spring 2019 total harvest numbers

[TN hunter]

^^^^That graphic pretty much aligns with A LOT of the comments/opinions on this page about sightings, opportunity and bag limits, based on one's geographic location. A lot of the hunters that hunt the dark blue counties cannot understand, or fathom, other hunter's viewpoints that hunt the light blue counties. Thanks for sharing.

Giles County is dark blue and that's my primary hunting county. North of Highway 64 is totally different than south of it. Same way with Lawrence county to the west. Said it for 10
Years that it is totally different. I have no way of knowing this, but I'd guess 90 percent of Giles and Lawrence county harvest is in the north portion.


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No doubt about that Woodsman, I have places in both of those counties north and south. Night and day difference in my places north of Hwy 64 than the places south.

No doubt about that Woodsman, I have places in both of those counties north and south. Night and day difference in my places north of Hwy 64 than the places south.

Great points that both of you make. If you were in charge, would you manage (think poult recruitment, brood surveys, weekly/season bag limit, season structure, etc) for sustainability of the northernmost, or southernmost portions of those counties?

If I was in charge, the state would be divided into zones not just counties. Highways and rivers could be boundary lines not just county lines. I'd say no season south of highway 64 in Lawrence and Giles county Tennessee. If I were forced to have a season I'd open it about April 20 with a 1-2 bird limit. As loaded as northern Giles county and Maury county are id leave it as is and could probably increase the bag limits.




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I hunt farms in Maury county and I can say that this year I have started seeing a downward trend. The population of birds are about half of what they were in years past and they were not over hunted. I can say that neighboring properties are hunted hard and all season. I fear that as neighboring counties continue to show signs of population decline, this will continue to spread to other areas.


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[megalomaniac]

^^^ good point....

If the state is divided into multiple units with different limits, all that will happen is more and more people will gravitate to the areas with higher limits after they have killed out on their local areas with lower limits and populations eventually reducing the areas with higher populations to the same densities as the areas with lower limits.

It's already starting to happen... with the 4 bird limit, more and more from in state and out of state are pressuring the areas that have the most birds left.

I know Cherokee Natl Forest has been a destination for several if my friends from NC and SC to get 4 birds before their local seasons start. They were disappointed with their trips to TN this year, and are looking make a little further drive to hunt the WMAs in middle TN next year.



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[Andy S.]

.....and are looking make a little further drive to hunt the WMAs in middle TN next year.

Imagine that.

 

[TheLBLman]

At the very least . . . . . . . .

Considering practicality & enforcement issues, imo, the simplest reg changes should include opening the season
the 1st Saturday of April (instead of the Saturday nearest April 1st).
- - - - - - - - This would cause the 2020 Spring Season to open a week later.
- - - - - - - - This would make no difference at all in about half the ongoing years, a week later in about half.
- - - - - - - - This "opening" format is congruent with most other season opening dates, in that so many are ongoing stated as a particular Saturday, such as the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Saturday, ongoing (particularly helpful for those needing to plan vacation time a year in advance).

Next, reduce the limit to no more than 3 birds (my personal preference is 2).

I'm more a periodic carburetor adjustment guy rather than making huge sudden changes without certainty of need.
But we've been trending the wrong direction for a while now, and TWRA needs to make some "statewide" adjustments asap.

IMO, the only reason TWRA hasn't or will not do something like this
has everything to do with Non-Resident license sales.
Yes, Andy, "Imagine That!"
As example, TN's turkey season opens 2 weeks earlier than neighboring KY's, and our bag limit is 4 while theirs is 2.

I do understand we (TWRA) need the revenue, but we also need first & foremost to protect the wildlife resources.
Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

IMO, the only reason TWRA hasn't or will not do something like this
has everything to do with Non-Resident license sales.

No doubt about this, which is infuriating. I know for a fact that the commission has seriously discussed removing the "no more than one per day" regulation with one rationale being that out-of-state hunters could kill more turkeys on a single trip. All while lifetime TN hunters are screaming about lower bird numbers. :bash:

 

[Boll Weevil]

I know for a fact that the commission has seriously discussed removing the "no more than one per day" regulation with one rationale being that out-of-state hunters could kill more turkeys on a single trip.

Seriously?!? Seems outrageously negligent considering they should be the PREMIER steward of the resource. How are these folks named to the commission (implied: how are changes made)?

 

[Shooter77]

They were saying during last years meeting that they wouldn't change any regs because of the NWTF/UT study going on causing issues.

 

[Andy S.]

^^^^Lamest excuse ever. Leave the bag limits in those 5 counties alone, and work for the hunters in the other 90 counties as needed. That's like the tail wagging the dog.

 

[Bgoodman30]

Does TWRA provide a margin of error for their online check in? I know good hunters that still carry a flip phone...

I wish we would lift the more than one a day restriction but go to a tag system. ie Tag 3 & 4 would have to be additional purchases and much more for OOS. Similar to other states..


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[deerfever]

We are almost to 30,000! The weather is going to be really bad in my neck of the woods this weekend as of now. I doubt many will hunt, 90 percent rain and storms!

 

[TheLBLman]

They were saying during last years meeting that they wouldn't change any regs because of the NWTF/UT study going on causing issues.

