REN":2vc8m43r said:
That link was meant for people who seem to have extreme difficulties with others opinions, mainly those that have a conniption fit when someone talks about changing our turkey regs.
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That link was meant for people who seem to have extreme difficulties with others opinions, mainly those that have a conniption fit when someone talks about changing our turkey regs.
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I knew I shouldn't have posted anything. SEC my point about the two turkeys was that I have not seen any on that piece of property so I chose not to hunt them that is all. I realize they don't live there only. How about you have you implemented all your mandates and going by them ? I am simply pointing out some of this is a choice if you have your own place. The TWRA doesn't have to make rules for your own place. Sorry I didn't just accept everything you said and move forward. I have turkey hunted this state for 38 years and have actually killed one or two in my day. Just thought I might give a thought but should have known better.
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
deerfever":3w4f12do said:
You are implying that the people complaining are killing the first 4 gobblers they can kill then complaining about there not being any gobblers. I don't think that's true at all. Classic strawman fallacy. I've seen setterman say many times that he very intentionally spreads his kills out over different wide ranging ares so he's just killing one out of any particular flock. Others have said they aren't even hunting certain places because bird numbers are so low that they don't want to kill the few that are there. One farm I hunt usually has 5-6 gobblers on it each spring. I've seen one this year with a flock of hens. I know how to kill him, but I'm definitely not going to. Another place I hunt had 3 gobblers the day before the season opened. They have split up now and I've only seen one with a group of hens. I may hunt him, but I havent yet because I want to give them time to breed. I've killed 2 birds on 2 different pieces of private ground and I won't kill another on those farms. It is possible to responsibly manage the turkeys you have access to and still want the state to implement changes to protect the resource statewide.
REN":2ddqxhz9 said:
That is my opinion. Just because someone doesn't like the regs set in place by TWRA or any governing authority, doesn't mean that we all dont like those rules and regs.
gasman":26pxgiul said:
That's fine but obviously we can articulate that in a much less confrontational way.
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I see exactly what you are saying southern sportsman and it sounds like you are doing exactly what I am talking about on your properties. So is it okay to go ahead and kill 4 as long as people move around and kill from different flocks?
AT Hiker":2perw4db said:
I quoted the wrong post sorry. Was a reply to a different response
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
IMO, this is the lesser of two evils, as if you kill 4, better this way than totally wiping out 4 from a single small area.deerfever":291b5gpw said:
Unfortunately, so many accomplished turkey killers are doing this, unaware of each other's kills, unaware of each other, unaware of just how extensively turkeys are moving around (often on thousands of acres, not just hundreds), that this may have become more just a "feel good" effort of limited value.
Also, turkeys commonly winter flock several miles from where they may be in early turkey season, which may be different areas than later turkey season.
Sometimes, we hunters are going from farm to farm hunting, miles apart, but so may be the same turkeys.
Never mind other hunters may be doing what we're doing as well, we're just unaware what they kill out of the same "range" of a few thousand acres.
Bottom line, we seem to be collectively (statewide) killing too high a percentage of the available longbeards, and killing too many, too early before enough breeding has occurred to sustain populations.
So how can we turn this around?
Simplest, easiest answer (with the least opposition) seems to be to open the season later and to have a lower limit?
I agree with most of what the original post stated as well. Not sure I agree with the afternoon cutoff though. If you were already cutting the season in half and the limit in half, I think afternoons wouldn't be a big issue. Obviously if someone wanted to do that on their own property more power to them, but that would really limit people's time in the field. I'm not sure there will ever be a way to ensure people are checking in the turkeys they kill. I think that more are probably reported now thanks to the online feature than ever before, but still only a fraction of the total that are killed.
I have a small sliver of hope for the future. I saw a strutter with 2 hens this week on one of my farms. That makes the first turkeys I have seen on our 4 farms totaling right at 1000 acres in 3 years. I won't kill one until there is a huge rebound around here, but maybe they will be back by the time my 4 year old is ready to start going in a few years.
I also don't see why we couldn't have "turkey zones" just like we do for deer. Obviously west TN doesn't have the turkeys that the middle of the state does, so why manage it the same?
I have a small sliver of hope for the future. I saw a strutter with 2 hens this week on one of my farms. That makes the first turkeys I have seen on our 4 farms totaling right at 1000 acres in 3 years. I won't kill one until there is a huge rebound around here, but maybe they will be back by the time my 4 year old is ready to start going in a few years.
I also don't see why we couldn't have "turkey zones" just like we do for deer. Obviously west TN doesn't have the turkeys that the middle of the state does, so why manage it the same?
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
deerfever":1h6t9hc5 said:
If everybody did it, and especially if everybody did it without strutter dekes and fans, then yes, I think so. (Not intended as a shot againt dekes. I just think biologically they do more harm than other methods by targeting the most dominant birds right out of the gate.) It woukd be more helpful on private ground because it's less likely that someone comes in behind you and kills more, but it would help public ground too. Oklahoma just implemented a limit of 1 per county, no more than 3 statewide. I'd be cool with that. But many dont/wont make any effort. I know people who only hunt one place. They make no effort to acquire more places and just wont hunt public ground. The limit is 4 so they'll do everything they can to kill their 4 as quickly as possible whether their little piece of ground can handle it or not. I have found that these people rarely want the limit reduced.
