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COVID saves the turkeys

I'm starting to hope they shut down the state for a little while and only allow essential workers out lol... the amount of people in the woods could really hurt the population in some areas. It would make sense if TWRA imposed a 1 or 2 bird limit for the duration of the virus


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catman529":2mxoiokc said:
I'm starting to hope they shut down the state for a little while and only allow essential workers out lol... the amount of people in the woods could really hurt the population in some areas. It would make sense if TWRA imposed a 1 or 2 bird limit for the duration of the virus


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They say very few people kill 4 birds. TWRA has been trying to say normal population fluctuations are expected no impact from limits.


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Catman or any other travelling out of state this past weekend, was it less crowded than the weekend before? Some states are closing borders (Florida, Texas) to nonessential traffic and imposing 14d quarantines for those that do cross. It certainly is a very fluid situation, and changes seem to happen almost daily.

But yes, as of right now, the number of people on public seems to be ridiculous. I've never hunted Desoto before, so I can't compare to years prior, but I've only found one spot that doesn't have more than one set of boot tracks going in. Most places I've been to have at least 6 or 7 sets of tracks. And these aren't easy places to get to... gotta be hardcore to crash and claw through several hundred yards of Katrina damaged timber to get to the more open hardwood bottoms where the turkeys are living.
 
I was out for both weekends of the Georgia season on the same WMA. It was very crowded both weekends. There was even a fair amount of pressure during the week. I actually had lot more trouble finding camping space the 2nd weekend. I got to one spot 2 hours before daylight and there was already multiple trucks there. I'm not sure how that particular WMA can withstand the pressure.
 
megalomaniac":28perr1u said:
Catman or any other travelling out of state this past weekend, was it less crowded than the weekend before? Some states are closing borders (Florida, Texas) to nonessential traffic and imposing 14d quarantines for those that do cross. It certainly is a very fluid situation, and changes seem to happen almost daily.

But yes, as of right now, the number of people on public seems to be ridiculous. I've never hunted Desoto before, so I can't compare to years prior, but I've only found one spot that doesn't have more than one set of boot tracks going in. Most places I've been to have at least 6 or 7 sets of tracks. And these aren't easy places to get to... gotta be hardcore to crash and claw through several hundred yards of Katrina damaged timber to get to the more open hardwood bottoms where the turkeys are living.
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pretty crowded both weekends. Maybe less out of state hunters the second weekend but a LOT more hunters on the wma that opened a week late. I'm more worried about locals out of work than out of state hunters. So many people who are out of work have been scouting the middle TN public lands hard the past couple weeks. It's going to be a slaughter fest


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AL was a crap show this weekend. I've hunted public land in over half the U.S. and this weekend rivaled anything I've ever seen.

Kind of funny seeing catman worried considering he has helped contribute to the rise in pressure on certain areas.
 
th88":i4dn8qny said:
AL was a crap show this weekend. I've hunted public land in over half the U.S. and this weekend rivaled anything I've ever seen.

Kind of funny seeing catman worried considering he has helped contribute to the rise in pressure on certain areas.
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apples to oranges. This virus and people off work is going to have everywhere swamped, not just certain areas. Now if you want to say I have much to do with it, let's look at one area for example... Cheatham WMA. I've never killed a thing at cheatham WMA, and I've spent a total of 2 hours on the place in my whole life. Yet it's one of the heaviest hunted WMAs in the state. Buddy of mine saw 9 trucks parked down one road one day during the week last week, all scouting for turkey season, on a weekday when people are usually at work. Who caused the rise in pressure there? Maybe it takes more than one person to ruin a spot... maybe people telling their buddies and posting on Facebook groups is the real problem. I bet you couldn't name half of the places I hunt.


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I was in Alabama after the Saturday morning juvenile hunt. I went to a different area then I was in the first weekend and some during opening week of Bama. The area I was in until yesterday was not near as bad as the first place I went but several people out and about. My license expired so now I am just waiting on TN!
 
Anyone headed to Yanahli may want to make sure they get there plenty early if they want a parking spot. I walk out there almost everyday to escape the home/office (I've been doing that long before covid was a thing). The place has become a zoo with people scouting for turkeys. How do I know they're scouting for turkeys: 1. they ask me if I've seen any, and 2. they're test driving their turkey calls while there (illegally). Some days its hard to find an access that doesn't have one or more trucks already parked at it. Then, add in all the bird watchers, dog walkers, and families trying to escape the covid doldrums, that place will be a madhouse this year.

Thank God I have private land to hunt, if I decide to go. I just can't get excited about it with everything that is going on right now.
 
th88":1uuexfez said:
Kind of funny seeing catman worried considering he has helped contribute to the rise in pressure on certain areas.
Click to expand...
[emoji23]


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Lets be honest public land and its opportunities are seeing more publicity now then they ever have before and I believe the traveling turkey hunter is also a growing segment.. Saw two guys in Bpro the other day decked out in The Hunting Public gear but I have never seen them on YT...? I totally support and watch these shows and Catman but we knew this was going to happen.. Just no way around it.. if I could get out of lockdown I would be heading to scout WMA's myself

I don't even know what TN non resident license is but it has to be astronomical figuring our in state is higher than most NR licenses...?

I agree wmas are probably going to be hit hard but for some of us with kids its the opposite. I always work from home but with my kids out of school I will probably be hunting less and traveling none...

Hopefully the crowds subside after the opener and things get back to normal soon!
 

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