Firebreaks and Fly Downs — April 25, 2024

Firebreaks and Fly Downs is a new weekly update where NWTF biologists cover the duality of the NWTF mission — conservation and hunting. We will discuss current conservation efforts on a regional basis and what the birds are doing to help keep you informed this spring. New "episodes" of Firebreaks and Fly Downs will be available every Thursday at 7 p.m. EDT on the NWTF's YouTube channel.

Ricky Lackey - NWTF District Biologist (FL, SC, GA)

• Conservation: Throughout the costal plains areas of the South East, there are lots of hens on the nest, so don't be surprised if you see lone hens on the landscape while you are out hunting.
• Hunting: This past Sunday was the last day of the season for FL. It seems like hunters finished the season pretty strong. I am looking forward to seeing what the harvest numbers look like..

John Burk - NWTF District Biologist (MO, IL, IA)

• Conservation: NWTF Iowa just completed an oak savanna restoration project in southeast portion of the state at the Wapsi Bottoms WMA. Oak savannas and open woodlands are excellent turkey nesting and brood rearing habitat.
• Hunting: What I am hearing from others and experiencing myself are pretty quiet mornings where birds gobble a very few times on the limb and then it's down and done. This is happening for a couple of reasons. Our good hatch last year created lots of jakes and jennys. Jake gangs hunt down and beat up vocal adult gobblers and a large percentage of jennys don't nest. Gobblers don't like getting beat up and figure out that when they gobble in a jake rich environment, that is going to be the likely outcome. Gobblers also do not know that the majority of jennys don't nest. Gobblers with hens don't gobble much and there are a lot of jennys out there right now. Despite tough conditions folks are still figuring out how to get it done on the big boys. In Missouri, the harvest currently stands at just shy of 30,000 with almost 2 weeks left and only 19 percent of that total are jakes.

Clayton Lenk - NWTF District Biologist (MN, WI, ND, SD)

• Conservation: NWTF Wisconsin just allocated funding for a 196 acre acquisition in southwest Wisconsin in the Driftless area. The acquisition will add to the nearly 1,200 acres of public land owned and managed by the Wisconsin DNR.
• Hunting: Minnesota and Wisconsin seasons are wrapping up their first week of seasons, and from what I hear, there are lots of birds all around. Several good hatch years for these two states have created lots of jakes and jennys which makes for a lot of action when out in the woods. More and more lone hens are being spotted, indicating that nesting has begun for some.

To listen to full interviews from all NWTF conservation staffers, please check out the Firebreaks and Fly Downs April 25 edition.