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Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't whine

Southern Sportsman

Southern Sportsman

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I borrowed scn's post from the other thread to make sure everyone sees it. Many of us (myself included) have complained about the population decline and want something to be done. This is how to get something done. Agency law has a lot of flaws (at both the Federal and State level), but it is a system through which the agency is supposed to solicit and respond to public input. If the agency doesn't receive input, they don't often make changes. Send them your input.


scn":1zqq0y24 said:
Here is the TWRA link to all of the Commissioners: https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/twra/tenn ... .html#meet

The TFWC meeting where they will vote on the hunting season for the next two years is this Thursday afternoon. If you can't go to voice your opinion on the turkey season, each of their email addresses is there when you click on each name. I can about assure you that a flurry of email activity requesting a more restricted season than recommended by TWRA will be read, and just might carry some weight. By the same token, doing nothing beyond voicing concerns on social media like TNDeer will do nothing to move towards some changes. Your choice.

I've been told that comments that are relatively short, POLITE, and to the point usually are the best received.
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Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

Agreed, we need 10 or 15 people there. I just finished watching the April commission meeting segment regarding the status of turkeys in TN. I greatly appreciate Steve's representation and his willingness to address the commission. I certainly get the feel that Bill Cox is the guy to call/ email/ contact. He seems to be the most willing of the commissioners to actually challenge/ question TWRA's recommendation for no season changes for the next 2 years.

Work here in MS precludes me from being able to attend in person, but after watching the segment, I have sent Mr Cox an email (in addition to my local commissioner and the at large commissioners) urging the need for changes in regulations to mitigate the decline.

The most informative portion of the presentation was the graph showing population trends by region. The decline in Region 2 is impressive over the past decade.

I completely agree that if we do not show up at the commission meeting Thursday, the commission will rubberstamp TWRA's recommendation there be no changes to the current season structure.
 
Unfortunately complaining on TnDeer and sending emails takes up a lot less time than me going to a meeting.
Someday I would love to make one, sadly time does not allow for me to at this moment as my other priorities are further up the list.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

I have been at the last several meetings. There seems to be some movement to reduce the bag and/or change the fall season. Some commissioners are very concerned about this issue.
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

megalomaniac":3drnbhhv said:
I certainly get the feel that Bill Cox is the guy to call/ email/ contact. He seems to be the most willing of the commissioners to actually challenge/ question TWRA's recommendation for no season changes for the next 2 years.
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I was really glad to see Bill Cox being so vocal about multiple issues that needing addressed at last months meeting. :whip: :whip: Everything he touched on were issues and complaints we're dealing with here in SW Tennessee. Especially his remark on the lack of data driven decisions, I was wondering exactly what he referring to. Once the Region 1 Wildlife Coordinator made his presentation, I soon realized that was probably why. That guy made his self look really unprepared. :shock: :shock:

Since the first of the year, I've sent emails regarding issues and voiced my concerns about them. I'd always get a response back from Bill. The other Commissioners would never reply.

I wish more of our Commissioners were more eager in speaking out and being like Bill. :smash: :smash:
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

UpperTully":6kkf2c4x said:
megalomaniac":6kkf2c4x said:
I certainly get the feel that Bill Cox is the guy to call/ email/ contact. He seems to be the most willing of the commissioners to actually challenge/ question TWRA's recommendation for no season changes for the next 2 years.
Click to expand...

I was really glad to see Bill Cox being so vocal about multiple issues that needing addressed at last months meeting. :whip: :whip: Everything he touched on were issues and complaints we're dealing with here in SW Tennessee. Especially his remark on the lack of data driven decisions, I was wondering exactly what he referring to. Once the Region 1 Wildlife Coordinator made his presentation, I soon realized that was probably why. That guy made his self look really unprepared. :shock: :shock:

Since the first of the year, I've sent emails regarding issues and voiced my concerns about them. I'd always get a response back from Bill. The other Commissioners would never reply.

