Wrangler95
Well-Known Member
I'm with you on the punishment!!
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Question about delaying season opener
- Thread starter Joe2Kool
- Start date
Joe2Kool
Well-Known Member
I didn't realize the season was extended two weeks. If I still have a tag, I'll be calling one in!
Setterman
Well-Known Member
Hunting can be stupidly easy late. May not hear a ton, but the ones that talk can be really mouthy and ready to come visit
I've said it once before and I'm still in the camp of "the later date" not only helps protect the boss toms but another thing that's going to help with survival is the woods are going to be really green and thick with undergrowth this year probably. I'm hoping to see a good reduction of out of state hunters or just hunters in general since the date is moved back and the woods are green. I'd hunt them July 4th if it was opened and I had a tag.
Huntaholic
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately we didnt lose ANY hunting days, they just extended the season 2 weeks on the back end, which is STUPID.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Mike, I suspect TWRA simply didn't want to upset the applecart of turkey hunters too much too quick, so by doing it the way they did, they can still say we have the same number of days to hunt during "turkey season".
IMO, relatively few turkey hunters are doing much hunting after the 1st week of May. So even though same number of days, the great benefit is more about delaying when those days begin. This will greatly reduce the number of non-resident turkey hunters coming to TN, and those tend to be very avid & accomplished turkey killers. The main reason so many were coming to TN was because our season opened earlier than their states.
As you know, baiting has been a huge problem in Stewart Co. forever, and little has ever been done to deter it. I'm sure there will still be some, just like there will still be some illegally killing turkeys over bait before the season opens. But, do believe this will greatly reduce the number of turkeys killed over bait, simply because many were "legally" checking in their illegally killed birds. That becomes a bit harder now.
I won't be surprised if TWRA takes a few days off the back end of the season in the future. But if delaying the opening works as well as I hope, it just may not be necessary.
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Why? Noone will force you to hunt when it gets hot, if you dont wanna go fine but not everyone gets to hunt over once a week or two and will appreciate still having the opportunity if they so choose, its not going to affect you one bit!
In my opinion the later start date does nothing but keep myself and others who love to turkey hunt from going when its normally open. The reduced limit doesn't bother me due to when I first started the limit was 2 and stayed that way for several years. Adding the 2 weeks that were taken away at the end is ridiculous. TN turkey hunting season should start Saturday closest to Apr 1 and close Apr 30th. That's long enough and there's no need to be turkey hunting here close to Memorial day. I will still go when it opens Lord willing, and will take the first legal bird that responds and comes in or slips in silent, or requires me to crawl to get close. I don't care how I'm able to take a legal bird as long as it's legal. I love turkey hunting and enjoy every time I get to go.
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
And if you want to hear Dr. Michael Chamberlain break all this info down in a common sense discussion, listen to this podcast.Here is a meta analysis of research projects pertaining to season dates. All you want to know is in this paper.
Considerations for Timing of Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Seasons in the Southeastern United States | PDF Host
PDF Host read free online - Considerations for Timing of Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Seasons in the Southeastern United Statespdfhost.io
I don't know how the end result will be, but it will do something. I believe 100% it will keep more non-residents from coming to TN. Why spend all that money for a license to kill 2 turkeys when there will be many other states open by mid April? Secondly, it pretty much has to guarantee more hens will get bred. I get that people want to hunt, and I get that the guys with property loaded with turkeys still want to kill 4, but something had to be done. This late start won't hurt any place more than mine. My turkeys leave right after green up anyway. I usually get 2 good weeks to hunt, and this year I'll probably get none. I was there Saturday and there's already a lot of green in the woods. But, if it helps the turkeys in the long run I'm all for it.
Who wants to sweat their balls off in late May chasing a turkey.....So ridiculous.
And if you can imagine, you dont have to if you choose not to! Talk about ridiculous , all these guys whining because days afield were not taken away from those that can only go a day every week or two, some people will fluffy kitten no matter what even when it doesnt effect them!
Im all for helping the turkeys too, 2 bird limit doesn't bother me at all. I was told by a legitimate source that the only reason 1 jake is allowed because one the commissioners didn't know a Jake from an adult gobbler. If true why is there people in positions who don't know what they're regulating?
Same thing with bearded hens. I heard the only reason they are legal is some people can't tell the difference between a gobbler and a bearded hen. You gotta be kidding me.
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
This is not quiet true. During the meeting where regulation changes were discussed, one commissioner made a joke at the expense of one of his buddies/fellow commissioners. It was an inside joke, but from what I gathered, he had killed a jake the previous year thinking it was a gobbler —something I've done once in recent memory. So there was a joke about him not knowing the difference. He played along without missing a beat, so some people took the exchange serious.
I like MS's jake rule (no jakes except for youth hunters), but our commission allowed for one jake to accommodate youth, new hunters who wouldn't qualify as youth but may have never killed a turkey, and to give everyone a mulligan if there is a jake mistaken for a gobbler. I'm ok with it.
Now, bearded hens are a different story. There is absolutely no good excuse for them to be legal targets. Especially in the spring.
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Others sum it up well, the problem I have with it and again I know I am in the minority on this site is that a two week delay has never been proven to help turkeys anywhere it's been deployed? I re watched the meeting last night and I once again want to stress that TWRA nor our turkey coordinator either recommended a 2 week delay.They only recommended a 1 bird limit for the first 14 days on certain crowded WMAs . It was stressed that a 6 year study had wrapped up on delayed areas and they would like to have all the information before recommending a two week delay. Twra did not recommend a change in the limit either as it was presented that 70 percent only killed 1 bird, 90 percent killed 1or 2 changing the limit would save around 2000 birds statewide. There were believed to be no detrimental effects from the 3 bird limit or the timing of the harvest it was stated. All of this is straight from information presented at the meeting. How did we get to a two week delay? Day 2 of the meeting as our commission hashed it out over Jakes and the harvest of Jakes( every year it seems). The conversation went to a one week delay somehow. Then it turned to a two week delay, one commissioner pointed out that there was no evidence it helped with anything and other states had tried it with 0 results to speak of. Then it went to a two week delay and a two bird limit and it was approved. Since being passed the results of the 6 year study here in TN have come out in December by Dr. Harper and Dr. Buehler stating that there were no reproductive success benefits shown from the study areas that had been delayed two weeks? Again believe what you want and I will respect your thoughts and opinions. Love this site and the knowledge on it. Personally I believe this was unnecessary as everyone has witnessed this year's great hatch with no two week delay? How did it happen? Great weather for it and we will have another great hatch this year if the weather is right, it will have nothing to do with a two week delay. What about the non residents? Our season should have nothing to do with keeping non residents away, you have a quota or limit the first week of season to residents only if necessary. I wish they had just went with the original suggestion if commission just had to do something Juvenile April 1, Season April 8 and quota on Non residents if necessary. North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, South zone of Illinois, Mississippi all open at that point , most before so may not even be necessary . End it as normal, no decisions to be made on water skiing or turkey hunting Memorial day weekend! Lol
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I think changing the season will do very little......should have kept it the way it was. Nothing better than the first weekend of April. You want to spend Memorial Day weekend chasing a turkey, good luck. Watch out for snakes.
All four in my household will be done first two weeks so it really doesnt matter to me but guys that dont have the same opportunities as some of us will be glad to still have the same number of days to go
This.
I'm pretty avid and I'm pretty bad. Stalking helps me a ton and it's going to be tough when you can't keep eyes on the target. If you're moving through the woods there could be a Turkey anywhere ready to bust you, especially a nested hen in knee high weeds. I think this is a HUGE advantage to the turkeys.
