TWRA meeting today

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Mine was completely a misunderstanding and I tried talking with the officer but to no avail . After I paid I told him I appreciate them doing their job . He actually knew my story was legit because of what he said . I had killed a buck and my phone was messed up.so couldn't telecheck it in . Went to the processor I used to check the deer in but he no longer checked them in because he didn't want to pay for internet there. So I thought we'll check it in at the motel . That night I couldn't get the wifi to work and neither could my grandson . So I said I'll check it in on the way home tomorrow surely they'll be someone to check it in . We'll low and behold the game warden seen the buck in the back if my truck ran my tag and knew I had already checked a buck in muzzleloader season and hadn't checked it in knowing it hadn't just been killed . So I didn't check the buck in the day I killed it no fault of mine but he just wouldn't listen or ask my grandson. I told him that I wasn't trying to hide the buck like I wasn't going to check it in . Well at least he didn't try to confiscate my gun because he said I didn't kill it illegally . But I didn't bad mouth him or anything like that I even said I'm glad your doing your job .

The app will give you a confirmation number without internet service. That makes it legal to move because it gives you a confirmation.

 

[Snake]

The app will give you a confirmation number without internet service. That makes it legal to move because it gives you a confirmation.

Thing was my phone messed up even had to get a new one when I got back home . My grandson had a phone but it had got dark so we just went to eat and was going to check the buck in at the motel thinking you had to have internet . My grandson had checked them out before so he knew how to do it. While taking a shower I told him to check the buck out . Well he had trouble connecting so we just felloff to sleep. Tried again the next morning with no luck . Even went to the guy that usually checked deer out because he had a processing business off hwy 11 in Giles Co. but he couldn't check it out , he said because I have to have internet and hevwas buying it just to check deer out .So went to the property to get my four wheeler but my grandson wanted to hunt a couple hours so I took him in on the four wheeler. While in there I worked on a stand that needed attention not even hunting but did have my rifle . Game warden came on to the property ruining my grandson's hunt . They could have easily waited at the barn because there was only one way in . They ran my tag and knew I hadn't checked the buck in yet . I told the story as it was right at the beginning of the telecheck but we had used it before . He believed me but still wrote the ticket and I didn't try to talk my way out of it only told him to ask my grandson. Even told them I was glad they where doing their job . I had his phone number because I texted him to ask where to send the money for the ticket. Even then told him again through a text that I was glad they were doing their job .

 

[Snake]

The app will give you a confirmation number without internet service. That makes it legal to move because it gives you a confirmation.

Thanks , but this was many years ago . I have the app now but once again thanks so much .

 

[Wildcat#32]

Folks think TWRA write tickets and get a boat load of $$ , scn was trying to point out that the $ they receive is very little of what's collected, he never stated it wasn't worth the officers time to write the ticket. Folks want to get all bent out of shape for no good reason. They have a job to do and folks make it harder, everybody think they are a lawyer and know the law lol.

i think he plainly stated the officer would have 2-3 hours tied up for writing a ticket to only receive $20 for twra!!! and that wouldn't even pay said officers salary that we the people pay!! spin that how you want too!! We pay the TWRA! salary

 

[mike243]

He stated the truth, spin that any way you want to,

 

[timberjack86]

But I'm willing to bet most of us appreciate the hard work our local GW puts in. I know I sure do and it literally has nothing to do with any of my criticisms of the agency and the commission.

I agree with this statement. I've lost alot or repect for the agency and commission over the years but not for the wardens. They have to love thier job for what they have to put up with.

 

[TheLBLman]

Each of TN's 95 counties typically have either 1 or 2 TWRA wildlife officers.

They are expected to be working both woods & water. I'm just wondering exactly how much time any of us should expect them to be sitting in court instead of doing all the the myriad of other tasks we expect, such as responding to our calls of midnight poachers, boating accidents, etc.?

Yes, we should expect some amount of time to be dedicated to court testimony.
The question is, how much?

Just saying there is only 24 hours in a day, and more is expected from the job than anyone can possibly get done. Even without sleep.

Then never mind they are also expected to be 1st responders to automobile accidents, armed robberies, and domestic disputes.