THAT was one of the bull-crappiest "excuses" I've ever heard from a State Wildlife Agency.
Like Andy just pointed out, this "study" has only effected 5 of our 95 counties.

Similar is the summertime trophy velvet buck hunt being pushed under the guise of combating CWD
when it's mostly about selling more non-resident licenses
at the residents' expense of forfeiting biologically sound deer management?

 

[TheLBLman]

Hope the OLD original "Wes",
doesn't get confused with any of the several young "Facebook" Weses.
The original old Wes does not do Facebook.

Wes also makes a ton of great points.

Our harvest is declining or . . . . . . .

This season has been abysmal for me and the areas I hunt, I'm in light blue.
There's just nothing happening most places and most days are silent

Although I'm hunting in a "dark blue" county,
my season has also been abysmal,
and I've heard the least gobbling in over two decades.

 

[Shooter77]

They were saying during last years meeting that they wouldn't change any regs because of the NWTF/UT study going on causing issues.

THAT was one of the bull-crappiest "excuses" I've ever heard from a State Wildlife Agency.
Like Andy just pointed out, this "study" has only effected 5 of our 95 counties.

Similar is the summertime trophy velvet buck hunt being pushed under the guise of combating CWD
when it's mostly about selling more non-resident licenses
at the residents' expense of forfeiting biologically sound deer management?

I totally agree! i couldn't understand where you drop the total from 4 to 3 or 2 make any difference in a study. bunch of BS either way!

 

[Southern Sportsman]

They were saying during last years meeting that they wouldn't change any regs because of the NWTF/UT study going on causing issues.

God forbid they make a change that might slow or reverse the population decline. If they did that, how could they continue to effectively study the population decline?

Never mind the many pleas from concerned constituents and stern recommendations from the National Wild Turkey Federation supported by their respected biologists.

 

[arkwaterfowler]

Remember that the commission members are more or less volunteers and I doubt there is an evil enterprise at work to undue each of us.

Many hunters on this site criticize the commission and low bird numbers but go out of their way to make sure and kill their limit of four birds. I get it, I love to turkey hunt and what's the point of going turkey hunting if not to kill a bird. I suggest we all ease up a bit, remember the commission are humans too, and put our money where our mouth is regarding conservation. I did.

 

[Andy S.]

Remember that the commission members are more or less volunteers.......

You call this the definition of a volunteer?

"Our governing body is referred to as the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission (TFWC). Nine members of this 13-member voting group still receive their six-year appointments from our governor. However, the state's General Assembly (House and Senate) now appoints four members to four-year terms. "

I'd go more along the lines of political appointees, with their own respective agendas, of which many, do not align with mine, nor many of the TN resident hunters. Furthermore, they have been known as of late to go against the TWRA biologists' recommendations, who should be the subject matter experts, and that I have a personal problem with.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Remember that the commission members are more or less volunteers and I doubt there is an evil enterprise at work to undue each of us.

Many hunters on this site criticize the commission and low bird numbers but go out of their way to make sure and kill their limit of four birds. I get it, I love to turkey hunt and what's the point of going turkey hunting if not to kill a bird. I suggest we all ease up a bit, remember the commission are humans too, and put our money where our mouth is regarding conservation. I did.

They don't make money at it, but they hardly qualify as "volunteers." The appointments are highly coveted and often political and there are a lot of perks. That said, I don't openly criticize them often, but locking in a 4 bird/6 week season for TWO years with no substantial changes in the face of declining populations statewide and immediately following the worst harvest total in over a decade, using a 5 county study — commissioned because of a startling drop in turkey numbers — as an excuse . . . That was asinine and is worthy of open condemnation.

 

[megalomaniac]

Many hunters on this site criticize the commission and low bird numbers but go out of their way to make sure and kill their limit of four birds.

I've NEVER shot a limit since we went to 4 birds, even though I could limit out in the first week most years due to the time and miles I put on the boots when hunting.

But I'm about to get to the point where I realize there is no long term benefit to limiting myself, when those around me don't limit themselves.

Is it all the commissioners fault populations are declining? Absolutely not. But they are 100% complicit with the TWRA Turkey coordinators in allowing the population to continue to decline, and they will NEVER get a free pass from me until the put forth recommendations to stem the decline.



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[prstide]

Remember that the commission members are more or less volunteers.......

You call this the definition of a volunteer?

"Our governing body is referred to as the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission (TFWC). Nine members of this 13-member voting group still receive their six-year appointments from our governor. However, the state's General Assembly (House and Senate) now appoints four members to four-year terms. "

I'd go more along the lines of political appointees, with their own respective agendas, of which many, do not align with mine, nor many of the TN resident hunters. Furthermore, they have been known as of late to go against the TWRA biologists' recommendations, who should be the subject matter experts, and that I have a personal problem with.

Preach! This is the truth for those who seek it....whether or not one chooses to accept it is a different story.

 

[arkwaterfowler]

I stand by my statement that they are volunteers regardless of any perks. I also stand by my statements that lots of hunters moan and groan and continue not to exercise self restraint. Quit complaining here and write them letters if you want action.