Fall seasons gone for some counties?

[woodsman87]

Maury county apparently hasn't had a set back, therefore can take some hen killing.

Maury County's spring harvest was down 12% from last year. Although one year is not a good sample, and there are factors such as weather, a 12% decline sounds substantial. Especially after the great jumps of years past. If the killing of hens is important to middle TN hunters, so be it. I'm just glad to see west TN improving and I'm seeing turkeys where I never have before.

I don't believe it is important to middle TN hunters, it definately isn't to me anyways.

This springs weather was basically the same as last spring, a cold late spring. About the only difference is opening day. 2013 was cool, clear, and awesome. 2014 was raining hard, at least this was what it is like where I was at.

And 2012 was the early spring, with opening day where I was at foggy and rainy. To get an idea on what the harvest tells, you have to look at several years.
Giles and Lawrence perfect examples. Been steadying downward for several years. And I don't go by just harvest numbers, I go by what I see and hear as well as my friends around these parts. 2006-2014. Big time decline.

 

[Spurhunter]

I don't believe it is important to middle TN hunters, it definately isn't to me anyways.

I certainly shouldn't have stereotyped all middle TN hunters as hen killers. As far as fall hunting, it's not for me. I don't enjoy it. However, I don't have a problem with it. I only have a problem with flock shooting (wonder how many birds are shot and never recovered) and hen killing. Those two things seem to give fall turkey hunting a bad name. If you are a real turkey hunter that busts the flock, calls a gobbler in, and kills him, that's no different than killing him opening day of spring. Except he won't breed hens, but I'm sure his buddies will take up the slack.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

I do not hate it at all. A huge population decline is what bothers me. How many hens are killed in the fall vs. the spring?
1205 last fall, and 261 this past spring. That is almost 1500 nests that didnt get made! Killing males doesn't hurt it as much, but I think we need to go to a 2 or 3 bird limit.

Owls will kill more turkeys than those numbers combined in prolly a week across the whole state.

That doesnt have anything to do with a fall season.

 

[Roost 1]

I do not hate it at all. A huge population decline is what bothers me. How many hens are killed in the fall vs. the spring?
1205 last fall, and 261 this past spring. That is almost 1500 nests that didnt get made! Killing males doesn't hurt it as much, but I think we need to go to a 2 or 3 bird limit.

Owls will kill more turkeys than those numbers combined in prolly a week across the whole state.

That doesnt have anything to do with a fall season.

I think you missed my point.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

I think your point was there is alot of hens killed. We have no control over owl predation, but we do have control of what we as hunters kill.

 

[260rem]

Here we go again hunter vs. hunter boys if it's legal let it go!!!!!!!! TWRA is doing a great job. There are millions of people that wants to stop hunting.

 

[Roost 1]

I think your point was there is alot of hens killed. We have no control over owl predation, but we do have control of what we as hunters kill.

Actually my point is that owls will kill more turkeys in a week than all Tn hunters will in the fall season. With that being said eliminating the fall season will not fix the problem.... IMO those counties with problems need the spring limits lowered and possibly a later start date..let the hens get bred before shooting the gobs...
Also I would like to kno how twra figures and makes allowances for untagged birds.... I suspect that don't help things either.

 

[redblood]

I wish the Fall turkey season was eliminated statewide.
Makes almost as much sense as deer hunting in April.
Least that's how I see it.

agree

 

[Setterman]

Here we go again hunter vs. hunter boys if it's legal let it go!!!!!!!! TWRA is doing a great job. There are millions of people that wants to stop hunting.

Nothing more naive than this statement in my opinion. Abortions are legal, but I certainly don't agree with them as I am sure a bunch of folks here don't as well. There is an endless list of stuff that is legal, but that doesn't always mean it is right, or that you should just go along with it like some cowering sheep.

Unlike this approach and opinion, I stand up for things I don't believe in, period. Right or wrong, I was born with a spine and am not afraid to voice an opinion when I find something I do not go along with.

 

[Spurhunter]

Here we go again hunter vs. hunter boys if it's legal let it go!!!!!!!! TWRA is doing a great job. There are millions of people that wants to stop hunting.

Nothing more naive than this statement in my opinion. Abortions are legal, but I certainly don't agree with them as I am sure a bunch of folks here don't as well. There is an endless list of stuff that is legal, but that doesn't always mean it is right, or that you should just go along with it like some cowering sheep.