The TWRA County Wildlife Officer's actual job role has to be one of the most least understood and unappreciated jobs in the State of TN. Few of us could actually do it, even fewer for what they're paid.

 

[Wildcat#32]

He stated the truth, spin that any way you want to,

did any TWRA OFFICER not apply for the job or was it thrust upon them!!!! no pity party from me!! if on average $75000 a year salary is not enough. Find another line of work. sorry if you have to spend 2-3 hours a day as was previously mentioned doing your job!!

 

[ROB]

Maybe so but a lot of folks just want to hold them and the commission's feet to the fire when it comes to the wildlife and public lands they are entrusted to steward. Nothing against the present commissioners but the body in the past has made decisions out of purely political motivations and TWRA's budget comes mainly from license sales as opposed to other states with income taxes. So I'm fairly convinced this is why they take such a liberal approach when it comes to seasons and limits compared to other states. I'm not saying the system is broken and needs to be replaced. And I'm not saying I don't appreciate a lot of things they have done. For instance, I'm all for the 2 buck limit statewide. However, I can't understand why we're not gonna stick with a 2 tom limit statewide or why it's legal to kill 3 does a day on so much public ground. I wonder if the former has ANYTHING to do with the possibility of collecting more TWRA revenue from a hunter that has to hunt a different area of the state for his third Tom. As for the latter I have no idea and don't know of any other state that would send such a message outside of CWD zones.

In western KY, bordering Tennessee, hunters can kill unlimited doe! That's right, unlimited. The basic deer permit allows 4 deer (3 antlerless, 1 antlered or antlerless). The bonus deer permit allows additional 2 antlerless deer. You can buy as many bonus permits as you want. But, almost nobody buys any!

Most of the area is crop fields (corn, soybeans, alfalfa), I hunt in this area & have personally seen over 100 deer in one field. One of the butchers at the processor I used to use would routinely harvest 20-24 does each year. He came from a big, poor family & they ate every doe. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Deer hunters in Ky kill more bucks than does and have an average take of 1.4 deer per year. So, while it's legal to kill unlimited does, the average hunter won't even kill one per year!

The bottom line is it doesn't make any difference what the limit is if nowhere near that many does are being harvested.

 

[hoghunter65]

The one thing that pissed me off is TWRA not renewing the lease on Arnold Hollow, that's 6600 acres we won't be able to hunt, that's where we go to fill our freezers.

 

[mike243]

did any TWRA OFFICER not apply for the job or was it thrust upon them!!!! no pity party from me!! if on average $75000 a year salary is not enough. Find another line of work. sorry if you have to spend 2-3 hours a day as was previously mentioned doing your job!!

Not sure what your trying to prove other than you don't know or care about the cost to run this state. All this

did any TWRA OFFICER not apply for the job or was it thrust upon them!!!! no pity party from me!! if on average $75000 a year salary is not enough. Find another line of work. sorry if you have to spend 2-3 hours a day as was previously mentioned doing your job!!

The only thing you have done is waste time and prove that TWRA loses money to write tickets, the court system is the folks who get the bulk and that's what all this useless typing was about TWRA getting rich from tickets. green strip lol

 

[GreeneGriz]

The vast majority of hunters will not kill that many, the most I've taken is two, twice. If I were hunting for friends, I would certainly take what I needed in a day if I could, though my place in unit L will not hold that many.

I believe the actual stat is the average Tennessee hunter takes "1.8 deer a year", from the last TWRC meeting.

 

[TboneD]

In western KY, bordering Tennessee, hunters can kill unlimited doe! That's right, unlimited. The basic deer permit allows 4 deer (3 antlerless, 1 antlered or antlerless). The bonus deer permit allows additional 2 antlerless deer. You can buy as many bonus permits as you want. But, almost nobody buys any!

Most of the area is crop fields (corn, soybeans, alfalfa), I hunt in this area & have personally seen over 100 deer in one field. One of the butchers at the processor I used to use would routinely harvest 20-24 does each year. He came from a big, poor family & they ate every doe. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Deer hunters in Ky kill more bucks than does and have an average take of 1.4 deer per year. So, while it's legal to kill unlimited does, the average hunter won't even kill one per year!

