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Anyone else discouraged by the season opener?

scn said:
You are right on differences in the "hot" period. Just like with the deer season and rut, it is impossible in this "long" state to have a common peak period. Where I hunt in mid-TN it is usually cranked up when it opens, and I like it as early as possible. Where my buddy hunts in ETN it usually is a couple of weeks behind what I am seeing and hearing. Hopefully some of those folks will hit it right this year.
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Any chance we could ever see units for turkey season with staggered opening dates? Later is better for Plateau birds also.
 
VolDoug said:
scn said:
You are right on differences in the "hot" period. Just like with the deer season and rut, it is impossible in this "long" state to have a common peak period. Where I hunt in mid-TN it is usually cranked up when it opens, and I like it as early as possible. Where my buddy hunts in ETN it usually is a couple of weeks behind what I am seeing and hearing. Hopefully some of those folks will hit it right this year.
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Any chance we could ever see units for turkey season with staggered opening dates? Later is better for Plateau birds also.
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I've learned never to say never on anything, but I doubt it. With the length of the season that we have everybody should have some hot periods. Multiple open dates would complicate things a great deal for law enforcement purposes.
 
Wes Parrish said:
I think it normally opens on the weekend closest to April 1st.
Sometimes this is in March, sometimes this is in April.

Personally, I'm glad to see it opening on April 3rd intead of March 27th (the prior Saturday). Other than our turkey limit being too many, I think TWRA is doing a fine job with the turkey regs.

Also, if I'm thinking correctly, TWRA has "x" number of weekends/days for which turky hunting is going to be legal. That last weekend in May is often better than than a weekend in March, and we'll have the same number of days to turkey hunt regardless of when it opens.
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you would be correct
 
I researched the start dates all the way back to 2002. It started once on April 3rd....in 2004. I wonder how that years number of birds taken compares with the rest? I understand that you have to have a "reboot" and maybe start April 1 every now and then, but April 3rd is just too late (around here).


Edit: From an article I read...In 2005, Tennessee turkey hunters failed to set a new harvest record for the first time in 21 consecutive years.

The start date for 2005? April 2nd. (I admit that there could be some other factors contributing though too...weather etc. because I don't remember)
 
luvtohunt, I am not trying to disregard what you are saying but, April 3rd is not too late for West TN. You are only looking at a difference of 3 days versus it opening the last day of march.

The birds continue to be killable well into the last part of march.

Here is a picture of a bird I killed last year in GA on the last day of their season. Check the date on the pic, 5/15/09, the temp that day was 98 degrees. I was also 70 miles from the Florida border. I spent 3 days there and worked birds the entire trip, morning and afternoon. This was also not the first time I have killed birds way south, late in the season, and if they are still gobbling etc etc, that far south in mid may, then they are still doing the same here as well. Which has also been proven many times over.

The main reason folks have bad late seasons is because of things that they do during the early season, mainly putting ridiculous pressure on henned up birds or continuously spooking birds where they hunt. Hunt smart, and the late season can be better then the early season. With the exception of snakes and bugs :)

GAturkeypics014.jpg
 
Well I personally am just glad to get to turkey hunt period. I remember growing up I never even gave it a thought, why? Because in west tennessee where I grew up, turkeys were never even seen. I never saw my first real live turkey until a few years ago.... right around the time I started to hunt them..... They may have been in Benton County before but I never saw them.... maybe they were just not as plentiful as they are in areas back then..... But I will hunt just the same no matter when it opens..... weather, work, happenings, or whatever..... anything can affect my time in the woods, but I will be there when I can regardless...
 
Setterman said:
luvtohunt, I am not trying to disregard what you are saying but, April 3rd is not too late for West TN. You are only looking at a difference of 3 days versus it opening the last day of march.

The birds continue to be killable well into the last part of march.

Here is a picture of a bird I killed last year in GA on the last day of their season. Check the date on the pic, 5/15/09, the temp that day was 98 degrees. I was also 70 miles from the Florida border. I spent 3 days there and worked birds the entire trip, morning and afternoon. This was also not the first time I have killed birds way south, late in the season, and if they are still gobbling etc etc, that far south in mid may, then they are still doing the same here as well. Which has also been proven many times over.

The main reason folks have bad late seasons is because of things that they do during the early season, mainly putting ridiculous pressure on henned up birds or continuously spooking birds where they hunt. Hunt smart, and the late season can be better then the early season. With the exception of snakes and bugs :)

GAturkeypics014.jpg
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Nice bird man. It is not too late to kill some birds...I agree, but 3 days could be 3 birds....when they are hot. That is all I am trying to say. However, if it opened on March 27, it would actually be 5 days.
 
I'm ready for it to open sometime around Jan 1st of each year. The sooner it opens, the better.

I usually start off hot and heavy as well and kill two or three birds the first few days of the season, however, I've also killed many birds late in the season. The lull around mid April is my third favorite time to hunt. ( Notice I said third favorite :D any time during the season is a good time in my book :) )
 
I would like to see a permanent opening date such as April 1st or the first Saturday in April for all the people that prefer the opening day to be a Saturday.
 
Baxter83 said:
Wes Parrish said:
Also, if I'm thinking correctly, TWRA has "x" number of weekends/days for which turky hunting is going to be legal. That last weekend in May is often better than than a weekend in March, and we'll have the same number of days to turkey hunt regardless of when it opens.
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ding ding ding
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ding
 
I'm happy my wife's April birthday doesnt fall on a weekend this year. her birthday and Easter Sunday I dont hunt. the rest of the time, I'm game. it bothers me more that April is inventory month at work than more than anything.
 
luvtohunt said:
Setterman said:
luvtohunt, I am not trying to disregard what you are saying but, April 3rd is not too late for West TN. You are only looking at a difference of 3 days versus it opening the last day of march.

The birds continue to be killable well into the last part of march.

Here is a picture of a bird I killed last year in GA on the last day of their season. Check the date on the pic, 5/15/09, the temp that day was 98 degrees. I was also 70 miles from the Florida border. I spent 3 days there and worked birds the entire trip, morning and afternoon. This was also not the first time I have killed birds way south, late in the season, and if they are still gobbling etc etc, that far south in mid may, then they are still doing the same here as well. Which has also been proven many times over.

The main reason folks have bad late seasons is because of things that they do during the early season, mainly putting ridiculous pressure on henned up birds or continuously spooking birds where they hunt. Hunt smart, and the late season can be better then the early season. With the exception of snakes and bugs :)

GAturkeypics014.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice bird man. It is not too late to kill some birds...I agree, but 3 days could be 3 birds....when they are hot. That is all I am trying to say. However, if it opened on March 27, it would actually be 5 days.
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree, you are right there are 2 periods during turkey season when things are just right and you can kill one every time you walk in the woods. Early it happens, and then again late.
 

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