Unlike this approach and opinion, I stand up for things I don't believe in, period. Right or wrong, I was born with a spine and am not afraid to voice an opinion when I find something I do not go along with.

Well stated Setterman. I get the hunter vs. hunter thing but we are responsible for our resources. We owe it to our children and future generations to speak up. I am not a TWRA basher by any means. We have some great hunting in Tennessee. But, when your agency ignores the advice of top turkey biologists and so far has refused to implement zones or units for turkeys I can't applaud that. We basically have a deer behind every tree in TN and we manage them with the utmost care. Turkeys deserve more attention than timber goats in my opinion. Using blanket regulations across a state as diverse in turkey habitat and populations as TN is just unacceptable.

 

[catman529]

Here we go again hunter vs. hunter boys if it's legal let it go!!!!!!!! TWRA is doing a great job. There are millions of people that wants to stop hunting.

Nothing more naive than this statement in my opinion. Abortions are legal, but I certainly don't agree with them as I am sure a bunch of folks here don't as well. There is an endless list of stuff that is legal, but that doesn't always mean it is right, or that you should just go along with it like some cowering sheep.

Unlike this approach and opinion, I stand up for things I don't believe in, period. Right or wrong, I was born with a spine and am not afraid to voice an opinion when I find something I do not go along with.

Well stated Setterman. I get the hunter vs. hunter thing but we are responsible for our resources. We owe it to our children and future generations to speak up. I am not a TWRA basher by any means. We have some great hunting in Tennessee. But, when your agency ignores the advice of top turkey biologists and so far has refused to implement zones or units for turkeys I can't applaud that. We basically have a deer behind every tree in TN and we manage them with the utmost care. Turkeys deserve more attention than timber goats in my opinion. Using blanket regulations across a state as diverse in turkey habitat and populations as TN is just unacceptable.

if deer are timber goats, then turkeys are feathered rats. Deer are just as important as turkeys and some people care much more about them (like you do about turkeys) and some parts of tn have very low deer densities just as some parts of tn have very low turkey numbers. Twra can't just worship the turkey god of biologists and ignore what the hunters as a whole want. I hear some people don't want so many turkeys so keeping the population in check is important too isn't it? The agency has a lot on their hands and not endless money, so I'm not going to expect them to meet my every desire to regulate turkeys for the most ideal population in every county.

 

[4onaside]

For those of you who are foaming at the mouth to shoot hen turkeys, great, have at it! Just stay the hell away from NE Decatur county with those practices. I enjoy the limited fall season in our area, but its self-imposed gobblers only. Being out there amongst 'em and encountering male turkeys is the name of the game. For those of you who don't understand the consequences of shooting the egg layers whatever time of year, well.......

 

[deerchaser007]

I have nothing against fall turkey hunting, nor against hen killing. To each their own. What I do have a problem with is setting ridiculously high limits before any research is complete on poult production from spring hatches in any county. It is no secret to anyone that much of the state has had poorer and poorer poult production since the mid 2000's. BUT, instead of setting realistic limits like 1 or 2, its has many as 6 in some areas per hunter. In no way is this biologically correct and it does not protect the resource. It is just terrible management practices.
I got a idea, I hear maury county is over run with turkey. Lets all go to yanalli when fall season opens, bust them up, then each of us take out 6 per hunter.Then, when we kill out most of that population, we can move on to the next, then the next, etc,etc. From what I read that's TWRA's answer, when your population gets low, just move on to another part of the state, and make it low too. That's some serious management practices there folks!!

 

[Spurhunter]

I got a idea, I hear maury county is over run with turkey. Lets all go to yanalli when fall season opens, bust them up, then each of us take out 6 per hunter.

I suspect Yanahli's day is coming. I went up for two days in April and ran into guys from as far away as the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I asked them what they were doing so far from home and they said "There aren't any turkeys back home. According to the internet Yanahli has one behind every tree. We got a week to find out." Nothing lasts forever.

 

[woodsman87]

Here we go again hunter vs. hunter boys if it's legal let it go!!!!!!!! TWRA is doing a great job. There are millions of people that wants to stop hunting.

Nothing more naive than this statement in my opinion. Abortions are legal, but I certainly don't agree with them as I am sure a bunch of folks here don't as well. There is an endless list of stuff that is legal, but that doesn't always mean it is right, or that you should just go along with it like some cowering sheep.