The bottom line is it doesn't make any difference what the limit is if nowhere near that many does are being harvested.

So we agree that the Unit L policy isn't working. Whether the Unit L policy matters is an entirely different question.

How many counties NOT heavy in bean and corn are in Unit L? With the new recommendation to the commission they'll add more. Let's just look at my county, which is Wilson Co, a couple of cities east of Nashville. We have FOUR separate areas of public land here in Wilson county ( a county with relatively little corn and beans.) So while we still have too many does in towns, their suburbs, and where farms used to be, we also have two WMA's, a state forest, and natural area where hunters ARE allowed to hunt and in much greater numbers, including folks from east TN driving over for the opportunity to shoot does. I met a few of them last year second Saturday of gun season. Surely you get the picture.

And what if we have an EHD outbreak? You think TWRA will take a county out of Unit L the year after? So basically the broad brush Unit L policy sends the erroneous message that all of west and middle TN is overpopulated with deer. If there was a black market for venison we might have a problem in some areas since poachers wouldn't feel too bad about killing too many. And those folks obviously aren't gonna check in their does so the harvest totals might not always present an accurate picture.

So the Unit L policy basically is there to give folks the opportunity to kill three a day in areas where they might occasionally need to but usually won't. But I'm not for taking that opportunity away from private land managers across the board. I basically just think that there are too many counties in Unit L and public land should never been included. There's a reason why TN is alone on this issue.

 

[sneakybow]

There was no change to the 2024 season. Those were just proposals that won't be set until voted on in April.

Maybe the Commission will realize what a crock of crap that the agency proposed.

I'm sure they'd be more than willing to accept your resumé, since you have the experience and know-how to fix everything wrong with the department.

I always find these kinds of threads interesting because all of the internet experts show up to "fix" things. Truth is, there is no easy button and there's zero ability for any govt agency to make everyone happy or to react in real time to every single emergency situation.

Turkey harvest is never going to be the driving factor in population numbers, but habitat destruction and nest predation are. Do you propose a moratorium on new building construction? Mandatory nest predator management? Earn a bird... kill a coon or possum before you can turkey hunt? Hunters aren't driving down turkey numbers, we aren't killing off the hens and poults. I'm all ears as to how you plan to fix the statewide seasons, because I can assure you a lot of people would probably agree with you, and the other half will want to hang you.

 

[DeerCamp]

Again, not even close.

Let's look at what may be an average fishing without a license case:

The officer writes the citation. He then must complete an arrest warrant and file it at the county courthouse. Probably a minimum of an hour to do that.

Then, because even if the violator pays the ticket, they have the option of going to court. If the officer isn't there to prosecute the case, it likely is thrown out. The officer will try to have multiple cases set on the same day. Regardless, probably another 3-4 hours of time tied up (minimum).

If the person pays the citation, or if found guilty in court, I suspect the total cost to the defendant now likely is $350-400. That sounds like a big payday for TWRA. Again, wrong.

Out of that $350, the actual fine on the charge will most likely be $10. Out of that, TWRA gets $4. The rest goes (by law) to the county school fund. The remaining $340 are court costs, with a significant portion going to the judges retirement fund. Out of the court costs, TWRA usually receives a $25 arrest fee.

So, TWRA nets $29 for maybe 4-5 hrs of the officer's time. It doesn't come close to even paying for the time to write and prosecute the violation.

So, just an ignorant take to even think that TWRA would set regulations trying to trick people into violating them.

This is incredibly eye opening. Thank you

 

[Omega]

So we agree that the Unit L policy isn't working. Whether the Unit L policy matters is an entirely different question.

How many counties NOT heavy in bean and corn are in Unit L? With the new recommendation to the commission they'll add more. Let's just look at my county, which is Wilson Co, a couple of cities east of Nashville. We have THREE separate areas of public land here in Wilson county ( a county with relatively little corn and beans.) So while we still have too many does in towns, their suburbs, and where farms used to be, we also have two WMA's, a state forest, and natural area, where hunters ARE allowed to hunt in much greater numbers, including folks from east TN driving over for the opportunity to shoot does. I met a few of them last year second Saturday of gun season. Surely you get the picture.

