• Help Support TNDeer:

Hunting technique poll results

Southern Sportsman said:
The longterm success and wellbeing of the resource is first priority. Hunter opportunity is second. There is clearly a problem. There are well reasoned, well supported recommendations from extremely qualified sources on ways to address the problem. Rejecting those just so we don't give an inch on hunter opportunity is the opposite of conservation.

As for males, they don't "protect the brood." They are necessary to produce it.

I'm happy to elaborate when I get settled in tonight. About to pick kids up. But you didn't answer my question. On what do you base your claim that dominant males have nothing to do with brood success?
Click to expand...
Conservation and conservation dollars is a direct product of hunter opportunity and success. You walk a fine line here. Not everyone has a lot of time to hunt. I know I will be juggling two baseball games and practices this season. Its kind of like cutting your marketing budget first if you're trying to save your business. You can guess what happens..

My definition of brooding success is survival from hatch to adult. The biologist says survival of the dominant male is important yet they also say all hens are being bred..

I think if you take away hunting opportunity and yeti it also doesn't correct population trends well that's a sinking ship..

Anyways Good luck this season.
 
Southern Sportsman said:
If TN did something like Alabama — say they delay the season to start the 2nd Saturday in April and prohibited decoys for the first two weeks — what would be your objection?
Click to expand...
Southern Sportsman said:
If TN did something like Alabama — say they delay the season to start the 2nd Saturday in April and prohibited decoys for the first two weeks — what would be your objection?
Click to expand...
None, I have no objection if Twra outlaws decoys period, however if they are legal and someone wants to use them who am I to complain
 
Bgoodman30 said:
My definition of brooding success is survival from hatch to adult. The biologist says survival of the dominant male is important yet they also say all hens are being bred..

Anyways Good luck this season.
Click to expand...

First, not all hens are being bred. In the middle TN study they have observed a nesting rate of 75%. That should be close to 100%. So one quarter of the available hens never sat on a nest.


D873E1B1-B707-4E8B-A6ED-BF7115EC5910.jpeg


Second, even the hens that are bred are being bred over a timespan roughly twice as long as it should be. We kill the gobblers too early and flocks of hens have to start over with the courtship process. The whole process takes much longer than it should so broods are hatched over months instead of weeks, which largely impedes predator swamping or "predator satiation" so more nests and more hens are predated.
 
Southern Sportsman said:
First, not all hens are being bred. In the middle TN study they have observed a nesting rate of 75%. That should be close to 100%. So one quarter of the available hens never sat on a nest.


View attachment 70765

Second, even the hens that are bred are being bred over a timespan roughly twice as long as it should be. We kill the gobblers too early and flocks of hens have to start over with the courtship process. The whole process takes much longer than it should so broods are hatched over months instead of weeks, which largely impedes predator swamping or "predator satiation" so more nests and more hens are predated.
Click to expand...

I agree but still solidly in the its something else category. I noticed henned up gobblers with 10 plus hens on almost unpressured ground with a very healthy turkey population on the last day of season.. Somethings going on but certainly not ready to blame it on over hunting or methods..
 
hbg1 said:
None, I have no objection if Twra outlaws decoys period, however if they are legal and someone wants to use them who am I to complain
Click to expand...


Then we probably don't disagree on much. I don't use decoys for a bunch of reasons. I think it is a much, much more rewarding and enjoyable experience without decoys. And I certainly have an opinion on respecting and maintaining the art of traditional turkey hunting. But I'm not going to waste this much time on a message board arguing that my method is better that some other method just out of principal.

I'm here because WE HAVE A PROBLEM. Turkey populations are declining. They have been declining for a long time across the southeast. We have a pretty good idea why. Like many area of science, every aspect cannot be proven with absolute certainty. But virtually all of the leading scientific authorities agree that we are starting hunting seasons too early — before peek breeding — which is adversely impacting reproduction.

Part of that problem is that we are disrupting the breeding and courtship process, often by killing dominant males very early. A dominant male can be killed early without a decoy, but it is very much the exception. With a decoy, it's the rule. So, with decoys, dominant males are now being killed in mass across the state on opening weekend.

Another part of the problem is that a LOT more people are turkey hunting now than 10 years ago. My opinion: A lot more people now turkey hunt because it is now a lot easier to kill a turkey than it use to be. It's a lot easier to kill a turkey now because of the prevalence of tents and decoys. Restrict decoy use and you'll save a lot of turkeys at a critical time in the breeding process.

I'm not here to bash those who use decoys. But I an unapologetically explaining why I want the F&WC to restrict the use of decoys, at least during the first two weeks, in conjunction with delaying start dates.
 
Bgoodman30 said:
I agree but still solidly in the its something else category. I noticed henned up gobblers with 10 plus hens on almost unpressured ground with a very healthy turkey population on the last day of season.. Somethings going on but certainly not ready to blame it on over hunting or methods..
Click to expand...