I wish more of our Commissioners were more eager in speaking out and being like Bill way. :smash: :smash:
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Bad thing is this is Bills last year.
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

For some reason I was thinking Commission appointments took place with the fiscal year change.
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

I'll ask to be sure when I'm there Thursday but he told me this was his last year. Commissioner Cook will also listen to what you think.
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

AT Hiker":bbn9v2pm said:
Unfortunately complaining on TnDeer and sending emails takes up a lot less time than me going to a meeting.
Someday I would love to make one, sadly time does not allow for me to at this moment as my other priorities are further up the list.
Click to expand...

I won't be able to make it in person either, but like scn said, a flurry of emails heading into the meeting is a lot better than nothing.
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

Beekeeper":2cp7dzzl said:
I'll ask to be sure when I'm there Thursday but he told me this was his last year. Commissioner Cook will also listen to what you think.
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Let me know what you find out.

I haven't always been fond of Bill Cox, but he's on top of it now. I applaud him for that!
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

Mr. Cox took the time to respond to my email yesterday. I don't get the feeling he is interested in pushing for a delay in season opener, but he is going to push hard for elimination of fall hen hunting. It's something, but in all reality, saving 400 hens statewide in the fall won't make much of a difference. I wrote him a book in response explaining turkey population dynamics, hope he can actually make it through all that one :)
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

Email sent yesterday to my area commissioner, the 4 overall commissioners, and the ones shown on the agenda for tomorrow as being on the big game season setting committee.

Hello Ladies and Gentleman,

I wanted to start this out to say thank you for what you do as commissioners to help keep TN as a great place to hunt and fish. I am sending this email to bring some concerns up on the current turkey population in the state. I understand the next two season's hunting regulations will be voted on this week, and although I can't make the meeting would like to voice my concerns with the turkey population and TWRA's current management practice with turkeys.

I don't think that it is a secret that there is major concern in the turkey hunting community with the current status of the TN turkey population all over the state. There are turkeys in isolated pockets, and I was very fortunate to hunt in one of those areas this year with a good population of gobblers. I am still not seeing the amount of hens and jakes the past few years as normal which is the future of our turkey population. I am also not seeing or hearing any turkeys in a lot of places that had plenty of turkeys a few years ago. Some people say that we have reached carrying capacity which may be true in some areas that exceeded capacity, however, that doesn't explain the sudden void of turkeys in many areas that have good turkey habitat. I see that many of you have pictures of turkeys in your profile pictures on the commission website and feel confident that some of you are seeing the same thing in your areas.

We just finished up the 2018 season which is the first year in many, many years that TN has killed under 30,000 birds. Some people say it is the weather, but I had good weather most days that I hunted, and this isn't the only year that we have seen inconsistent weather in TN. TWRA has been using kill data for the past several years to manage the state which I think is a bad idea. With the increased number of turkey hunters, increased spring limit from 2 to 3 to now 4, and more efficient methods of killing turkeys in terms of shells, male turkey decoys, etc., the kill number is only one piece of the puzzle that should be looked at. Using the kill numbers as a big part of the equation is not a good idea, when hunter participation is increased along with more efficient killing methods which can increase the kill number showing a false positive in term of the population but result in a huge decline in the following years which I fear we are seeing this year.

Now, I know that the turkey population is not in danger but ask that the commission consider being proactive in the management of our turkey population for years to come. I would like to see a decreased limit of male turkeys from 4 to either 2 or 3 and cut out all hen killing in the Fall. I would also like to see the limit be a yearly bag limit of turkeys for Spring and Fall with the Fall limit only being 1 male turkey. Others have suggested pushing the season back at least two weeks to allow more hens to get bred when there is a limited supply of gobblers in an area which I am okay with as well. I would just like to see something done with the current regulations on turkeys before it is too late. I am not a biologist, but I am an outdoorsman who spends many days afield and can see the concern with the current turkey population.

Thanks for your time and consideration
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

I received my response from Commissioner Cox already! Sounds like he would support limit change to 3 maybe and eliminate fall hunting of hens. And according to commissioner Cox "The boys don't lay the eggs" . No response to season being pushed back. And also does not seem to feel there is any population crash just a couple wet springs.
 
Re: Go to the meeting, contact your commissioner, or don't w

Mr Cox is representing the Commission well. Glad to see everybody getting responses back!
 

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