Unlike this approach and opinion, I stand up for things I don't believe in, period. Right or wrong, I was born with a spine and am not afraid to voice an opinion when I find something I do not go along with.

Well stated Setterman. I get the hunter vs. hunter thing but we are responsible for our resources. We owe it to our children and future generations to speak up. I am not a TWRA basher by any means. We have some great hunting in Tennessee. But, when your agency ignores the advice of top turkey biologists and so far has refused to implement zones or units for turkeys I can't applaud that. We basically have a deer behind every tree in TN and we manage them with the utmost care. Turkeys deserve more attention than timber goats in my opinion. Using blanket regulations across a state as diverse in turkey habitat and populations as TN is just unacceptable.

I like those thoughts Spur Hunter. I have always thought that the people in charge care more about the deer than turkeys. I guess I cannot blame them, the money is spent for bucks with big antlers, not gobbling two year olds.

I believe it should be the other way around. Other than newborn fawns, deer don't really have any natural predators. Turkeys are getting eaten by everything from the egg for the rest of their life. Turkeys are so much more delicate than deer.

I may make some people mad, but I don't care. I would like for the deer population in my areas to be lowered substantially. I would still like enough to hunt for. But, when you hit one in your car twice in one year, and your type of insurance don't cover it, you will think about it. When deer are devouring your hayfields, you will think about it. When deer eat your food plots to the dirt and stealing it from turkeys. We gotup with the NRCS and plant food plots and trees for future wildlife habitats. So far it isn't working out, because the dang pine goats eat the buds right off of every tree everytime it sprouts. across 100 acres of planted hardwoods and pine. There is nothing we can do with the money and land we have. We cannot go and plant alternate food sources other than the food plots we already have for the deer to graze down instead of our trees.

 

[woodsman87]

I got a idea, I hear maury county is over run with turkey. Lets all go to yanalli when fall season opens, bust them up, then each of us take out 6 per hunter.

I suspect Yanahli's day is coming. I went up for two days in April and ran into guys from as far away as the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I asked them what they were doing so far from home and they said "There aren't any turkeys back home. According to the internet Yanahli has one behind every tree. We got a week to find out." Nothing lasts forever.

I agree with this as well. I was so close to hunting Yanahli many times this season because it is only about an hour or so drive( Which is well worth it to me for turkeys, because there sure aint none in my vicinity.) I never did because so many people advertise about how good Yanahli is, I knew that I would run into hunters everywhere I went. I still have some decent private places an hour or two away, so that is where I spent my time.

I just hate how people think that just because it is within the law, people think it is perfectly ok an ethical to do.

I try not to bash and belittle people for shooting what they want. It is none of my business, its their license, their land, or whatever. I just do not agree with the way some people think and hunt now a days. It just aint like it used to be, and I think it is going for the worse.

 

[Setterman]

Woodsman, I agree with your thoughts and really don't want to get involved with what other folks do with their tags or time. However, if I feel it is or could negatively affect the population, sport, or hunting in general I'm not afraid to speak out against something even if it's legal.

I think there's no more naive stance than if it's legal than its fine.

 

[woodsman87]

Woodsman, I agree with your thoughts and really don't want to get involved with what other folks do with their tags or time. However, if I feel it is or could negatively affect the population, sport, or hunting in general I'm not afraid to speak out against something even if it's legal.

I think there's no more naive stance than if it's legal than its fine.

We are definately in the minority, just like the conservative views and people of our country.

 

[Spurhunter]

I was so close to hunting Yanahli many times this season because it is only about an hour or so drive( Which is well worth it to me for turkeys, because there sure aint none in my vicinity.) I never did because so many people advertise about how good Yanahli is, I knew that I would run into hunters everywhere I went.

It was fairly crowded and we went during the week. We had 2 hunts screwed up by numbskulls out walking around with gobbling birds close by. I hate public land. I had forgotten why I quit putting in for public hunts. As long as I have good private land to hunt I will probably not go back but if I was as close as you are I would be tempted.

 

[arkwaterfowler]

Compared to the hunting 20 years ago, I think the Tennessee turkey hunting is great. If you think the TWRA biologists are wrong, send them a letter and copy the commissioners. With the harvest numbers quoted I think statistically it will amount to nothing to stop the fall season in areas with healthy populations. But, it may make people feel better.