And what if we have an EHD outbreak? You think TWRA will take a county out of Unit L the year after? So basically the broad brush Unit L policy sends the erroneous message that all of west and middle TN is overpopulated with deer. If there was a black market for venison we'd have a problem since poachers wouldn't feel too bad about killing too many but we both agree that in a lot of ag land areas and in increasingly developed areas it's doing little to achieve the desired outcome. All it does is give folks the opportunity to kill three a day in areas where they might occasionally need to but usually won't. And by the way, I'm not for taking that opportunity away from private land managers across the board. I basically just think that there are too many counties in Unit L and public land should never been included. There's a reason why TN is alone on this issue.

So what is your argument? Are you wanting them to change the 3 a day limit for unit L, wanting to take your county out of Unit L, wanting change it for just public land? Either way I don't get your argument, you seem to realize that the 3 a day policy is not achieving it's goal of having more doe harvested, so taking it away will make it even worse due to those that do take a few doe will no longer have that opportunity. Honestly, I think the folks that take a large number of deer (any sex) are helping more than they are hurting the herds and until many more decide to up their number of does taken, the 3 a day limit doesn't seem to matter .

 

[DeerCamp]

So what is your argument? Are you wanting them to change the 3 a day limit for unit L, wanting to take your county out of Unit L, wanting change it for just public land? Either way I don't get your argument, you seem to realize that the 3 a day policy is not achieving it's goal of having more doe harvested, so taking it away will make it even worse due to those that do take a few doe will no longer have that opportunity. Honestly, I think the folks that take a large number of deer (any sex) are helping more than they are hurting the herds and until many more decide to up their number of does taken, the 3 a day limit doesn't seem to matter .

My one gripe about the 3/day is that it does give the ability of individual hunters to have a serious impact on local deer populations.

In particular, I know of a group of out of state hunters that come to Tennessee specifically because of the 3/day. Their home state (out west) doesn't allow antlerless harvest. They absolutely hammer the deer on the farm they lease and it has impacted hunting for the surrounding landowners.

I think they treat it like an all you can eat buffet and are intent on getting their moneys worth.

According to a guy I know who owns land next to that lease, last year they killed something like 18 deer off of 120 acres over the course of the season. That's not great.

 

[Omega]

My one gripe about the 3/day is that it does give the ability of individual hunters to have a serious impact on local deer populations.

In particular, I know of a group of out of state hunters that come to Tennessee specifically because of the 3/day. Their home state (out west) doesn't allow antlerless harvest. They absolutely hammer the deer on the farm they lease and it has impacted hunting for the surrounding landowners.

I think they treat it like an all you can eat buffet and are intent on getting their moneys worth.

According to a guy I know who owns land next to that lease, last year they killed something like 18 deer off of 120 acres over the course of the season. That's not great.

Do they report the harvests? What county and how has that affected the total harvest numbers?

 

[TboneD]

So what is your argument? Are you wanting them to change the 3 a day limit for unit L, wanting to take your county out of Unit L, wanting change it for just public land? Either way I don't get your argument, you seem to realize that the 3 a day policy is not achieving it's goal of having more doe harvested, so taking it away will make it even worse due to those that do take a few doe will no longer have that opportunity. Honestly, I think the folks that take a large number of deer (any sex) are helping more than they are hurting the herds and until many more decide to up their number of does taken, the 3 a day limit doesn't seem to matter .

I just made my arguments and made a couple of suggestions. It's basically like they say in real estate: "location, location" Why should "low Ag" counties that are basically only overpopulated in areas WHERE DEER ARE NOT HUNTED under the Unit L policy?

And why do you think Cheatham WMA was so slow to recover from EHD back when Unit L was created? You think putting it in Unit L might've had something to do with it? After the former manager and his biologist complained enough finally they took it out to protect the does but what about all the other public lands they in Unit L? Again, I'm referring to the same public folks from east TN drive to for the opportunity to kill does. But I'm done repeating myself other than to say tell me one other state that does this!

 

[TboneD]

Do they report the harvests? What county and how has that affected the total harvest numbers?

That's a good question! With the slay three a day message are we sure folks think it's a big deal if they forget to?