From a biological standpoint, the declines in harvest don't concern me. Turkeys are very susceptible to changes in habitat, food availability and weather conditions during the brood-rearing period. Populations are going to fluctuate. Statistically, I don't think these declines are that significant. |
I rarely see or read about it. |
It's extremely difficult to lower the coyote numbers. They are an extremely adaptive animal, and extremely effective. |
South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and some other states in the Southeast are posting similar trends. There's still room for flocks (in some areas of Kentucky) to grow, but we're not going to see the dramatic increases (in flock size or hunter harvest) that we did in the past. |
This would create a market for the sale of coyotes in Kentucky. That opens a big door for disease. |
We'll keep a close eye on what happens this spring. If there are any big declines, we could make adjustments to the season structure. |