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Lower bird weights this year?

THA4

THA4

A Few Steps Ahead Of You
Hey guys,

just curious if you noticed the same thing that I did, or maybe I'm just kinda retarded....

I can think of only a few birds this year that I heard about that were at or over 25 lbs. In fact, most I heard about were in that 18-22 lbs range.

I assume the long hard winter had a lot to do with that, but did anybody else notice this???
:confused:
:drink1:
 
I agree, I haven't heard of many big ones this year. A lot of times I will hear of many in the 25-29lb range. This year, none.
 
You are correct Thomas. Out of 8 birds we killed this year, my bird was the only one that was 25lbs. We get 4 birds that size most years. We think it was the winter. We found a lot dead durring shed hunting too. The DNR down in southern Iowa told us there was a disease going around and that's what was killing the turkey.:confused:
 
The second bird I shot with my bow weighed 25.5 and my sons youth season bird weighed an even 25 but both were shot very early in the season. I killed two birds with my bow during second season and the first only weighed 21.5 I think if he made it untill 4ht season he would have been lucky to be 19lbs. I would say they are normal weight around my area, the earlier you shoot them the bigger they are.
 
Blaster, I have heard the same thing about the disease in Southern Iowa killing off the turkeys. Kinda strange!!
 
I am curious as to what the disease is. Our numbers were terribly low this year. Bobcats aka Felis rufus are getting a few I'm sure Blake...
 
Over here there was a better 2 year old crop of gobblers. Good to hear gobbling again.
Lower weights yes.
 
Shredder said:
I am curious as to what the disease is. Our numbers were terribly low this year. Bobcats aka Felis rufus are getting a few I'm sure Blake...
Click to expand...

We are in SE Iowa, NE Davis County.

Our turkey numbers are a fraction of what they were even 5 years ago, I would estimate maybe 20% of what they were just a few years back. I know we have had some tougher winters and definitely cool, wet springs that have most likely reduced nesting success but I continue to find dead adult carcasses.

I found two more earlier this spring and in almost 30 years of being in the spring turkey woods I have never before found dead adult turkeys until last year. I, or my sons, have now found 5 separate dead adult turkeys in a little more than a year and I know neighboring landowners have found several more. Something is up and poor nesting conditions does not explain the dead birds that we have found.
 
Things seemed pretty normal around my area, although the bird I shot was just shy of 21 pounds. Then again, one of the birds I shot last year on the same property was pretty close to that as well. Another guy who hunts that property took a 28-pounder this year. Both my wife's and brother's birds were pretty average. Nothing out of the ordinary around here.

-Longspurs-
 
In the areas I hunt the numbers were up this year, but my dad's bird, my bird, and a bird one of my friends shot were all around 20 lbs. My friend's bird was 18 lbs, 10" beard.
 
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