Huntaholic
Well-Known Member
Setterman isn't the only one who does that. Im very fortunate to have properties scattered over 5 counties that I can hunt so I spread it out too. Also, if a population doesn't have extra birds to spare then it doesn't get hunted.Southern Sportsman":3pe5axdf said:
I'm gonna guess within 40 miles of Nashville? The land of milk and honey. Birds strutting in subdivisions and crap like that.deerfever":33lq9svb said:
Absolutely no where near Nashville! Subdivisions? Lol I don't even have a neighbor. Just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean I am from the land of milk and honey! Turkeys are on the up swing here but I am not even in one of the better counties. If you are insinuating that I am some novice and do not care about the turkey population you are dead wrong. I absolutely do , but why is it so hard for you to accept that some are still hearing and seeing as many birds as ever if not more. I believe it and respect guys when they say something has happened in their areas . To me what should be done is counties in trouble have a two bird limit and no more than 3 birds statewide Similar to the zones that someone else mentioned. That to me would be something that could satisfy most. If the state decides to go to a two bird limit fine but don't allow me just 3 weeks to hunt, again that translates to 3 days for me as Sunday is Church .Let me also say this I do not at all mean to seem argumentative if I do . I truly believe there are some of the best people and turkey hunters around on this site! I can tell how passionate some of you are by your post, I just thought I would throw my opinion out there for some reason. I wish all of you guys the best and hope for the ones with issues that your turkeys are able to bounce back soon! Good luck!
Well I was wrong about your location and stand corrected. I could just tell you have plenty of birds around and certainly wasn't insinuating you were a novice. Only thing I know for certain is that my neck of the woods the flood plains of central west Tennessee the turkey population is certainly not on the upswing. Don't be like I was and think turkeys will just always be around because we've learned in this little river bottom that's just not the case. Our birds here just aren't reproducing like they were 10-15 years ago. Back in the good ole days seeing 8-12 jakes at a time was common. Now we just see a pair maybe 3 if we're lucky. It's hard for folks with a good turkey population to understand what it's like watch bird numbers deteriorate steady for 10 years and nobody wants to do anything about it.deerfever":q3luaurr said:
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Getting off track, but I don't think zones can work. Maybe for season opening dates but not limits.
For example, on my farms, 2 have only slightly lower populations than long term average. Another 10 miles away is running about half of long term averages. The largest farm 20 miles away with same habitat has virtually no birds. And I don't think someone is baiting them away unless it's miles away, all the farms 2 miles around that place have virtually no birds either. So.... in a 20 mile distance, you can go from turkeys being an endangered species to fairly plentiful. And much of the state is like that.
The problem is there are fewer and fewer hotspots, and the hotspots are getting smaller and smaller.
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For example, on my farms, 2 have only slightly lower populations than long term average. Another 10 miles away is running about half of long term averages. The largest farm 20 miles away with same habitat has virtually no birds. And I don't think someone is baiting them away unless it's miles away, all the farms 2 miles around that place have virtually no birds either. So.... in a 20 mile distance, you can go from turkeys being an endangered species to fairly plentiful. And much of the state is like that.
The problem is there are fewer and fewer hotspots, and the hotspots are getting smaller and smaller.
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drop the limit to 3 and implement zones
Can we stop with the "manage your own property" insanity already? If Joe only kills 2 off his property but his neighbors are stacking them up like cord wood then Joe isn't doing a damnn bit of good.
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woodsman04
Well-Known Member
Good points but I just don't think they are feasible. They must manage the resource while also being good at selling licenses. So far the only care about license sells, big bag limits and long seasons.
I do think delaying season by 10-12 days would be beneficial. I do think that ending hunting at 1:00 pm would be beneficial. But also a lot of people with jobs only hunt on Saturday's or after work a few times a week.
Best thing they could do is delay season 10 days, and restrict full strut gobbler decoys.
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I do think delaying season by 10-12 days would be beneficial. I do think that ending hunting at 1:00 pm would be beneficial. But also a lot of people with jobs only hunt on Saturday's or after work a few times a week.
Best thing they could do is delay season 10 days, and restrict full strut gobbler decoys.
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I personally wasn't talking about Joe that only kills 2 off his property. I was talking about Joe who kills 4 , calls up 6 more for his buddies and then complains. If that's not you then I don't have a problem!Enough about that I think mega is correct on zones probably wouldn't work. How about this open a week later, limit of 3 , now stay with me . Only one of your birds could be killed in the first week of the season. This would protect numerous birds from being killed during that first week and get you to mid April with a 3 bird limit. Guys that kill opening day are out til the next Saturday. Would that work for the state as a whole? Just a suggestion.
If I was running the show..... there'd be:
1. 2 bird limit
2. Hunting ends at noon on weekends for the first 3 weeks. Then open all day for the rest of the season. The weekends are the most heavily hunted times and this would still allow the working man to get out some during the week for the first 3 weeks and relieve most of the pressure.
3. No daily bag limit. TWRA isn't going to outlaw decoys, so why not let the guys hunting with them shoot their 2 birds and be done with it. Basically, get them out of the woods as soon as possible.
4. No hunting on Wednesday's unless your initials are BB. No explanation needed there. It should be obvious to everyone.
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1. 2 bird limit
2. Hunting ends at noon on weekends for the first 3 weeks. Then open all day for the rest of the season. The weekends are the most heavily hunted times and this would still allow the working man to get out some during the week for the first 3 weeks and relieve most of the pressure.
3. No daily bag limit. TWRA isn't going to outlaw decoys, so why not let the guys hunting with them shoot their 2 birds and be done with it. Basically, get them out of the woods as soon as possible.
4. No hunting on Wednesday's unless your initials are BB. No explanation needed there. It should be obvious to everyone.
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