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Night time predator hunts?

Are you in favor of night time predator hunting?

  • Yes

    Votes: 41 82.0%

  • No

    Votes: 5 10.0%

  • It won't help turkey survival.

    Votes: 3 6.0%

  • You feel other solutions are better

    Votes: 1 2.0%
  • Total voters
    50
timberjack86

timberjack86

Well-Known Member
TNDeer Supporter
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
14,416
Location
Polk County
Would it help the turkey population? We know twra is not in favor of lowering the limits anymore. I don't feel setting the season back a couple weeks is the answer. If your in favor, would you comment to twra during the comment period?
 
I am in favor of it. However, for it to be effective in helping the prey species, it will only help in areas that heavily hunt predators and also do a lot of trapping. Also, I believe their fear is that folks will take advantage of "night hunting" and target deer. In that case, something would need to be done to combat that - more officers, HEAVY fines, jail, etc....I think it would be fun, and since we go after predators on our place, the night time would probably help us be more effective.
 
JCDEERMAN said:
I am in favor of it. However, for it to be effective in helping the prey species, it will only help in areas that heavily hunt predators and also do a lot of trapping. Also, I believe their fear is that folks will take advantage of "night hunting" and target deer. In that case, something would need to be done to combat that - more officers, HEAVY fines, jail, etc....I think it would be fun, and since we go after predators on our place, the night time would probably help us be more effective.
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I feel like the benefits would out weigh the concerns about deer poaching, especially since twra is wanting them exterminated in unit cwd.
 
KPH said:
When this has been brought up in the past TWRA people act like they have been hit with a wet squirrel and are total against it.
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All we can do is keep bringing it up. Everyone wants to talk about the decline of our turkeys and it's about time someone do something about it. Will it fix the decline? I don't know but Im sure it will help hens and poults and that's what we need to do to help the population. Protecting gobblers is kinda pointless imo since most of the breeding is done before season opens.
 
I'm in favor of it and voiced my opinion for it when they were setting turkey limits at last year's commission meeting. No big surprise but a handful of commissioners made comments of "I don't want my cattle shot" or " people shooting my house". Wake up and realize that people that are poaching or careless already do that but just cause some commissioners are "scared" something MAY happen near their property or on their property it got voted down.
 
PickettSFHunter said:
In favor. Already legal to be out night hunting hogs. Yes people do take advantage and shoot deer. Those same people shot deer at night before.
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Yes sir, lame excuse to say it gives poachers incentive to target deer at night. Only issue I would see would be the on the fence scumbag that sees a nice deer while legitimately yote hunting and in a moment of weakness caves and shoots the deer. For the hog hunters that are night hunting, how often do you see yotes vs day sits for deer?

When I talked with my local gw on this topic, he said night hunting of yotes is not as effective as I would think. I respect him and think he is a good guy and all, but tend to think he is wrong.
 
Coming from a state that allowed it from experience it was very effective compared to day hunting the first couple of years. However, after the first couple of seasons, the coyotes wised up and became more difficult to get. The night was still more productive than day hunting. Most of my night hunting was done in January, February, and March over still-born calves. If you shot a couple of one set time to move on and not hunt that set again for 2-3 weeks. They wised up quickly. I would think raccoons, skunks, and other varmints do more damage to turkey numbers than coyotes but they all add up.
 
casjoker said:
Coming from a state that allowed it from experience it was very effective compared to day hunting the first couple of years. However, after the first couple of seasons, the coyotes wised up and became more difficult to get. The night was still more productive than day hunting. Most of my night hunting was done in January, February, and March over still-born calves. If you shot a couple of one set time to move on and not hunt that set again for 2-3 weeks. They wised up quickly. I would think raccoons, skunks, and other varmints do more damage to turkey numbers than coyotes but they all add up.
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Don't forget, bobcats. All these critters should be legal targets during the night hunts.
 
scn said:
I could get behind night predator hunting using shotguns only. I see way too many issues if rifles are allowed. I'm more concerned with the safety and non-target animal issues that the poaching side.

I think coyotes and bobcats can have a little effect on turkeys, but, IMO, the nest raiders are even worse.
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This is where twra needs to get with the Georgia DNR, they allow night time predator hunting with center-fire. I'd say Tn hunters are just as safe as Georgia Hunters.
 
Here's an interesting article.
 

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I believe you will have less poaching for the simple reason you will have honest hunters out there at night who will report them. As much as I would like to hunt them at night I probably would not get much of a chance to do it. Bur I am all for it.
 

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