You're welcome to your opinion. But I would much, much rather Tennessee make substantial changes (at the urging of leading wildlife biologists) and be wrong, versus continually doing nothing and watching the population dwindle.
 
hbg1 said:
I don't understand the issue some of you have with a person that just goes hunting and uses whatever legal technique he chooses to kill a turkey. If it's legal, he enjoys it, and doesn't exceed the bag limit what is the issue? Hunting is about enjoyment, always has been for me.
Click to expand...
I agree. I don't understand reading several post on here lately what's going on. Is turkey hunting the new duck hunting ( my way is the only way, your wrong those are my birds). There's so much complaining about others ways and why my turkeys have disappeared. If you notice a decline in your flocks don't shoot as many and do something about it. Work on habitat, reduce predators , do anything that could help. Instead seems many would just rather complain and blam TWRA or the neighbors hunting tactics. Don't complain without putting in your part first. Everyone enjoys different parts of hunting for different reasons but all are hunters whether that's the way you do it or not. Hope everyone is successful in however they legally decide to hunt and enjoys the gift of being outdoors.
 
hbg1 said:
Almost like watching YouTube videos and concluding that everyone is hunting like that
Click to expand...
hhg1 - Sharing an observation from yesterday for those who do not think ultra real looking strutter decoys are deadly early season, and a TON of hunters use them with leaf off and visibility at it's greatest, thus increasing their effectiveness.

Mid afternoon yesterday, I scrolled through and scanned the Facebook Page "Tennessee Turkey Hunters", which is a cross section of turkey hunters all across the State. I read 20 adult men's post about success they had on the juvenile hunt. Some of the posts had short videos embedded. Small sample size, but you'll get the point. All but one kill pic/video had a fan, or decoy spread with a strutter decoy. One girl was holding up a fan in all of her pics to insinuate her and her adult guide had reaped/fanned her turkey. One gentleman and his son hunted hardwoods without decoys, called up a group of 8 jakes and the boy killed one. I like seeing kids have success as much as anyone (my mantra on this forum for the last 20+ years), but I really wish grown men my age and other mentors would teach scouting, woodsmanship, setup, and calling one in, at some point during the youth's outdoor experience. I know scouting takes times, woodsmanship and calling one in requires patience and is likely more boring in the kids eyes, and can be harder on a hunt by hunt basis, with less success per hour hunted, but the kids and turkeys deserve it. Instead, it appears to me grown men are teaching most grade-schoolers and the next generation "throw the decoy spread out, point your gun at them, this is the way to hunt and kill them".
 
hbg1 said:
Category 1-30
Category 2-24
Category 3-1
Category 4- 9

what can we learn from these results?
Click to expand...
I suspect one can learn a few things, even if they are just anecdotal observations. If you poll more seasoned accomplished turkey hunters (20+ years chasing them hard), many who cut their teeth and struggled years ago, but have kind of figured out the game so to speak, you will get more #1 answers. Most of these old heads like the bigger challenge and the occasional but satisfying success that comes with traditional style turkey hunting. Basically, you win some, you lose some, but you still love the "sport of the hunt" more with each passing day. It really is an obsession for many, thus why they are very deeply rooted in their beliefs.

Furthermore, I would bet a small fortune that if you poll new hunters (less than 5 years in the turkey woods, and especially those who watch and learn from hunting shows and YouTube), the majority will respond that decoys are a staple in what they consider "required tools" to kill a turkey. It is a mentality that has been taught and ingrained for a decade and one that is likely not going away any time soon.
 
Andy S. said:
I suspect one can learn a few things, even if they are just anecdotal observations. If you poll more seasoned accomplished turkey hunters (20+ years chasing them hard), many who cut their teeth and struggled years ago, but have kind of figured out the game so to speak, you will get more #1 answers. Most of these old heads like the bigger challenge and the occasional but satisfying success that comes with traditional style turkey hunting. Basically, you win some, you lose some, but you still love the "sport of the hunt" more with each passing day. It really is an obsession for many, thus why they are very deeply rooted in their beliefs.

Furthermore, I would bet a small fortune that if you poll new hunters (less than 5 years in the turkey woods, and especially those who watch and learn from hunting shows and YouTube), the majority will respond that decoys are a staple in what they consider "required tools" to kill a turkey. It is a mentality that has been taught and ingrained for a decade and one that is likely not going away any time soon.
Click to expand...
Excellent post!
 
Southern Sportsman said:
Another part of the problem is that a LOT more people are turkey hunting now than 10 years ago. My opinion: A lot more people now turkey hunt because it is now a lot easier to kill a turkey than it use to be. It's a lot easier to kill a turkey now because of the prevalence of tents and decoys. Restrict decoy use and you'll save a lot of turkeys at a critical time in the breeding process.
Click to expand...
Agree!

Another analogy would be if Roland Martins helicopter lure actually caught almost every bass you reeled it by... but especially vulnerable were the bedded females.

More fishermen, more effective techniques, and the population of bass plummets. Either stop fishing during the spawn or outlaw the magic helicopter lure.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top