It essentially just cut 2 weeks off the season. You wont find many hunters going very deep into May
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Turkey season changes....
- Thread starter redblood
- Start date
Nope. I will need to wear shorts here.
fairchaser
Well-Known Member
They might as well cut out the entire season. There will be very little strut left where I hunt. I might as well go crappie fishing as forget about turkeys for a few years.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I'm actually looking forward to some good early April fishing myself,
then followed by turkey season opening when it really seems more like
a "Spring" turkey hunt.
then followed by turkey season opening when it really seems more like
a "Spring" turkey hunt.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Many days we would turkey hunt in the morning and take the boat out to KY lake and fish that afternoon. Come back and cook a nice dinner. Can't dream up a better day
Spring weather is unpredictable any weekend in April could bring cold weather. It may be 40 for the high April 15th may be 75, that's just TN weather . It may be 75 April 1, who knows. The question it comes down to since there is absolutely no proof that changing season two weeks helps our turkeys whatsoever, is would you rather hunt the first two weeks of April or the last two of May? It was 88 feels like 92 here last year May 20. I know what I would rather do. No thanks to summer turkey hunting. Lol
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To me the questions are would you rather hunt fewer turkeys earlier in the cold or more 2 weeks later when it's a few degrees warmer on average.
There is no one answer nor one question.
There is no one answer nor one question.
Be the first time I've ever trout fished in April
Setterman
Well-Known Member
Same, and I'm kind of looking forward to fishing early April.Be the first time I've ever trout fished in April
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I used to enjoy a lot of fishing in early April.
Then I started turkey hunting.
Think am going to like this new situation better.
But do have some avid turkey-hunting friends from KY who don't.
Their main reason for hunting TN was because our season had been
opening a couple weeks before KY's.
Then I started turkey hunting.
Think am going to like this new situation better.
But do have some avid turkey-hunting friends from KY who don't.
Their main reason for hunting TN was because our season had been
opening a couple weeks before KY's.
Levee Jumper
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I love the fact that our season starting date now coincides with Arkansas and Kentucky. This along with the lower/staggered limit in places should help with the crowd. The last two weeks of April will be incredible like it used to be.
Wrangler95
Well-Known Member
People seem to think turkey hunting is to hot in the latter part of May to hunt but I enjoy turkey hunting so much that I can live with the heat!I hear turkeys gobbling at the end of May so its worth hunting if you still have tags left!Starting the season two weeks later may help the flock out so I'm all for it,it would suit me fine if the limit is only one gobbler per year,I'm not a greedy hunter!!!
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Yes, I believe this will make a huge difference on public lands.
"Same as statewide" TN WMAs should be less crowded on opening weekend of turkey season this year as well as the season's 1st two weeks.
Also, keep in mind that those non-resident hunters tended to be very avid, accomplished turkey hunters, much better at it than our "average" turkey hunter. Many would limit out, then go on to other states and their home states to hunt. I'm sure some will still be hunting in TN this year, but not as much.
On those "same as statewide" public lands, this may be the best benefit of the delayed opening for resident hunters.
Of course, TWRA will lose some non-resident revenue, and have some legitimate reasoning for a slight increase in future license costs. On the other hand, TWRA is increasing non-resident licenses per their "velvet" and CWD-expanding deer hunting opportunities.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Turkey season opening has always been set as 'the Saturday closest to April 1st' since the early 90s in counties or portions of counties that were open. There was one year back in the late 2000s when unexplicably TWRA set the opener on March 28th when that Saturday was 4 days before April 1st instead of opening it on April 4th like it should have. Other than that one wild hair year, season has been 'the Saturday closest to April 1st'. Once they added the juvie seasons a decade or so ago, they set them to open the Saturday before regular season.
And yes, at one point, fall limits were set by quota permits good for 6 hens each in many counties. Since they didn't usually sell out, you could buy multiple quota permits if they were still available. I knew a guy that bragged he killed over 100 hens himself legally one fall in my county. Yes, 100... coincidentally, it was also the time where populations began to decline slowly, but well before the rapid population decline.
'
And yes, at one point, fall limits were set by quota permits good for 6 hens each in many counties. Since they didn't usually sell out, you could buy multiple quota permits if they were still available. I knew a guy that bragged he killed over 100 hens himself legally one fall in my county. Yes, 100... coincidentally, it was also the time where populations began to decline slowly, but well before the rapid population decline.
'
Why would anyone brag about that?
Wrangler95
Well-Known Member
Absolutely,plus I'd take the 100 hens with a grain of salt!
My guees is he blowing smoke out his
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Maybe. About the same as legally killing 100 does in a season. Be easy to check records back then with a FOIA request.My guees is he blowing smoke out his
But we've had members here who have posted 6 hens they killed in the fall. But that was back when TWRA thought our annual spring kill wouldn't plateau until we hit 70,000 toms annually and turkeys were going to take over the world.
This
When I was referring to the liberal 6 bird either sex along with 1 bird taken with archery was around 2011 And it wasnt quota hunts at that time , It was wide open. It was also only 4 or 5 years before people started complaining about numbers in the southern portion of the state.
TFWC alters turkey bag limits, redefines antlerless deer
The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission has reigned in fall turkey hunting, loosened the reigns on deer hunting in Knox County and redefined what makes a buck a buck.
archive.knoxnews.com
