something I'm heavily involved in and have been to several of the release sites to know that the numbers are good, and I am currently coordinating another co-op for another super stocking.

Habitat is one of the most important factors for turkey survival, and there is actually some great habitat in Anderson county...lots of lands owned by private landowners and timber companies that are managed and burned for wildlife. Anderson county is also very diverse with hardwoods/Savannah to the west and pine forest and hardwood bottoms to the east.

Most people are familiar with Fannin and Red River counties as places with good turkey numbers because there is a season and some of the highest numbers harvest numbers come from those counties. There is no season in Anderson county in years, and though there were fragmented survivors from some of the initial stockings in portions of the county, there has been multiple super stockings in that area over the years with efforts still taking place.

When the super stocking was first tested in east Texas, one of those test locations was in southeast Anderson county in 2007. Today that site in particular has one of the highest populations of turkeys in east Texas, and birds have been spreading throughout the eastern portion of that county along the neches river. I communicate with the State biologist who is over the eastern turkey program on a regular basis and he told me himself that the easterns in this area along the neches river are similar to what you'd see in rio county along the Llano river.

Since that stocking there has been there has been 3 more super stockings in northwest and northeast Anderson county and two more along the Anderson/Cherokee county lines, and there's been good production on a few of those sites including the most recent that just took place this spring. There's another release planned for this winter, and once we tie together the 15,000+ acre co-op together that we're organizing in northeast Anderson county, hopefully there will be another release in the next 2 or 3 years.

Either way, listen to our head biologist at 4:15 minutes in the following video at the Coon Pond release on the Cherokee/Anderson county border. The site he mentions to the north with some of the highest populations in the state is the original super stocking test site in Anderson county...http://www.texasalloutdoors.com/Outd...the-pineywoods

I find that hard to believe. The quality of habitat between Anderson and Red River Co is night and day. And Fannin and Lamar Co have more birds for that matter. The quality of habitat has not been there for Anderson, thus poor success in the past and no open season. Why do you think the birds flourished in Red River, Lamar, Fannin Co and had a season opened years ago and continues to this day even though many east TX counties had to close? Anderson was not a success. They were stocked the same. I do hope they can successfully hold on to a self supporting flock out there but it's going to be a while. I have had lengthy conversations with biologists about habitat and they will all tell you the red river counties have much more diversity in them and helps the turkeys thrive. My brother had an eastern he harvested that tpwd got a dna sample from a feather quill in 2007 which was part of a study to find out why fannin, lamar, red river co were so successful. It's all about the habitat plain and simple

[lovemylegacy]

Its been awhile since I saw a turkey in Newton county. I did see some sign last year on our lease and a couple guys got a pic or two. I heard some yelping last bowseason.

Back in the 90s Donaghue Creek HC had a decent population and I saw a Tom that had the longest beard I had ever seen! I got a picture of a turkey on Type 2.

People no longer trap, so turkeys fall to predation due to coon and coyote population explosion. We trap on our lease to try and keep the coyote and coon population down to some extent.

[lovemylegacy]

"And do tell your East Tx uncle that the radio transmitters still transmit even after they are tossed in a lake."

IF! and I mean IF! Is the transmitter to be turned in to TPWD if a turkey is killed?

[GraceNmercy]

Still quite a few turkey in Newton county. Some of the highest numbers of turkeys harvested in southeast Texas come from Newton county. I've taken 3 nice toms myself from that county over the past few years. I'm actually coordinating a predator trapping event on Moore Plantation in Sabine county to try to put a dent in the predator population. If anyone is interested in participating let me know...

Its been awhile since I saw a turkey in Newton county. I did see some sign last year on our lease and a couple guys got a pic or two. I heard some yelping last bowseason.

Back in the 90s Donaghue Creek HC had a decent population and I saw a Tom that had the longest beard I had ever seen! I got a picture of a turkey on Type 2.

People no longer trap, so turkeys fall to predation due to coon and coyote population explosion. We trap on our lease to try and keep the coyote and coon population down to some extent.

[Tex1986]

AnvilheadTexas, I tried to pm you but your inbox is full.

[.243 WSSM]

This isn't something I think...this is something I'm heavily involved in and have been to several of the release sites to know that the numbers are good, and I am currently coordinating another co-op for another super stocking.

Habitat is one of the most important factors for turkey survival, and there is actually some great habitat in Anderson county...lots of lands owned by private landowners and timber companies that are managed and burned for wildlife. Anderson county is also very diverse with hardwoods/Savannah to the west and pine forest and hardwood bottoms to the east.

Most people are familiar with Fannin and Red River counties as places with good turkey numbers because there is a season and some of the highest numbers harvest numbers come from those counties. There is no season in Anderson county in years, and though there were fragmented survivors from some of the initial stockings in portions of the county, there has been multiple super stockings in that area over the years with efforts still taking place.

When the super stocking was first tested in east Texas, one of those test locations was in southeast Anderson county in 2007. Today that site in particular has one of the highest populations of turkeys in east Texas, and birds have been spreading throughout the eastern portion of that county along the neches river. I communicate with the State biologist who is over the eastern turkey program on a regular basis and he told me himself that the easterns in this area along the neches river are similar to what you'd see in rio county along the Llano river.

Since that stocking there has been there has been 3 more super stockings in northwest and northeast Anderson county and two more along the Anderson/Cherokee county lines, and there's been good production on a few of those sites including the most recent that just took place this spring. There's another release planned for this winter, and once we tie together the 15,000+ acre co-op together that we're organizing in northeast Anderson county, hopefully there will be another release in the next 2 or 3 years.

Either way, listen to our head biologist at 4:15 minutes in the following video at the Coon Pond release on the Cherokee/Anderson county border. The site he mentions to the north with some of the highest populations in the state is the original super stocking test site in Anderson county...http://www.texasalloutdoors.com/Outd...the-pineywoods

Thanks for the info and thanks for helping the eastern turkey continue to expand. My info regarding Fannin and Lamar Co was from john burk who was eastern turkey leader for 11 yrs at tpwd and now sr regional biologist in mo. He was involved with east tx stockings from the start. I don't doubt there is good areas in anderson but I have seen winter flocks in fannin /lamar close to 70 birds and it's because of the outstanding habitat in those areas. I have driven through anderson an awful lot through the years and have never seen a turkey. The good habitat there is not continguous and very spotty. Yes there no doubt some good areas but it's a farce to say it's superior habitat and more birds vs fannin/lamar/red river

[Etxbuckman]

Thanks for the info and thanks for helping the eastern turkey continue to expand. My info regarding Fannin and Lamar Co was from john burk who was eastern turkey leader for 11 yrs at tpwd and now sr regional biologist in mo. He was involved with east tx stockings from the start. I don't doubt there is good areas in anderson but I have seen winter flocks in fannin /lamar close to 70 birds and it's because of the outstanding habitat in those areas. I have driven through anderson an awful lot through the years and have never seen a turkey. The good habitat there is not continguous and very spotty. Yes there no doubt some good areas but it's a farce to say it's superior habitat and more birds vs fannin/lamar/red river

You like to argue don't you? Lol

[.243 WSSM]

You like to argue don't you? Lol

Not really. I just don't like reading skewed info and people taking it at face value

[Anvilheadtexas]

AnvilheadTexas, I tried to pm you but your inbox is full.

Just saw this... it's cleared now!

[Etxbuckman]

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